The hype for the upcoming 2025 NFL season is reaching a fever pitch, and ESPN added to the football mania by releasing a top 100 list of players “expected performance for the 2025 season.” However, only two Buffalo Bills players made the list.
Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins is found on the No. 76 spot after not getting ranked in 2024. The other Buffalo player on the list isn't much of a surprise, with superstar quarterback and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen getting the No. 2 position. For what it's worth, Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes is No. 1 overall.
One player Bills fans might be scratching their heads over his name's absence on the list is running back James Cook. Coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons and just after Buffalo showed how much it values the tailback by signing him to a four-year contract extension worth $48 million, Cook was somehow not part of ESPN's top 100, which was done upon the consultation of NFL analyts and insiders, namely Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, Dan Graziano, Jeff Legwold, Jeremy Fowler, Liz Loza, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Seth Walder and Stephen Holder.
Cook's name, however, was brought up by a league personnel evaluator, who was among those asked by ESPN to name players who should have been ranked but were not on the list.
“He's perfect for that offense because of his versatility in the running and passing game,” an AFC personnel man, said, per Fowler. “He's the focal point of that offense from a skill position standpoint.”
Cook had a very productive 2024 campaign, playing a huge part in the Bills' high-powered attack fronted by Allen. In his third year in the pros, Cook burned rubber for a total of 1,009 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 207 carries for the Bills, who finished second in the league with an average of 30.9 points per game. Before that, Cook only had four total rushing touchdowns in his first two years in the NFL.
Given his incredibly high touchdown rate in 2024, Cook is viewed by many as a regression candidate in 2025. Still, the former second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft can be expected to have a ton of touches in the backfeld in the coming season.
