The Buffalo Bills wrapped up their 2026 preseason schedule with a 28-27 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. We certainly saw some clear standouts on both sides of the ball. 

There were also a few players who didn’t do themselves any favors. 

I’ve got three winners and three losers coming out of Buffalo’s preseason contests, so let’s get into it.

Winners

S Damar Hamlin

Look, the Bills brought in Geno Stone and CJ Gardner-Johnson to bolster that safety room this offseason. Hamlin responded by outplaying both of them. 

He came away with 2 interceptions across the preseason and was consistently around the football. Now, his pick last night against the Pittsburgh Steelers came off an overthrow that landed right in his lap, but he still made the play. 

That’s what opportunistic defenders do. Who knows what the starting plan will be once the regular season rolls around, but Hamlin has put himself in a great spot heading into Week 1.

WR Skyler Bell

Even though it was just one game, the rookie wide receiver had almost 80 all-purpose yards last night against Pittsburgh. He scored a rushing touchdown on an end around, hauled in plenty of catches, and showed the Bills everything they needed to see. Crosser routes, curls, comebacks, working over the middle, working outside. 

One game was all it took for Bell to showcase his complete skill set, and I think he’s earned himself a real spot in this offense. At least he gave himself the opportunity for that to happen in the near future.

RB Frank Gore Jr.

I don’t even know if Gore Jr. will make the 53-man roster, and he’s still a winner. If Buffalo keeps four running backs, I could see him sticking.

If they only keep three then James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis are likely the ones who survive. But Gore showed a lot of good stuff this preseason. 

Great ability in the open field, tough to bring down, and he was making plays after the catch last night that jumped off the screen. He plays hard. 

If he doesn’t make the Bills, he will certainly end up on someone else’s roster.

Losers

WR Mecole Hardman Jr. 

Hardman Jr. is viewed as the potential punt returner for the Bills, but his skill set on offense is limited. That makes it hard for him to see the field in a meaningful way beyond special teams. 

He didn’t really showcase much during the preseason and didn’t stand out in any significant way. Ray Davis has already started returning punts, and we know Davis is making this roster. 

I just don’t think Hardman has put himself in a good spot to stick on this team, and if he does his days may be numbered.

LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr

The fourth-round rookie out of TCU didn’t pop off enough for me. Reports indicated he had a strong training camp, but that production didn’t translate to the preseason games. 

On the other hand, Kenota Jenkins was always around the football and racking up stats in the box score. Elarms-Orr is relatively a lock to make this team as a fourth-round pick, but I think he had a chance to earn playing time this year.

I’m not sure the coaching staff is looking at him to contribute much anymore outside of special teams. The opportunities were there and he just didn’t take advantage.

CB Toriano Pride Jr. 

The seventh-round pick didn’t do much at all during the preseason. Undrafted free agent Kani Walker even outperformed him. Walker logged a couple of pass breakups and showed more on tape. 

Pride could end up on the practice squad, which is tough for a drafted player trying to carve out a role in this secondary. By no means is his potential with the Bills thwarted in my eyes, but he didn’t do enough plain and simple. 

Upcoming Dates

Sunday, August 30 at 6pm ET is the deadline for NFL roster cutdowns. This means Joe Brady, Brandon Beane, and the rest of the Bills staff have a couple days to figure stuff out.

Honestly, it works out pretty well considering some teams will have a day to figure out. 

I would expect the Buffalo Bills, like every team, to keep an eye on waivers as well to see if anyone is worth claiming once preseason fully concludes. Thus putting the emphasis on not having too much stock into the initial 53-man roster we see Sunday evening.

The regular season is getting close and the Bills Week 1 kickoff against the Houston Texans will be here before we know it. Lots of moves will be made before then and the guys listed above had their impact on all of it. 

One thing is for sure though: the Buffalo Bills got better throughout the preseason.