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The Buffalo Bills drafted 10 players in the 2024 NFL Draft, but their talent acquisition process didn’t stop there. General manager Brandon Beane is in the process of signing at least a dozen undrafted free agents after the draft ended. And while most of these players will never see an NFL field, there is at least one who will make the Bills opening week roster, and that player is Xavier Johnson, not Frank Gore Jr.
Before we get into why Johnson is the most likely undrafted free agent who will make the Bills’ 2024 roster, let’s say a quick word about Gore. The son of legendary NFL back Frank Gore Sr., Junior had an excellent career at Southern Mississippi. However, at an inch shorter and at least 10 pounds lighter, the younger Gore plays a way different style than his battering ram father.
It’s amazing that the Bills now have the son of a player who they had on their roster just five years ago, and Frank Gore Jr. will be a fan favorite right out of the gate. However, James Cook is undoubtedly RB1, and the team drafted Ray Davis to be the power back behind him.
After that, it is a three-way battle for the third running back spot between Gore Jr., Ty Johnson, and Darrynton Evans. Last year’s RB3, Johnson, has to be the leader in the clubhouse to survive the final cut, and interestingly enough, if Xavier Johnson does make the Bills roster as we predict below, that is another reason Gore Jr. is likely bound for the practice squad.
Xavier Johnson is the Bills undrafted free agent most likely to make the 2024 roster
When trying to figure out the most likely Bills undrafted free agent to make the roster in 2024, you have to look at the position groups.
Wide receiver is, by far, the Bills weakest unit heading into the new season, even after drafting Florida State star Keon Coleman with their first pick of the NFL draft. After Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel, there are no WRs 100 percent guaranteed to make the final cut.
Mack Hollins, Justin Shorter, KJ Hamler, and Chase Claypool all have a better-than-average chance, but once you get down to the fifth or sixth WR on the roster, you need players who can also contribute on special teams, and guys like Hamler and Shorter do not.
Coming out of Ohio State, Xavier Johnson is listed as a WR, but his real position is WR/RB/KR/ST gunner.
Johnson is truly a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. As a Buckeye, he put up 352 rushing yards, 329 receiving yards, and scored one rushing touchdown and two receiving TDs. The Buckeyes used him in a variety of roles on offense, mostly in home run swing gadget play situations. He also made 12 special teams tackles and looks like he could be a real asset as a gunner at the next level.
If Johnson pans out at the next level he could become a (very) poor man’s Deebo Samuel and potential star special teams player.
Admittedly, this isn’t the sexiest pick to make the 2024 Bills roster. Frank Gore Jr. could become a starter and a bell-cow back under the right circumstances, and another undrafted player, like cornerback Kenji-H Lovely from Western Michigan, is a sleeper ballhawk who could turn into the next Christian Benford for the Bills.
All that said, a player who can fill several different roles on the backend of an NFL roster is increasingly more valuable. And in 2024, with the new kickoff rules coming in, having players who can cover kicks under the new format — which Johnson seems like he should be able to do — will be incredibly important.
So, while Johnson may not ever crack a starting 11 on offense, as the 53rd man on a 53-man roster, he could become a valuable piece.
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