Breaking down the Mike Williams – Corey Davis debate for the Buffalo Bills’ No. 10 draft pick this year.
The Buffalo Bills have a lot of big decisions to make, but some of the biggest ones are already made. With the Bills sticking with Tyrod Taylor, they won’t need to use their No. 10 pick on a younger QB.
This team is much closer than many think.
Now that we’ve answered the quarterback question, one of the three options at No. 10 overall in the upcoming NFL Draft has been crossed off the wish list. This leaves the wide receiver and safety positions still open.
If you look at how the draft could shape up in the top-nine selections, there’s a very good chance both LSU safety Jamal Adams and Ohio State safety Malik Hooker are taken somewhere in the first nine picks. ESPN’s Todd McShay, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller and CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco all have both players going in the top seven.
This leaves Buffalo taking one of the top-two wide receivers at No. 10: Clemson’s Mike Williams or Western Michigan’s Corey Davis. To be honest, if the Bills want a rookie to make a big impact wide receiver is the way to go anyway. Just look at Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyreek Hill.
Whether it’s Williams or Davis, Bills fans should be excited either way. Both are big-bodied, Dez Bryant-type receivers.
Scrolling through various NFL mock drafts, most analysts — if not all — have at least one, if not both of the top-two wide receiver prospects available at No. 10. Most of the time it’s Corey Davis.
The general consensus from different scouting reports of the two receivers has Davis as the more-rounded player, while Mike Williams has the higher ceiling.
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NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein notes that Williams can lose focus at times when it comes to his route running and even drops can be a factor. Zierlein’s knock on Davis is that he doesn’t sell his vertical routes enough to force opposing cornerbacks to open their hips.
When it comes to pro comparisons, Zierlein compares Mike Williams to Plaxico Burress and Corey Davis to Eric Decker.
However, each wideout could easily finish higher than their pro comp. Williams doesn’t have the off-field problems like Burress and Davis was a touchdown machine and red-zone threat during his time at Western Michigan, while Decker has only found the end zone 10-plus times in his seven-year career.
Running at the upcoming NFL Combine would have helped Davis secure himself as a top-10 selection because his quickness has been in doubt, but an injury will hold him out. However, McShay notes that if Davis runs a 4.4 40-yard dash at his pro day he’ll help himself into the top 10.
McShay currently mocks him to the Tennessee Titans at No. 5.
"“Talking to teams at the Senior Bowl, there’s a lot of buzz about Davis,” McShay said, via ABC News. “He has good size (6-foot-2, 205), elite production and is a smooth route-runner. Davis won’t run the 40 at the combine because of an ankle injury, but if he’s in the 4.4s at his pro day as expected, he could be a surprise top-10 pick.”"
It is interesting that an unnamed NFC pro personnel director seemed hesitant about Williams, while an unnamed AFC North regional scout glowed when talking about Davis.
"“Really pretty looking when you watch him down on the field but he’s not there yet,” the NFC pro personnel director of Williams, via NFL.com. “I think he’ll get there but he’s not there yet. I don’t think he’s going to run as fast as people think. When college players get up here and find out that cornerbacks are faster and more physical, there is an adjustment period. I think it will take him some time to figure things out but I think he’ll do it. He’s going to be good, I just don’t know if he’s going to be a star.”"
"“Man, he breaks them off with those routes,” the AFC North regional scout said of Davis, via NFL.com. “It wasn’t even fair the way he did those corners in that conference. A man among boys.”"
Best Choice: Corey Davis, Western Michigan
At this point you’re splitting hairs.
Considering both of these players are very comparable and Davis seems like the safer choice, Buffalo would be smart in selecting the Western Michigan star.
It’s extremely important the Buffalo Bills hit on their first-round draft pick this year and Davis may be more ready to perform at the NFL level than Williams.
Next: 6 Players the Bills Should Consider in 2017 First Round
Who would you rather the Buffalo Bills select if they had the opportunity: Mike Williams or Corey Davis?