Latest ESPN rankings just set the bar sky high for the Buffalo Bills going into 2026

The Bills look very different going into the start of 2026 training camp, and the expectations are going to be astronomical.

The Buffalo Bills look very different than they did just six months ago. The Bills walked off the field in Mile High Stadium in the AFC Divisional Round in defeat 33-30 to Denver that led to a major shakeup within the franchise.

Head coach Sean McDermott was given his walking papers, and Joe Brady was ultimately elevated from offensive coordinator to his successor. Jim Leonhard was plucked from those same Broncos to serve as Buffalo’s new defensive coordinator. The Bills found a new WR1 in DJ Moore, who they acquired by trade with the Bears in March. They fortified the defensive side of the ball with veteran signings in EDGE Bradley Chubb, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and CB Dee Alford. They continued addressing the defense in the draft with a pair of second round picks in Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker and Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun.

The question is: is this Buffalo team built to take the next step in 2026 that they couldn’t make under McDermott? Is this a group that will finally reach that first Super Bowl in over 30 years?

ESPN certainly thinks so.

A panel of ESPN writers put out a ranking of the rosters of all 32 NFL teams, and the Bills checked in at No. 4, tops in the AFC.

ESPN ranks Buffalo Bills’ roster at No. 4 in the NFL

As far as the biggest question mark or uncertainty coming into the season, ESPN’s Seth Walder pointed to the Bills’ defense and whether they can snap into form quickly under Leonhard.

“One of the upsides of promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach is keeping the consistency and continuity of the potent Bills offense,” Walder wrote. “But on the defensive side, Buffalo is replacing a good coach in Sean McDermott. Will Leonhard be able to get enough out of an imperfect defensive roster to make Buffalo title contenders?”

The excuses are gone. General manager Brandon Beane has addressed a number of problem roster areas. The team has found a potential number one wideout, even if the rest of the WR room is still a work in progress. The defense should be improved after getting infused with veteran and rookie talent up front and on the back end. And the concerns about the team wilting in the playoffs under McDermott are gone with the wind.

ESPN sees the Bills as having the best squad in the AFC. And the Bills need to end up as the AFC’s finest and in Super Bowl LXI. Or at least be in a dogfight in the AFC Championship Game.

Because the offseason noise could be even louder if they come up well short once again in January.

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