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With the Buffalo Bills organized team activities and minicamp finished, training camp is on the horizon. So it is time to make a prediction of who the Bills’ starters will be. Some positions will be obvious while others may not be locked in until late in August.

Offense:

Quarterback- Josh Allen

Running Back- Devin Singletary 

Wide Receiver- Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie 

Tight End- Dawson Knox

Center- Mitch Morse

Guards- Rodger Saffold, Ryan Bates

Tackles- Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown

There will not be much of a difference on offense. Josh Allen at quarterback is a no-brainer. Devin Singletary will get the starting nod at running back but will most likely split the load with rookie James Cook. The three top wide receivers on the team are pretty much a lock. Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen still have one of the best connections in the NFL. Then there is Gabriel Davis who had a quiet start to the season but progressed into a top target during the playoffs. With the slot position, there could be a case for the rookie Khalil Shakir or free agent acquisition Jamison Crowder. While there is a case for both, until training camp shows otherwise it will be Isaiah McKenzie who was with the team last year. At tight end, it will still be Dawson Knox who emerged last season as a top 15 tight end and became another reliable target for Allen. 

On the offensive line, the only new addition will be Rodger Saffold. He has experience working with the Bills’ new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and will fill the left guard spot for the team. Other than that, Mitch Morse will still be the starting center. Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are the top two tackles. After starting off as a depth player, Ryan Bates proved he could be a starter down the stretch of the 2021 season, and with his strong performance he will secure the role going into the season. 

Defense:

Defensive End- Von Miller, Greg Rousseau 

Defensive Tackle- Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones

Linebackers- Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano

Cornerbacks- Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam, Taron Johnson 

Safeties- Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer 

The Bills defense was the best unit in the NFL last season allowing only 4,637 total yards. The backend will once again be held down by the NFL’s best safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. With Tre’Davious White set to come back off his ACL injury, he will resume the role as the top cornerback and Taron Johnson will be back in the slot. It’s the No. 2 cornerback role that will be different with rookie Kaiir Elam stepping in. The linebackers will remain the same with Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano having their spots secure. 

The defensive line will look a bit different compared to last year’s starters. The two returning starters will be Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver, but the other end spot and tackle spot will feature two new Bills players. One of them will be the All-Pro player Von Miller who signed a massive six-year $120,000,000 contract with the team back in March. The interior spot is up for discussion with players like Jordan Phillips, Tim Settle, and DaQuan Jones. With Jones’ skill set he will most likely be the starter against pass-heavy teams, while Settle excels with being a run stopper and will most likely get the starting nod against run-heavy teams.

Specialists:

Kicker: Tyler Bass

Punter: Matt Araiza 

Long Snapper: Reid Ferguson 

Not much turnover here either. Tyler Bass had another successful season making 28 field goals and made all of his 51 extra point attempts. Reid Ferguson has been with the Bills since 2017 and year after year has proven to be a reliable long snapper for the team. The switch will be the punter with Matt Araiza instead of Matt Haack. With Haack’s struggles throughout the 2021 season, and the Bills drafting Araiza, it is evident that a switch will be made. Especially since Araiza has worked on his holding ability to secure the starting role.