Plenty of people know about the top talents on the Bills roster two games into the season. Franchise quarterback Josh Allen is one of the best at his position; he’s known throughout the league as one of the game’s true difference-makers while also being recognizable to most casual fans. Everyone knows who Josh Allen is.
But even past Allen and more on a micro level, there are generally recognized top players within the team’s roster. In no particular order, that group includes left tackle Dion Dawkins, defensive end Greg Rousseau, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, linebacker Matt Milano and nickel corner Taron Johnson, to name a few.
But everyone loves a secret standout who doesn’t have that same recognition, especially for something as well-documented as an NFL roster. In sports, players — through all their time on the practice field and in meeting rooms — can always tell who has some real game even if they don’t get the general praise or big enough role to show for it just yet.
Who do the Bills view in this light in 2024? The Athletic polled the locker room to find out who the players believed was the team’s best-kept secret.
CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
WR Khalil Shakir: He keeps his head down, works hard, never complains, shows up every day. Just the type of guy that embodies this, you know, putting one foot in front of the other, just keeping your head down and taking it day by day. And now, you know, the past two games that we’ve had, he showed out in a way that he’s kind of stepped into that spotlight and made the most of it and made the most of his opportunities… He’s a dog, man. He’s always asking to get extra work, too. So it’s good to see him, you know, get some run out there.LT Dion Dawkins: He listens, he learns, he doesn’t speak. He just takes the coaching the right way. And he lets his older guys guide him to success. You know, JaMarcus has been with me damn near every day since OTAs. Every single day. And I was telling him you’ve got to change the people that you’re around. Not to say he was around anybody bad. But usually when you hang around successful people, the success kind of brushes off to you. And I’m happy to see that he’s getting his successful little nuggets.
DE Von Miller: Because he’s the ultimate competitor. Match up versus anybody and go get it done. I like his odds.
RG O’Cyrus Torrence: Around the league, you see highlights of players making plays, but you don’t see none of the plays he made from the last game. He got a pick and a pick six and you don’t see no highlights, nobody talking about it. I feel like he’s still going under the radar… I feel like he’s the reason we won both our first two games and he’s, I feel like, a more important part of the defense than like what people really know.
CB Christian Benford
FB Reggie Gilliam: I’m a little early or behind I guess, but I always said CB. I always said Christian Benford was our best kept secret, but now he’s starting to get in the limelight a little bit. From his first year here. To me and Quintin Morris, we would always say CB is a really good player and he’s going to make it work one day. And here we are.S Mike Edwards: He works harder than probably anybody in here, one of the top hardest workers on the team. And I feel like, it’s just my first year I’ve been here, but just watching him on tape, I feel like he’s getting better every year and I feel like this is likely going to be his breakout year.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: I think CB’s been playing really well, man… He had the task of guarding some really good receivers the first two weeks. And he’s been doing his thing. So yeah, I think Benford has been playing lights out.
OL Alec Anderson
DT DaQuan Jones: I think he’s a dog in the run game. I think he’s a competitor. And I know for me, at practice, we like to work with each other. He’s always trying to learn and always trying to get better at his craft. He’s very versatile all across the board, guard, center actually both guards… I think he’s just as good as some of the league’s best and guys who’ve been starting for years…I think he’ll be a hell of a player.C Connor McGovern: He comes in on Jumbo, people don’t expect it. But watch his film. He’s out there trapping people, knocking people down. On that long 49-yard touchdown he came down, he was able to secure the block there…He allows our offense to do a whole lot of things.
DT Austin Johnson: They’re just really good at what they do. They have an amazing craft and they’re just, kind of one of the guys going under the radar. (Also named practice squad DT Branson Deen)
LG David Edwards
QB Mitchell Trubisky: I think he’s just a hell of a player. He’s very smart. And our whole O-line as a whole, they’ve just got really good chemistry and they’ve been playing really well. So when you have the whole line playing like that, they’re kind of the heart of the offense and make everything go. And obviously, Josh is the catalyst as well. But I feel like Dave Edwards up front, he needs some more shine.LB Baylon Spector
DB Cam Lewis: He just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to showcase his stuff. And then Monday night, I feel like he’s going to put everybody on notice that he can play ball. It’s not gonna be no type of a drop off like that. He got the communication. He got the confidence. So he’s just about to go out there and play his ball.
Running back Ray Davis earned praise from teammate Spencer Brown for his play so far this season. (Gregory Fisher / Imagn Images)