Which Bills Improved and Which Bills Regressed in 2023?

The Bills 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion once again.  And with a couple of weeks to heal from another heartbreaking loss, it’s now time to take a look back at the 2023 season with an observant eye and evaluate player performance.

There were several surprises for the Bills in the 2023 season—both pleasant and disappointing.  Injuries opened the door for some while father time has slowly closed the door for others.

Here’s a look at which Bills players improved the most and which regressed the most in 2023.

Bills Most Improved Players

1.Tyrell Dodson
Many thought the season ending injury to Matt Milano in week 5 would be a cataclysmic event that the Bills defense would not be able to recover from.  However, Tyrell Dodson, when given the opportunity did everything asked of him by the Bills coaching staff and more.  

Dodson was a rock in the Bills run defense and pass coverage, which was a welcome surprise for the Bills after struggling mightily in 2022. 

In fact, Dodson’s PFF Grade was second best among all NFL linebackers in 2023.

2.Christian Benford  
In his second season, Christian Benford showed the league why he was chosen to start over first-round, fellow 2022 draft pick, Kaiir Elam.

Benford was perhaps the most consistent player on the Bills defense in 2023 and his coverage skills ranked among the best in the league.

After a promising, but injury-plagued rookie season, Christian Benford came to play in 2023 and should be a rock in the Bills secondary for years to come.

3.  AJ Epenesa
2023 was a contract year for AJ Epenesa, who was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2020 draft as a project and hadn’t shown much in his first three seasons.

Although he wasn’t a starter in 2023, Epenesa provided high-level depth off the bench, recording 6.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Bills.

Time will tell if AJ Epenesa will be back in a Bills uniform in 2024.

4.  Spencer Brown
One of the biggest question marks for the Bills heading into the 2023 season was right tackle.  Spencer Brown was a major disappointment for the Bills in 2022 and had one of the lowest PFF grades among the 81 eligible NFL tackles.

After a healthy offseason, preseason and regular 2023 season, Brown proved the naysayers wrong, becoming one of the better run-blocking tackles in the league, starting every game and solidifying the Bills right tackle spot for the next couple years at least.

5.  Khalil Shakir
All he needed was a chance.  

Khalil Shakir didn’t see the field much last year in his rookie season.  In 2022, he recorded 10 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown in limited action.

After a quiet preseason, Shakir was Josh Allen’s most consistent receiver in 2023. His catch percentage rate was the highest EVER since the stat began being calculated in 1992!

Shakir recorded 39 receptions for 611 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2023 and expect those numbers to increase more in 2024.

Bills Most Regressed Players

1.Von Miller
Blame it on the ACL tear in 2022 or blame it on father time; the Bills needed Von Miller desperately in 2023 to return to his pre-injury form and he didn’t do it—not even close.

In his 14 games after coming back from injury, Miller was a non-factor almost every time he stepped on the field in 2023.

The bright side?  Von Miller appeared to maybe, possibly look somewhat like his old self in the Bills playoff loss to the Chiefs.  Something to grow on for 2024 for the soon to be 35-year-old?  We’ll see.

2.Shaq Lawson
A once reliable depth Edge rusher, Shaq Lawson ranked amongst the worst in the NFL in run and pass defense.

3.Lativius Murray
We was never going to be a superstar for the Bills—after all he was the oldest running back in the league in 2023.  But after a promising first half of the season, Lativius Murray showed his age and down the stretch, the Bills offense regressed with him on the field.

4. Jordan Phillips
Although he was never great, Jordan Phillips was serviceable for the Bills and earned the trust of Sean McDermott and the Bills defensive coaching staff.

In 2023, however, Phillips was a giant liability while on the field—which was a lot with the Daquan Jones injury. 

Jordan Phillips graded as the second worst defensive lineman in the league per PFF in 2023 while starting 9 games for the Bills.

5.  Dawson Knox
Yes, he was active for only 12 games and yes, rookie Dalton Kincaid took away targets; but Dawson Knox struggled in 2023. 

His 22 receptions for 186 yards were both career lows and his 1.8 receptions per game and 15.5 yards per game were both career lows as well. 

Even Knox’s run blocking was poor in 2023. PFF graded him 53^rd of 76 tight ends.