The Buffalo Bills kicked off the preseason on Saturday, hosting the New York Giants at Highmark Stadium.
Multiple Bills starters on both sides of the ball did not play against New York and those that did were out after a few series. The game was a great chance for Buffalo to evaluate their rookie class and several players battling for roster and practice squad spots.
Who stood out for Buffalo against the Giants? Here is a look at the best and worst grades from Pro Football Focus (PFF) following the Bills’ 34-25 loss.
Deone Walker earns highest overall grade in game
Rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker was dominant against the New York Giants. In his 15 reps, Walker recorded three quarterback pressures, one batted pass and a pass-rush win rate of 27.3.
Walker’s play earned him a game-high 92.8 overall grade with a 92.9 pass-rush grade.
Buffalo was able to grab the former Kentucky prospect on day three of the draft after his play fell off last season due to back issues. If Walker can stay healthy, Buffalo may have found a day-three gem in the 6′7″, 331-pound defensive tackle.
How did the rest of the rookie class fare?
Walker was not the only rookie to grade out well on PFF.
Fellow defensive tackle T.J. Sanders earned an 82.0 grade. His highest sub-category grade came in pressure (78.3) after the analytics site credited him with one pressure and one quarterback hit.
Defensive back Jordan Hancock also graded out well for Buffalo. PFF gave the former Ohio State Buckeye an 81.3 grade. Hancock earned Buffalo’s highest tackling grade (80.1) and he fared well in coverage (76.6). Hancock seemed comfortable blitzing and was excellent as an open-field tackler.
The rest of the rookie class grades for players who played against the Giants:
Landon Jackson: 48.6
Jackson Hawes: 37.8
Dorian Strong: 69.2
Chase Lundt: 68.0
Jackson, the Bills’ third-round pick, recorded one hurry in the loss but had a costly penalty and struggled to make an overall impact.
Hawes’ overall grade was low, but he did fare well as a pass-blocker (73.1).
Trubisky wins QB2 battle per analytics site
Mitch Trubisky and Mike White both started slowly, but each quarterback was able to lead the Bills on scoring drives. After reviewing the game, however, Trubisky came out as the clear winner for PFF.
Trubisky earned an 86.9 overall grade from the analytics site with an 84.8 pass grade.
White, meanwhile, came in with a 69.8 overall grade and a 68.8 pass grade.
Top-5 offensive grades
QB Mitch Trubisky: 86.9
RB Frank Gore Jr.: 84.4
FB Reggie Gilliam: 81.9
WR Joshua Palmer: 79.9
WR Tyrell Shavers: 79.3
Palmer looked great in his preseason debut with Buffalo. His ability to create separation was on display in his time on the field and he should be a big asset for Josh Allen this season.
Shavers made his case for a roster spot with a 58-yard reception before halftime. If he can step up on special teams, the Bills may have no choice but to keep the receiver.
Top-5 defensive grades
DT Deone Walker: 92.8
CB Taron Johnson: 90.9
LB Matt Milano: 87.1
DE Justin Hollins: 83.2
CB Brandon Codrington: 82.2
Codrington played 20 defensive reps and fared well in coverage (83.8) and tackling (71.6). While most of these snaps came against bottom-of-the-roster players on the Giants, this was the type of performance Codrington needed to show that there is upside to his game as a cornerback in addition to his return ability.
Bottom-3 offensive grades
TE Zach Davidson: 39.3
TE Jackson Hawes: 37.8
OL Travis Clayton: 36.4
Davidson and Hawes both recorded drops in the loss. Clayton, a former rugby player, scored a 15.3 pass-block grade for Buffalo.
Bottom-3 defensive grades
LB Keonta Jenkins: 45.8
DT Marcus Harris: 41.4
DE Paris Shand: 30.1
Jenkins played a lot of reps at linebacker and raised some eyebrows coming in before Edefuan Ulofoshio, a 2024 draft pick.
Shand, a UDFA who performed well early at camp before the pads came in, had the lowest grade for Buffalo. Shand scored a 29.7 run-defense grade.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.