Football: AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills James Cook (4) and Dion Dawkins (73) in action, celebrate a touchdown score vs Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City, MO 1/26/2025 CREDIT: David E. Klutho (Photo by David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164671 TK1)
The 2025 NFL season saw the Buffalo Bills lean heavily into their ground game, leading the league with 2,714 rushing yards (159.6 per game), 30 rushing touchdowns, and 5.0 yards per attempt while ranking fourth in scoring at 28.3 points per game. A look at advanced metrics reinforces this dominance: first in rushing DVOA (13.5%), top-three in yards before contact per rush (3.1), and a 74.7% run-block win rate.
The offensive line allowed 40 sacks (tied for 21st in the NFL) and posted an 87.7
Pro Football Focus (
PFF) pass-blocking efficiency (third-best). Yet, in the playoffs — a 27-24 Wild Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, followed by a 33-30 overtime Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos — the run game averaged 4.2 yards per carry but couldn’t consistently control games, with turnovers and defensive lapses proving costly.
As the first in a series evaluating the Bills’ offense for a potential 2026 Super Bowl run, we’ll apply what I’ve termed as the
“Lofton Exercise” to categorize players as “game-winners” (elite talents who can single-handedly win multiple games), “win-with players” (reliable contributors who perform well but aren’t consistent difference-makers), or “needs improvement” (inconsistent or underdeveloped). We begin with a look at Buffalo’s running backs and offensive linemen, both those under contract and pending free agents.
Below, we’ll incorporate 2025 stats, postseason performances, and advanced metrics like
PFF grades, expected points added (EPA), success rates, and others to build our case. This unit formed the foundation of Buffalo’s identity in 2025, but depth and consistency in big spots remain questions heading into the offseason.
Game-Winners
These players stood out as elite talents capable of dominating matchups and carrying the unit in critical moments. Their performances were crucial for the Bills’ success.
RB James Cook III
James Cook III elevated to superstar status in 2025, capturing the NFL rushing title with 309 carries for 1,621 yards (5.2 yards per attempt, second among qualifiers) and 12 touchdowns, while adding 33 receptions for 291 yards and two scores. His advanced metrics were elite: a
PFF rushing grade of 84.4 (9th among 55 running backs), 0.29 missed tackles forced per attempt (fifth in the NFL), 3.16 yards after contact per rush (2nd-best among qualified RBs), and a 58.3% rushing success rate that contributed to the team’s league-leading 0.15 EPA per rush play.
In the playoffs, Cook racked up 39 carries for 163 yards (4.2 average) and a touchdown, including a 117-yard outing against Denver that kept drives alive in a close game.
Cook’s vision, burst, and improved pass protection (allowing just one sack on 45 blocking snaps) earned him second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection, with reports indicating he received 10 first-place votes among the running backs (54 points, 16 behind Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson). He’s a true game-winner who can exploit defenses and win games outright, as evidenced by his 39 explosive runs (10+ yards) and 62 forced missed tackles. Ball security has been an issue, though, with six fumbles this past season (three lost) being an area for improvement in 2026 and beyond.
RT Spencer Brown
Spencer Brown emerged as one of the NFL’s top right tackles, starting all 17 games with a stellar 76.2 overall
PFF grade (21st out of 89 qualifying tackles), including an elite 84.6 in run-blocking that powered the Bills’ ground dominance. He allowed three sacks and 18 pressures across 612 pass-blocking snaps (61.3 pass blocking grade), boasting a 92.4% pass-block efficiency and contributing to the unit’s top-three ranking in yards before contact (3.1 per rush). Brown’s run-block win rate of 78% ranked fourth league-wide, an effort that directly enabled Cook’s explosive gains.
Despite being completely overlooked for Pro Bowl and All-Pro consideration, Brown’s ability to win individual matchups against elite edge rushers like T.J. Watt (held to one pressure in Week 13) is undeniable. As a game-winner, Brown’s physicality and technique make him a cornerstone who can single-handedly elevate the entire rushing attack.
Win-With Players
This group provided reliable, complementary production without consistently dominating. Their stats and metrics show solid contributions that help the team win, but which don’t carry games alone.
FB Reggie Gilliam (UFA)
Reggie Gilliam specialized in blocking, logging 259 snaps in multi-back sets with a league-best 73.5
PFF run-blocking grade that supported the unit’s 74.7% win rate. He paved lanes at a clip of 4.8 yards per rush in heavy personnel packages. Gilliam was also elite in pass protection, allowing zero pressures on 24 pass-blocking snaps.
Gilliam received no All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition, but his niche role as a lead blocker makes him a solid win-with contributor in a run-heavy scheme, and his contributions on special teams are a plus. He’s certainly one of the best fullbacks in the league right now, but the position he plays makes it difficult to say he’s a guy who wins games for his team. No fullback does, to be honest.
LT Dion Dawkins
Dion Dawkins started all 17 games, earning a 73.9
PFF overall grade (Ranked 28th out of 89 tackles), allowing six sacks and 22 pressures, while accumulating an 81.5 pass-blocking grade (7th out of 89 tackles). He struggled a bit in the run-blocking department (65.9 grade, ranked 44th out of 89 tackles), but still helped generate 3.1 yards before contact.
Dawkins’ 90.8% pass-block efficiency ranked in the top-20 for tackles, but he committed a lot of costly penalties (10 overall). The “Shnowman” earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection and received five All-Pro votes, a testament to his his name continually being among the league’s more recognizable and productive offensive linemen.
At his best, Dawkins is a game-winner. It feels like he took a step back this past year, though, with some inconsistencies and questionable effort at times. Dawkins is a “win-with” guy for me at the moment, and he serves as a durable veteran anchor. He still can get back to “game-winner” status, he just needs to be more consistent.
C Connor McGovern (UFA)
Connor McGovern ranked 15th out of 40 qualified centers with a 69.1
PFF grade, allowing zero sacks and excelling in pass protection (73.4 grade, 6th out of 40 qualified centers). His snap accuracy and run-blocking (65.2%, 20th out of 40 qualified centers) spoke to his consistency.
McGovern earned a Pro Bowl alternate spot and one All-Pro vote, which has him as high-floor “win-with” anchor in this exercise. If the price is right, the Bills would love to have him back as their long-term tip of the spear.
LG David Edwards (UFA)
David Edwards started all 17 games and complied a 71.4
PFF grade. He was reliable in pass blocking (3 sacks allowed, 73.0 grade, 14th out of 81 guards) and also run-blocking (69.0 grade, 23rd out of 81 guards).
Edwards’ contributions to the unit’s 74.7% win rate were key. He didn’t receive any All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition, but he’s surely a “win-with” starter in Buffalo’s offensive schemes, as an interior lineman who maintains consistency and chemistry with the group.
G/C/OT Alec Anderson (RFA)
Alec Anderson appeared in 17 games (two starts) and earned a 72.7
PFF grade, providing versatile depth across the interior and tackle spots. He allowed one sack and three pressures in 189 snaps, committing two penalties and receiving a poor 41.3 pass-blocking grade by
PFF. On the other hand, Anderson contributed to a 72% run-block win rate, with an 82.5 run-block grade.
There were no accolades for his work in 2025, but Anderson’s reliability during injury fill-ins makes him a “win-with” backup with starter potential, especially if he can improve his pass blocking. If McGovern or Edwards aren’t back, Anderson seems primed for his first opportunity as a full-time starter.
Needs Improvement
These players lacked consistency, often due to limited snaps, inexperience, or simply not being talented enough, even if some of them showed potential at some point. At this point in time, each of them requires more development for possible bigger roles.
RG O’Cyrus Torrence
Now a three-year starter, O’Cyrus Torrence started all games in 2025 but posted a 54.9
PFF grade. He struggled in pass protection (part of 58 unit pressures) this past season, but he makes his hay pushing defenders into submission as a huge part of Buffalo’s stout run-game.
Torrence is a mauler who can move people in front of him, but his pass-blocking inconsistencies have been too concerning to ignore, and the 2026 season will be crucial in evaluating him for a new long-term deal. As part of the unit, Torrence might be good enough to “win with,” but individually he can and needs to be way better.
C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
Sedrick Van Pran-Granger received limited backup snaps and earned just a 57.5
PFF grade, 52.6 run-blocking grade, and showed some high upside with an 85.1 pass-blocking grade. Despite being untested (just one start last season, against the New York Jets in Week 18), Van Pran-Granger might be in position to compete for the starting center spot if McGovern signs elsewhere in free agency.
LT Ryan Van Demark (RFA)
Ryan Van Demark performed as an effective swing tackle and spot-starter, appearing in all 17 games for the Bills. He solidified his role as a reliable backup with solid
PFF grades (74.4 overall), particularly in run blocking (74.9, 22nd out of 89 qualifying tackles). His pass-blocking grade wasn’t good though (65.6), allowing two sacks and committing three penalties in 312 snaps. Van Demark’s okay in his role right now, but not good enough to be a starter just yet.
LT Tylan Grable
Tylan Grable saw limited action in his second season, largely due to injury. After dealing with a concussion he sustained in August, Grable was activated from Injured Reserve on November 29 and played in the latter part of the season. His
PFF grades were the opposite of Van Demark’s (69.5 overall, 62.1 run blocking, 83.3 pass blocking), but in far fewer snaps. Still, not allowing any sacks, hits, or pressures in 72 offensive snaps is promising for a developmental player in his second NFL season.
RB Frank Gore Jr.
Frank Gore Jr. saw minimal action (one game, one reception for six yards; two playoff rushes for six yards). He’s still raw and unproven, but he has shown some promise during preseason action across two campaigns. Gore should continue to find opportunities to develop, and he may earn a bigger role down the road.
Final Assessment
With “game-winners” like Cook and Brown leading the way — backed by their elite metrics and accolades — and a group of “win-with” players providing consistency, the Bills’ running backs and offensive line form a Super Bowl-caliber foundation. The run game’s dominance (top DVOA, EPA) proves this, but depth concerns (Gilliam, Edwards, and McGovern potentially leaving in FA) and inconsistencies (Torrence) could present challenges for 2026.
Choices will need to be made during free agency — overpaying for vets or trusting young, in-house talent. Overall, Buffalo’s foundation is very good, but additions for competition and depth purposes are a must.
Catch up on all this and more with the latest edition of
Leading the Charge!
