6 Players the Buffalo Bills Should Consider in First Round
By Ryan Brennan
If the Buffalo Bills use their first round draft pick on a wide-receiver, who could their options be?
While Jabrill Peppers and Jamal Adams would be good fits, the Buffalo Bills will most likely have to look at a wide receiver in the first round.
The good news is, upgrading the WR position is just as big of a priority as safety is. Plus, there are a number of good safeties that we could grab in free agency. All in all, the Bills might just be smarter going with a wide receiver anyway.
When you think about Sammy Watkins and his foot, coupled with possibly losing Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin to free agency, the Bills need a wide receiver.
There are 4 receivers in this draft considered to be first-round talent: Mike Williams, Corey Davis, Juju Smith-Schuster and John Ross. They’re all very skilled and would actually all be good for the Buffalo Bills. In reality, the decision would really come down to two guys and there’s definitely one I would prefer over any.
Let’s start with my first choice: Corey Davis.
Western Michigan Broncos. COREY DAVIS. WR. If the Buffalo Bills draft a wide receiver in the first round, it should definitely be Corey Davis out of Western Michigan. He stands tall at 6’3” and 213 pounds, a frame similar to Andre Johnson. He’s used to a dual threat quarterback — Zach Terrell — who finished the season with 32 TD, 3 INT and 6 rushing TD’s. As for Davis, he has been a force to be reckoned with in his four years with the school. This season, he recorded 91 receptions, 1,427 yards, 15.7 avg and 18 TD — including a 272 yard, 3 TD performance vs. Ball State. He had similar numbers last season, incredibly, finishing with 90 receptions, 1,436 yards, 16.0 average and 12 TD. In his college career, he has 326 receptions, 5,212 yards and 51 touchdowns. Buffalo could use some of that.. WR
There’s a good chance Corey Davis is available when the Buffalo Bills are on the clock and I would be very satisfied if they chose him. He hasn’t had any problems with injuries in his career, playing in all but 2 games in his four years. Plus, the stats don’t lie. His 18 touchdowns is second in the country, while his yardage ranks ninth in the FBS.
If for some reason another team pounces on Davis, there’s another wide receiver that would bring an immediate boost to the Bills’ offense. However, I don’t think it would be as big as what Davis would bring.
Let’s take a look at the next guy up: Mike Williams.
WR. Clemson Tigers. MIKE WILLIAMS. WR. Mike Williams is another top-talent in this year’s draft and will definitely go in the first round this year. He’s a 6’3”, 225 pound Junior, which is a similar frame to Corey Davis. Coming out of Clemson, Williams is used to a mobile quarterback in Deshaun Watson. If Taylor sticks around, that could be a plus. There are two reasons I would choose Davis over Williams: the stats and injury. Williams has turned out some nice stats in his four-year college career, but they don’t match up with Davis at all. He finished this season with 84 receptions, 1,171 yards and 10 TD. He also endured a neck injury in the 2015 season opener. He managed to catch 2 passes for 20 yards and one TD, but missed the rest of the season. He had a decent 2014 campaign before that, finishing with 57 receptions, 1,030 yards and 6 TD in his sophomore year.
If for some odd reason NONE of these guys up to this point are available, there are still two other wide receivers that could be decent additions for the Buffalo Bills: Juju Smith-Schuster out of USC and John Ross out of Washington.
Juju had an incredible 2015 season, finishing with 89 receptions, 1,454 yards and 10 TD. He has dropped off a bit this season, but still managed 63 receptions, 781 yards and 9 touchdowns. He didn’t miss a game, but was limited all year with injuries to his hip, shoulder, back, wrist and pinkie.
Ross doesn’t have the size of the other three, coming in at 5’11”. However, he is packed with speed and is a highlight factor. For comparison, Marquise Goodwin is 5’10”. He finished the season with 76 receptions, 1,122 yards and a massive 17 touchdowns.
As a last resort at the WR position, the Bills can’t go wrong with any of these receivers. Personally, I’m crossing my fingers for Corey Davis — that is if Jamal Adams isn’t available.
Now we head into garbage time because I doubt none of these six players that I’ve mentioned so far — Jabrill Peppers, Jamal Adams, Corey Davis, Mike Williams, Juju Smith-Schuster and John Ross — aren’t available when the Bills are on the clock. However, you have to be prepared come draft day.
If Buffalo can’t get a safety or receiver in the first round, they better be able to get an offensive tackle or cornerback. Let’s look at some worthy players at each position.