The NFL Draft is set to kick off in a week. With the Buffalo Bills having the 10th pick, let’s look at the draft’s top 5 wide receivers.
Ever since the 2016 season came to an end, analysts have been trying to figure out which position the Buffalo Bills need to address with their first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. What we’ve learned so far is that there are a lot of holes to fill and the Bills could go several different routes on draft day.
Basically, no one knows who they’re going to pick and I’m pretty sure the front office is just as unsure. For that reason, the guessing game is in full bloom and it makes for great conversation.
Personally, I’ve been doing a lot of campaigning for who I think the Buffalo Bills would be best off taking. Taking a break from that, I’m going to go through the top 5 players in each position that the Buffalo Bills need to address.
We start with the wide receivers.
This position is a huge need for Buffalo, considering they lost Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter to free agency this offseason. Signing Andre Holmes, Philly Brown, Jeremy Butler and Corey Washington will help the depth, Sammy Watkins will remain the No. 1 receiver and Dezmin Lewis, Kolby Listenbee, Walter Powell and Brandon Tate will bring familiarity and competition.
The only thing missing is a No. 2 receiver to fill in for Robert Woods. Currently, that position could go to either Philly Brown or Andre Holmes — in my opinion, the latter. Unfortunately, neither have really shown that they are ready for such a role, only showing glimpses of solid play in their careers.
For that reason, the Buffalo Bills will need to find a receiver in this draft that can either step into the No. 2 spot right away, or at least provide a high level of competition right away — motivating Holmes and Brown to work harder.
Either way, a wide receiver will need to be drafted this year. Let’s look at who the 5 best receivers are in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Mike Williams – Clemson
Mike Williams isn’t known as the receiver with the most potential or the most gifted overall, but he’s seen as the receiver in this draft that can step in day one and produce better than any other receiver — right away.
There’s a lot to like about Mike Williams and will likely be successful anywhere he goes. Analysts currently view him as a top-10 pick, but could fall to the middle of the round. No matter what, he will be one of the first receivers taken in the draft.
Let’s take a look at his frame:
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 218 lbs.
Arm Length: 33 3/8”
Hands: 9 3/8”
How about his combine results?
Bench Press: 15 reps
Vertical Jump: 32.5 in.
Broad Jump: 121.0 in.
Here’s what NFL.com’s draft profile says his strengths are:
"Prototypical height, weight, speed prospect. Fills out the uniform as well as any receiver in college football. Sells vertical push to create an early hip turn from backpedaling cornerbacks. Uses hands to create late separation on vertical throws. Long arms and big hands can go get throws at their highest point, snatching 50/50 balls away from his in-air competitors. Ball tracking is impeccable. Able to track it inside, outside or over his shoulder. Hands catcher who plucks it away from his body. Has body control to dig out the low balls and contort to grab throws Deshaun Watson leaves behind him. Concentration ramps up when routes take him between the hashes. Works middle of the field with no reservations about what is lingering. Has been asked to work all three levels of the field at Clemson. Can make cornerbacks miss after the catch and extend his play. Needs more commitment as a run blocker but has frame and strength to make a difference as a blocker."
Personally, Mike Williams and Sammy Watkins lining up on opposite sides of the ball would create a nightmare for opposing defenses. Speed would be nice, but Watkins has that and a lot of the Buffalo Bills‘ depth players have it as well. This team needs someone that can go up and grab any ball thrown his way — that’s Mike Williams.
If Williams is on the board at No. 10, he will be of high consideration.
John Ross – Washington
Coming into the offseason, everyone knew John Ross had a lot of speed and likely the most out of the entire receiving group. When he lined up for the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, he proved it — and then some — after clocking a 4.22.
It was a time that broke Chris Johnson’s record at the combine.
Ross earned a lot of respect after that and gave teams a clear look at what he will bring. He finished last season with 81 catches, 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns. If the Buffalo Bills are looking for a speedy guy that can replace Marquise Goodwin and add an option in the slot, Ross is a good target.
Let’s take a look at his frame:
Height: 5’11”
Weight:188 lbs.
Arm Length: 31 1/2”
Hands: 8 3/4”
Let’s take a look at his combine results:
40-Yard Dash: 4.22 seconds
Vertical Jump: 37.0 in.
Broad Jump:133.0 in.
If the Buffalo Bills end up trading down to receive more draft picks in other rounds, I can see John Ross being an option if Mike Williams and Corey Davis are off the board. Not to mention, he also started three games at cornerback while in college, totaling 2 pass breakups and one interception.
We know how much McDermott loves versatility.
Here’s what NFL.com’s draft profile says his strengths are:
"Has home-run gear to yank the top off of defenses. Vertical speed demands respect and creates open throws underneath. Corners open hips early to turn and sprint, leaving his curl and dig routes unchallenged. Feet are fire. On verticals from the slot, sells the corner route and stems to the post with a burst for easy separation and a comfortable throwing window for the quarterback. Hands are generally solid. Plus hand-eye coordination. Natural ball-tracker who locates the deep ball early and watches it. Dangerous show-and-go open-field ability after the catch. Able to win with slants or fades near the goal line. Eludes the first tackler and can turn a short one into a long one in a heartbeat. Has enough size to work from outside or from the slot. Saw four of his eight carries go for 15-plus yards. Has returned at least one kickoff for a touchdown in each of his three years at Washington."
Let’s move on to someone I just mentioned — Corey Davis.
Corey Davis – Western Michigan
Personally, Corey Davis is the wide receiver I would like the Buffalo Bills to select, if they decide to go wide receiver in the first round. It is widely believed that Corey Davis and Mike Williams will the be first two receivers taken in the draft. Although possible they are both gone by the time Buffalo picks, it’s more likely that at least one is available.
If both are available and WR is the position they want to go with, it’ll make for a tough decision. If only one is available, it’ll make for a much easier decision.
While Williams is known as the receiver that will give the most production from day one and Ross is known as the speedy receiver, Davis is known as the guy who can do it all as a receiver. He has the highest ceiling because of this and many analysts like him over Williams.
His 97 catches, 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns says a lot about what he can do.
Let’s take a look at his frame:
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 209 lbs.
Arm Length: 33”
Hands: 9 1/8”
Here’s what NFL.com’s draft profile says his strengths are:
"Outstanding four-year production. Alpha attitude on the field and not afraid to take on the challenge of heavy target load. Excellent competitiveness. Focuses like a laser when ball is in the air. Tracks the deep ball as well as anyone in college and understands how to stack cornerbacks and keep them on his hip. Has second gear to run under the long ball. Excels in intermediate and deep parts of the field. Route running showed improvement in 2016. Variable route speed creates indecision for defenders. Vertical routes are crisp and create tilt in off-corners and safeties that he is quick to take advantage of. Play speed features access to functional burst. Can defeat inside leverage. A quarterback’s friend who works aggressively back to the ball. Dominates in red zone. High-point catcher who uses well-timed leaps and long arms to win the 50-50 throws. Increases physicality and acceleration out of routes when operating near paydirt."
The next receiver has drawn comparisons to Percy Harvin, who recently ended his career with the Buffalo Bills.
Curtis Samuel – Ohio State
Curtis Samuel could be another versatile selection for the Buffalo Bills, but it would likely come if they trade down or if he falls to the second round — which is possible. Samuel brings the rare talent of a running back and a wide receiver, hence the comparison to Percy Harvin.
In 2016, he finished the season with 74 catches, 865 yards and 7 touchdowns receiving, adding 771 yards, 7.9 avg. and 8 scores on the ground. With the need for a wide receiver, as well as a running back (if Mike Gillislee ends up signing with the New England Patriots), Samuel has some intriguing value here.
Not to mention, he was a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2014 during their championship run. Buffalo Bills‘ backup quarterback Cardale Jones was the quarterback of that team at the time.
Let’s take a look at his frame:
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 196 lbs.
Arm Length: 31 1/4”
Hands: 9 1/2”
Let’s take a look at his combine results:
40-Yard Dash: 4.31 seconds
Bench Press: 18 reps
Vertical Jump: 37.0 in.
Broad Jump: 119.0 in.
3 Cone Drill: 7.09 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.33 seconds
Here’s a look at what NFL.com’s draft profile says his strengths are:
"Has crisp feet for sudden change of direction. Long-strider with deep speed to challenge press coverage over the top. Shows defender an exaggerated jab fake at top of his routes to generate lean from cornerback and create separation out of his break. On comeback routes, can stutter feet into his break for a sudden stop-and-open timing throws. Has explosiveness both vertically and out of his breaks to uncover on all three levels. Can ramp it back up to top gear quickly after tapping his brakes in space. At his best when matched up in open space. Gets faster and more dangerous as the play unfolds. Has two years of kick-return experience. Moveable matchup piece."
Last season, the NFL saw several players with versatile abilities similar to Samuel find success in the league, like Ty Montgomery and Tyreek Hill.
Lastly, we have the receiver out of USC, which is the same school Robert Woods went to, as well as Kevon Seymour.
Juju Smith-Schuster – USC
Juju Smith-Schuster is seen as the sleeper pick of this group. He will likely fall to the second round on draft day, so if the Buffalo Bills decide to address another position at No. 10, this is the guy they should target.
Smith-Schuster rose onto the scene his freshman season when he finished with 54 catches, 724 yards and 5 touchdowns. He followed that up with 85 catches, 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015 and 90 catches, 914 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016. He’s been a force ever since he started college.
He is drawing heavy comparisons to Laquon Treadwell, who was selected 23rd overall last season. He didn’t see much action last season, only catching one ball for 15 yards.
Let’s take a look at Smith-Schuster’s frame:
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 215 lbs.
Arm Length: 32 7/8”
Hands: 10 1/2”
Let’s take a look at his combine results:
40-Yard Dash: 4.54 seconds
Bench Press: 15 reps
Vertical Jump: 32.5 in.
Broad Jump: 120.0 in.
Here’s a look at what NFL.com’s draft profile says his strengths are:
"Outstanding size and a very available target. Shows no concern working over the middle. Known for his competitive spirit and alpha demeanor. Hyper-aware of defenders around him in space. Works back to the ball as aggressively as he needs to when defenders are attempting to ball-hawk. Searches and sinks into the optimal openings against zone coverage. Plays to his size and has plus route strength. Shows effective uses of frame to shield cornerbacks from contested catches. Plucks it way out front of his body with strong, confident hands. Tremendous ball tracker with ability to search, find and follow the pass in over his shoulder. Has body control to twist and contort in mid-air to pull the throw in. Plays with sideline awareness and consistently drops feet in-bounds on boundary catches. Rugged, aggressive runner after the catch with a stiff-arm to hurt feelings.. Has field vision after catch for maximum YAC yardage. Reliable blocker who can help spring a big run. Able to sustain blocks with power."
If the Buffalo Bills decide to go a different position in the first round, this is who I think the team will need to hope for in the second round. He would be a great addition alongside Sammy Watkins.
Next: Grading All Bills' Free Agent Additions This Offseason
Which wide receivers are you looking at in this year’s NFL Draft? Leave your thoughts below!