Buffalo Bills: A closer look at the receivers taken in the 2018 NFL Draft
The Buffalo Bills need some help at wide receiver and decided to address the position late in the draft with some interesting choices.
The Buffalo Bills entered the 2018 NFL Draft with wide receiver as a position that could have used an upgrade.
From Kelvin Benjamin being on the last year of his deal to Zay Jones having some off-the-field issues, the position group is not among the strongest on the team. That is why it became surprising when Brandon Beane continually passed on receivers until the team’s final two picks.
The Bills ended up taking Ray-Ray McCloud of Clemson in the sixth round and Austin Proehl of North Carolina in the seventh round. So on paper the team did take two receivers, but not two that figure to be key pieces on offense in 2018.
McCloud comes in as a duel-threat guy who can line up on offense and on special teams as a punt returner. His NFL.com draft profile listed him at 5-foot-10, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds.
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He finished the 2017 season with 46 receptions for 502 yards and a touchdown, while he had 25 punt returns for 303 yards and a touchdown.
Proehl is another small receiver, standing at 5-foot-9. An injury caused him to miss much of the 2017 season.
Neither player comes in as a threat to replace either Benjamin or Jones, with both likely competing for a slot position and/or a spot on special teams. McCloud should be given a shot in the return game as well.
Fans must also remember that neither player is guaranteed a roster spot being drafted so late. It is easy to get caught up with every pick and determine how they fit into what the team is doing.
But the Bills already have a decent roster, meaning these two small receivers would have to really stand out to win a spot on the 53-man roster.
Right now I’ll give McCloud the better chance to make it due to his versatility. Someone who is dominant in the punt return game can make a career out of setting him team up with great field position.
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However, the fact that the wide receiving corps is so thin gives both players a chance to come in and compete in a fair competition.