Every year, the Buffalo Bills sign several UDFA’s following the draft to round out their 90-man roster for training camp. For some of these players, this may be their only shot at the NFL while for others, this is their first step towards making a roster despite being overlooked in the draft.
As with every Buffalo Bills player, injuries are a part of a player’s history. Some of their histories are the reason why they fell in the draft. Others may have injuries that lead to potentially short NFL careers if they can’t stay healthy. The article below briefly summarizes the injury concerns and highlights any issues moving forward. Below is the 2025 UDFA’s publicly reported injury history and analysis.
Note: look for this to be updated as signings occur following the rookie minicamp.
DT Devin Brandt Epps, New Mexico
2022 Old Dominion
Undisclosed injury, missed 3 games.
2023 Old Dominion
Undisclosed, missed 4 games.
2024 New Mexico
Undisclosed, missed 1 game.
LB Keonta Jenkins, Virginia Tech
2020
COVID, missed 2 games.
2021
Ankle injury, missed 1 game.
2024
Undisclosed, missed 1 game.
TE Keleki Latu, Washington
2021 California
Undisclosed, missed 1 game.
2023 Nevada
Left fibular fracture, missed 6 games.
2024 Washington
Knee injury, preseason.
CB Daryl Porter Jr, Miami
2020 West Virginia
Undisclosed, missed 4 games.
2022 Miami
Shoulder injury, missed 3 games
2023 Miami
Ankle injury, missed 4 games.
WR Stephen Gosnell, Virginia Tech
Left ACL, MCL tear, high school.
2020 North Carolina
Undisclosed, missed 8 games.
2021 North Carolina
Undisclosed, missed 3 games.
2022 Virginia Tech
Right ACL tear, missed 2 games.
2023 Virginia Tech
Left ACL tear, Military Bowl.
2024 Virginia Tech
Broken ribs both sides/bruised lung, missed 0 games.
OL Jacob Bayer, Arkansas State
2023
Undisclosed, missed 1 game.
2024
ACL tear & meniscus damage, spring ball, missed 1 game.
WR Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State
2024
Undisclosed injury, spring ball, missed 1 game.
DT Paris Shand, LSU
No publicly reported injuries.
WR Hal Presely, Baylor
2023
2024
Undisclosed injury, missed 1 game.
DE Hayden Harris, Montana
No publicly reported injuries.
C Rush Reimer, California
2023 Montana State
Undisclosed injury, missed 1 game.
2024 California
Undisclosed injury, missed 1 game.
DB Wande Owens, New Hampshire
2021 Yale
Undisclosed, missed 1 game.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
There isn’t a ton of information about many of the players, as some of the injury information was scarce or incomplete. This was due to playing at lower levels of football, where reporting is not as detailed or available. Players transferring between schools did not help find accurate information either.
Some notable players regarding known injury issues are WR Stephen Gosnell, who suffered three ACL tears since high school, two in the left knee and one in the right knee. Incredibly, he is still playing, but should he suffer another ACL tear or major injury, the Bills or other teams may see him as too much of a risk to continue to stay on a roster.
Jacob Bayer tore his ACL last spring and returned to play in five months, which is nearly half of the time usually taken to return from an ACL. He is still at a high risk of re-tearing the ACL or tearing the other side for another year. This would be one player that I would love to hear more about how he returned so quickly to play his final season.
Keleki Latu broke his distal fibula or ankle bone in 2023 but was able to return to play in 2024 without any notable issues. He is also the brother of Indianapolis Colts DE Laiatu Latu, who had a serious neck injury that forced him to briefly retire from football before being drafted last year.
Final Thoughts
There may be more signings, especially after the rookie minicamp or other UDFA’s that shake loose from teams. Many of these players may bounce around on practice squads or even make an active roster. Others may find the right fit in Buffalo and have a successful NFL career. Some have injury issues they have to overcome, while others simply need to stay healthy in order to have the best shot at getting a roster spot.
I would like to welcome every player to Buffalo and to remain healthy during their time with the Bills.
Top Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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