The Buffalo Bills have arguably the best roster on paper in the entire NFL right now. As a result, they are clearly one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LVII as we gear up for the 2022 season.

It's clear the Bills have a very deep roster. They have a dynamite offense led by star quarterback Josh Allen, and a defensive unit that was quietly one of the best in the NFL last season. And through their offseason work, Buffalo managed to get even better on both sides of the ball.

Even with their deep roster, the Bills are working on filling in the edges on their roster, which is why preseason play and training camp are so important. Buffalo kicked off their preseason slate with a Week 1 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, and some players fighting for roster spots made a great impression in the first live game action of the 2022 season. Let's take a look at three such players and examine their odds of making the Bills' 2022 roster.

3 Bills players who impressed in preseason opener

3. Isaiah Hodgins

Isaiah Hodgins hasn't seen much of the field during his first two seasons in the NFL with the Bills. But he stood out among his wide receiver peers in the preseason opener against the Colts, and he may be making a push to secure one of the final spots on Buffalo's 2022 roster.

Hodgins was the Bills best receiver on the day, turning his 11 targets into nine receptions for 77 yards. Hodgins also had one of the plays of the game when he made an acrobatic 27 yard catch right in front of the end zone. Had he ended up scoring a touchdown rather than getting forced out of bounds just short, Hodgins' day would have been even better.

Hodgins was a sixth-round pick back in the 2020 NFL Draft, and it looks like his experience in Buffalo's system may be finally paying off. There may be only one spot up for grabs on the wide receiver depth chart, and Hodgins may still face an uphill climb to earn that spot. But if he can build off this solid opener against the Colts, Hodgins could be a surprising addition to the Bills' 53-man roster.

2. Prince Emili

Buffalo's defensive line is already stacked as is, making it one of the more difficult positions to break through and earn a roster spot for younger guys. But Prince Emili certainly got off on the right foot in Week 1 against the Colts, and who knows, maybe he could make an unexpected charge for a roster spot.

Emili was everywhere for the Bills on the line against Indy, as he picked up three tackles to go along with a sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a pass deflection. It was quite the performance from the young defensive tackle.

Emili is an undrafted rookie, so his odds at earning a roster are still quite long. But he's shown enough potential early on to keep himself on the radar of Buffalo's coaches. Emili was clogging running lanes and disrupting the passing game, whether it be through pressuring the quarterback or deflecting passes, all afternoon against the Colts. And he certainly will draw a longer look from Buffalo as preseason play continues.

1. Raheem Blackshear

Raheem Blackshear had one of the more interesting performances for the Bills in Week 1 of their preseason schedule. On the surface, it looks like the undrafted rookie running back struggled, as he picked up just 11 yards on six carries for a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. But Blackshear found the end zone twice, hauled in four catches for 60 yards, and even picked up a tackle on special teams along the way.

Aside from Zack Moss, who picked up 37 yards on three carries, none of Buffalo's other running backs could get much going. But Blackshear was responsible for both of the touchdowns Buffalo's offense scored. He also was a solid receiving option out of the backfield, and his receiving efforts helped him pick up the most total yards of any running back used by the Bills.

Blackshear's outing was definitely eye-opening, but he still has a long way to go to make the roster. There are four running backs ahead of him on the depth chart right now, although he may have done enough to move ahead of Duke Johnson, who only had ten total yards on seven touches. But Blackshear proved he has a nose for the endzone early on, while also being a dual-threat option out of the backfield, and he has a solid base to build off of moving forward for the rest of training camp and preseason.