Bills vs. Panthers: 3 to Watch in Preseason Finale

The Buffalo Bills are set to close their preseason slate on Thursday at Highmark Stadium. The Bills will welcome the Carolina Panthers for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

With several new faces both on the coaching staff and on the roster, the Bills will continue to use each opportunity to learn, improve and prepare for the upcoming season.

Though many  Bills players are expected to garner some attention during Saturday’s matchup, here are three players that might raise an eyebrow… or perhaps, catch a ‘sharp eye’ when Buffalo takes the field against the Panthers.

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

Buffalo’s fifth-round (No. 141 overall) selection in the 2024 NFL Draft was a three-year starter for the Georgia Bulldogs — anchoring the middle of an offensive line which produced two College Football Playoff (CFP) national championships in 2021 and 2022.

The 6-4, 310-pound lineman earned first-team All SEC honors last season, and was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Award, which is bestowed annually upon the conference's best blocker. He is most effective in the ground game at the point of attack and, but has also developed into a reliable pass protector. With offensive coordinator Joe Brady expected to place more responsibility on the running game this season, to complement the skill set of quarterback Josh Allen, Van Pran-Granger may be the type of versatile lineman the Bills need most.

Gable Steveson

Steveson’s athleticism has served him well throughout training camp. The 24-year-old claimed the 2020 Summer Olympic gold medal, and was also a three-time age-group world champion. In folkstyle, Steveson was a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, and a three-time All-American out of Minnesota. Steveson performed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its NXT developmental brand from 2021 through May 2024, when he was released from his contract.

Steveson has already received praise from his teammates and coaches for his work ethic and willingness to learn during offseason workouts. While he may be a raw talent, Steveson could make a push for a notable roster spot with a strong performance in Buffalo's preseason finale.

Daequan Hardy

Selected by Buffalo at No. 219 overall in the sixth round out of Penn State, Hardy has a chance not only to impact the Bills secondary, but also provide the team with another weapon in the return game on special teams.

As the full-time punt returner for Penn State last season, he averaged 14.6 yards per return. In perhaps his standout moment for the Nittany Lions, he returned two punts for touchdowns — for 56 and 68 yards respectively in the same game vs. UMass. As such, he became the first player in school history to score multiple punt return touchdowns in one game.

Still, if Hardy is to make his mark on the Bills beyond minicamp, he will need to do so as a member of their defensive backfield. The Pittsburgh native possesses great speed, as evidenced by having run a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. However, he is undersized (5-9, 179 pounds) to be a physical presence along the outside. Accordingly, Hardy is hoping to make his best case for a spot as a slot corner on Buffalo’s depth chart.