And just like that, the off-season is winding down, and training camp is just around the corner. In less than a month, the Bills will kick off their 2023 schedule with a preseason game against the Colts. The Bills have one of the more established rosters in the league, so I find working through training camp and preseason football to be very intriguing to look at how some of the depth players look, and a glimpse into the future of the roster. 

This will be the first in a series looking into some of the position battles I am most interested in as we head into camp. There has been a lot of noise surrounding Stefon Diggs this off-season, but he is one of the best receivers in the league, and I am not too concerned with his play once the football starts. How the depth shakes out beyond him is what I find very interesting, so we will start this series looking into the wide receiver position.

There have been some interesting names added to the wide receiver room this off-season, as well as returning veterans, so this camp battle is most intriguing to me on the lower end of the depth chart to see who can stand out and show they’re ready to step up in the future. Gabe Davis is currently the #2 but is in a contract year, making his future with the team beyond this season uncertain. While Diggs is still playing at a very high level, father time is undefeated, and he is not getting any younger. For the Bills to sustain long-term success, we may need a couple of these younger guys to show the ability to take on bigger roles.

With the diversity of skill sets brought in this year, I don’t think each players number on the depth chart will be very important. We have seen this regime be very willing to run rotations at several positions, and I think we may see something similar with the wide receiver group. I would anticipate the team keeping six receivers, but with the addition of Dalton Kincaid and his role seemingly being a big slot, I think there’s a chance that the team only keeps five. My projected depth chart is below.

WR1 - Diggs

WR2 - Davis

WR3 - Harty

WR4 - Shakir

WR5 - Sherfield

WR6 - Shorter

I believe that starting at the #3 spot is where things will become interesting. Last year the team had Crowder and McKenzie, and I think the plan was to rotate those players in the slot based on gameplan and situation. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury for Crowder never allowed us to really see this plan in action. I expect Harty to be a speed option with a more rounded skill set than McKenzie and for Shakir to take on the Crowder role. I expect a big leap from Shakir this year, who is a player that I am very intrigued by. Sherfield feels like a roster lock to me with his special teams ability and the dimensions he can bring to the offense in a limited role with his speed. Shorter is getting the nod as my WR 6 here largely due to his recruiting pedigree and being a recent draft pick. The WR6 battle will be interesting to watch play out with some other interesting names in the mix, such as Isaiah Coulter, Marcell Ateman, KeeSean Johnson and Dezmon Patmon. 

Of course, the name DeAndre Hopkins is still out there and still being linked to the Bills, and this all goes out the window if the team does eventually find a way to sign him.

*Last minute update: DeAndre Hopkins is signing with the Tennessee Titans for a 2-year, $26M deal with up to $32M with incentives via Ian Rapoport.

Hopkins has not officially signed with the Titans, but everything points to him signing within the next few days.