5 Bills Underdogs Who Could Set Off On-Field Fireworks in the 2024 NFL Season

American Independence Day is synonymous with hot dogs, joyous gatherings, and of course, fireworks. There’s nothing quite like capping off a memorable Fourth of July with a big fireworks display against a clear night sky, preferably with a beer in hand.

A thing that can But it would be better to watch the fireworks burst over Highmark Stadium after a Buffalo Bills touchdown during football season. The thunderous roar of the fireworks is often drowned out by the roar of the crowd, a microcosm of the incomparable atmosphere that pervades Orchard Park on game days.

Buffalo has had its share of fireworks in recent years. Its team has made the playoffs in six of the last seven campaigns, winning the AFC East in each of the last four seasons. Former All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen has lifted the team from the depths of NFL irrelevance and led it into perennial contention, with the team, though significantly changed from last season, looking competitive again in the 2024 campaign.

Several new faces have been added to this year’s roster following the offseason shakeup, and other returning players are also expected to take on larger roles. With that in mind, we decided to take Independence Day as an opportunity to celebrate some of the lesser-known players on Buffalo’s roster that you should familiarize yourself with ahead of the 2024 season.

Here are five Bills underdogs who could set off fireworks on the field during the 2024 campaign.

While James Cook is still considered Buffalo’s leader after a breakout performance as a sophomore, in which he finished sixth in the league in yards from scrimmage (1,567), 2024 fourth-round pick Ray Davis is poised to make a significant impact as a backup. A compact 5-foot-8 option between the tackles, he’s expected to replace Cook in short-yardage and goal-line situations, also taking pressure off quarterback Josh Allen in that regard. He ran for 14 touchdowns at Kentucky last season along with 1,129 yards, indicating he has a nose for the end zone. Don’t be surprised if he reaches the end zone frequently as a rookie.

While it’s not the most highlighted part of his game, Davis can run out of the backfield and was occasionally used in the passing game in Lexington, catching 33 passes for 323 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Given new full-time offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s penchant for using running backs in the passing attack, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Davis get a healthy number of targets in his first season.

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We’re not expecting a career renaissance — or, more accurately, a late-career breakout — from free agent Mack Hollins, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he sets new career highs in Buffalo this season. The 30-year-old has caught just 131 passes for 1,691 yards and 10 touchdowns as a pro, with his best season coming in 2022 (57 receptions for 690 yards). Most of the Western New York faithful initially suspected he was signed as a depth and special teams option, but given Allen and general manager Brandon Beane’s comments about the veteran throughout the spring, it appears he might actually be worthy of an offensive role. Allen and Beane have both consistently sung the wide receiver’s praises, with the quarterback saying in May that Hollins works incredibly hard and brings an “edge” to the receiving corps.

This may all be early in the season, but given his 6-foot-4 frame, the availability of targets in the team’s revamped receiving corps and the impression he’s already made on his quarterback, it’s not a stretch to imagine Hollins carving out a real role in the offense. If he can do that, it shouldn’t be too difficult to reach 690 receiving yards and four touchdowns in a single season.

Offseason signing Austin Johnson is considered Buffalo’s primary rotational interior defender following the spring departures of Jordan Phillips and Tim Settle, and he appears more than ready to answer the call. The 30-year-old is coming off a 2023 season with the Los Angeles Chargers in which he recorded 16 total quarterback pressures and 17 run stops, according to PFF. The veteran’s best campaign came in 2021 with the New York Giants, when he recorded 3.5 sacks, 21 total pressures and an impressive 37 run stops.

A college teammate of current Bill DaQuan Jones, Johnson is expected to leave his fellow Nittany Lions as a rotational lineman. He’ll likely line up regularly alongside rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, for whom he’ll eat blocks to allow Carter to generate meaningful pressure. As he’s shown throughout his career, Johnson also has some pass-rush potential — the fireworks he provides likely won’t be consistent, but he’ll be sure to set off a few throughout the 2024 campaign.

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Javon Solomon is currently considered the fourth or fifth defensive end on Buffalo’s roster, so his opportunities likely won’t be consistent. The recent fifth-round pick will primarily be used as a pass rush specialist on obvious passes, with Bills brass hoping he can fit home when he’s free. The 23-year-old has done just that throughout his tenure at Troy, recording 33 sacks during his college career. He led the FBS in sacks last season with 18.0; don’t be surprised if he brings some of that juice as a rookie.

Taylor Rapp appears poised to step into a starting safety role after occupying a depth/niche role in 2023, playing roughly 40 percent of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. He may have been overlooked in a safety conversation that has been fairly active this offseason; the Bills parted ways with stalwart starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer before signing veteran Mike Edwards and drafting Utah defensive end Cole Bishop in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While Rapp signed an extension with the team this spring, the conversation hasn’t necessarily centered on him due to his long-term tenure; Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott apparently hasn’t overlooked him, recently suggesting to reporters that the 26-year-old was already pegged for a starting role before saying he had “established himself from a leadership standpoint.”

Rapp has plenty of starting experience, having started 48 games in his four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (including all 17 games on the team that won the Super Bowl in the 2021 NFL season) before joining the Bills last season. He recorded 25 pass deflections and 10 interceptions throughout his professional career. He is now a likely starter in a Buffalo defense that likes to put its safeties in positions to succeed. Expect Rapp to provide proverbial fireworks frequently in Orchard Park this fall.

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