Buffalo Bills: Are speedsters a target in the 2021 NFL Draft?

The Buffalo Bills have an impressive list of prospects that they have met with so far, and offensive speed seems to be something that they are targeting for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. According to NFL Draft Diamonds on Twitter, the Buffalo Bills have recently met with another offensive speedster, former Auburn Tiger wide receiver Anthony Schwartz.

After recently re-signing Isaiah McKenzie, one would think that the Bills are set on speed in the return game and on offense, but speed is something you can never have enough of in the NFL. Once the Bills lost return specialist Andre Roberts to the Houston Texans in free agency, a massive vacancy opened up at the kick and punt return spots. McKenzie has experience return both kicks and punts, but has proven to be both more comfortable and productive returning punts. This suggests the Buffalo Bills could still be in the market for a kick returner in free agency or the draft to compete with McKenzie.

Given his blazing 4.26 40 yard dash time at the Aubrun Pro Day, Schwartz merits at least a look as a returner in the NFL. However, returning kicks and punts is much more than just having speed, it is more about decision making. With that being said, Schwartz doesn’t have collegiate experience returning kicks or punts under his belt. It would be an uphill climb for him to hypothetically beat out McKenzie for that job in the preseason without prior experience.

Schwartz is really just a speedster at this point in his football career. He doesn’t really have the refinement needed to play wide receiver in the NFL yet, but some quality coaching could accelerate his development into a good gadget weapon and deep threat on offense. In his three seasons at Aubrun, Schwartz recorded 7 rushing touchdowns and 6 receiving touchdowns. This goes to show that he has experience playing a similar offensive role to that of Isaiah McKenzie. However, just because he’s younger doesn’t mean he’s better than McKenzie; it will be an uphill battle for him to beat out McKenzie as a returner or as the gadget weapon on offense.

Due to the lack of refined route running and feel for the wide receiver position, Schwartz will likely be a day three pick. On the other hand, Schwartz shows a lot of upside with the room for improvement he has combined with his speed. If he’s still on the board in the 6th round, maybe the Buffalo Bills take a flier on him and hope his development pans out in the future. After all, Isaiah McKenzie was only re-signed to a one year deal and if he produces like he did last year he might play himself out of the Bills’ price range.