The Buffalo Bills revamped the offense this season, after unloading star wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans, creating opportunities for several young players around Josh Allen to make an immediate impact.
After releasing running back Frank Gore Jr. during final roster cuts to set the initial 53-man roster, rookie running back Ray Davis climbed another rung up the depth chart.
As Week 1 of the regular season looms, Davis is poised to open his rookie campaign as running back James Cook’s primary backup and possible change-of-pace option in the Bills’ offense.
Following an electrifying preseason, Davis finished as one of the highest-graded rookies across the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
“After dealing with some ball-security issues in camp,” Mason Cameron writes for PFF. “Davis showed progression in his preseason showings and didn’t fumble across 16 touches. While game-to-game consistency wasn’t there in his two matchups, the former Kentucky Wildcat flashed his ability on the ground. In his final preseason appearance, Davis racked up 7.3 yards per carry, with 5.0 yards coming after contact, on his way to an 84.7 PFF rushing grade.”
Davis, chosen by the Bills out of Kentucky with the No. 128 overall pick after rushing for 3,626 yards with 29 touchdowns across five seasons at Temple, Vanderbilt, and in a Wildcats uniform, could push for meaningful carries immediately in Buffalo.
Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman Turning Heads Across the NFL
Davis isn’t the only Bills rookie with lofty expectations entering the 2024 campaign.
Buffalo’s second-round pick, wide receiver Keon Coleman, was tabbed as a potential breakout star by a rival AFC executive.
“It’s a complete joke he was a second-rounder,” the front office executive told me about the Bills’ emerging star. “He’s one of the most gifted players in this draft class, regardless of position.”
Coleman caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns at Florida State last season, but as a rookie, he has the potential to fill a lion’s share of the void left behind by Diggs in Josh Allen’s arsenal.
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