1. Tyrod Taylor, QB, BUF
2014 cumulative grade: -0.5 on six snaps
2015 cumulative grade: 18.3 on 941 snaps
Tyrod Taylor's first year as a starter was an unmitigated success, earning him PFF's Breakout Player of the Year honor. The time Taylor took riding the bench adds credence to the notion that throwing young QBs into the mix isn't always the wisest move. While the former Raven impressed on the ground, it was his emergence as a legitimate passer that has him at the top of this list. Taylor can move the chains on the ground, but then hit teams over the top with one of the best deep balls in the league. He was accurate on 44.9 percent of attempts, tossing 12 scores to just three picks. Experience will only likely bring further improvement.
11. Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF
2014 cumulative grade: -1.7 on 1,051 snaps
2015 cumulative grade: 15.4 on 728 snaps
At one point, Clemson had a pair of top 10 NFL receivers. That's pretty remarkable. While Watkins is not at DeAndre Hopkins' level, he's still a fantastic receiver and should see more targets in Buffalo. After catching 52.4 percent of targets as a rookie for 982 yards and six TDs, Watkins improved those numbers to 65.9 percent, 1,047 yards, and nine scores in 2015. Scarily, there might be even more development to come from Watkins, who has the ability to make spectacular catches down the field, but could also become more consistent. He may never reach Hopkins' class, but Watkins is an excellent receiver in his own right.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills will re-sign left tackle Cordy Glenn and guard Richie Incognito, but then they'll need to keep their fingers crossed that a legal situation involving LeSean McCoy doesn't result in their star running back missing time next season. The Bills' hope was to keep most of their roster and schemes in place from last season with the expectation that a second year with the system yields better results, but McCoy's status could disrupt that plan. -- Mike Rodak
Buffalo Bills
*To-Do List*
Re-sign T Cordy Glenn and G Richie Incognito
Re-evaluate defense
Resolve salary-cap issues
Analysis
… It will be interesting to see what changes are indeed made (defensively). Meanwhile, if that top-ranked ground attack hopes to enjoy another stellar showing this fall, retaining the left-side combo of tackle Cordy Glenn and guard Richie Incognito would be advisable.
Of course, there's also the ever-evolving and disturbing story regarding running back LeSean McCoy, something that warrants close scrutiny.
No. 13 – Buffalo Bills
Other than free agency issues on the offensive line, Rex Ryan's group is pretty stable. The other issue to address is what to do with defensive end Mario Williams. Put another way: Buffalo probably will cut him. Williams posted a paltry five sacks last year and reportedly "checked out" well before the season was over. The Bills will survive. But can they get over the hump? One major point of concern: This reported altercation involving LeSean McCoy. We'll have to see what comes of that.
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Yahoo.com – Power rankings, Frank Schwab](http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-power-rankings--the-way-too-early-2016-edition-174054133.html)
No. 14. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have been aggressive in pursuing a playoff berth, and it hasn't worked out yet. It will be interesting to see if the players mesh better with Rex Ryan in Ryan's second year. But right now they're one of three teams over the projected salary cap. And left tackle Cordy Glenn is a free agent, so whatever cap room they get from cutting Mario Williams will likely be reinvested back into signing Glenn. There won't be a ton of outside help coming to the roster in 2016.
No. 15 – Buffalo Bills
Is Buffalo really big enough for the Ryan twins? Is Tyrod Taylor really the answer under center? Is this team really good enough to break its epic playoff drought?
No. 18 – Buffalo Bills
Why they're here: A talent-laded mystery, the Bills are a top-12 team if Rex Ryan rediscovers his magic touch on the defensive side of the ball -- the Bills were one of the NFL's top defenses in 2014 and fell off a cliff in 2015 -- and while nearly every indicator says Tyrod Taylor was the real thing in 2015, a bigger sample size is needed. (The Bills were 8-8 but 8-6 in games he started.)
What could change: Mario Williams will be gone, and the offensive line could change dramatically if Buffalo can't figure out how to get Richie Incognito and Cordy Glenn back without busting the salary cap. And even with all the joking about whether Rob Ryan is an addition or a sign of the coming defensive apocalypse, nothing about Rex's many past successes on defense would indicate the unit will get worse.
Buffalo Bills
Biggest Impact – Ronald Darby, Cornerback – Florida State (2nd rd pick #50 Overall)
With the Bills not having a first round pick heading into the draft they had to make sure their second round pick would be someone who could come in and contribute immediately. They accomplished just that with the selection of Darby from Florida State. The rookie corner started 15 games registering 68 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 21 passes defensed which was 5th highest in the league. Darby allowed only four touchdowns all season and was tabbed as the Defensive Rookie of the Year by ProFootballFocus. Darby teamed with Stephon Gilmore, and Leodis McKelvin give the Bills a nice compliment of corners heading into next season.
Surprise Impact – Karlos Williams, Running Back – Florida State (5th rd pick #155 Overall) Coming into the 2015 season if we had predicted that a Bills running back would be tied for the overall team lead with nine touchdowns (7 rushing, 2 receiving) and his name was not LeSean McCoy most of you would have scoffed. That's exactly what running back Karlos Williams did in his first season in Buffalo. Williams proved to be a terrific compliment to McCoy rushing for 517 yards averaging 5.6 yards a carry. Williams started three games for the Bills while McCoy sat due to various injuries. Williams also scored a touchdown in the first six games he saw action in, which tied a record set back in 1998 by former New England running back Robert Edwards. Williams and Edwards were the only two players to ever accomplish this feat.
