The Buffalo Bills were expected to have two picks in the fifth round with 161st overall, which they selected offensive tackle Tommy Doyle out of Miami (OH). Their second pick was supposed to be 174th overall however they traded that pick to the Houston Texans for two sixth round picks, one at 203rd overall and the other at 212th overall.
This selection was the first of the two trades they got from the Texans the Buffalo Bills selected wide receiver Marquez Stevenson from the University of Houston. In the last three seasons with the Cougars, he had 147 receptions, 2,233 receiving yards, and 22 receiving touchdowns.
Stevenson had an excellent year in 2018, his first as a starter with 75 receptions, 1,019 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He is a big play threat with a career average of 15.4 yards per reception However, receptions and receiving yards decreased in 2019 and 2020 but he was still consistently finding the end zone. He had nine receiving touchdowns in 2019 then four receiving touchdowns in only five games this past season.
He is a smaller receiver at 6’0″ and 190 pounds and likely will be a slot receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He doesn’t necessarily seem like the likely replacement for Cole Beasley but could be viewed as the eventual replacement for Isaiah McKenzie. He is a player that appears to be more of a gadget player than a true slot receiver.
He also could be valuable to the Buffalo Bills on special teams as he has experience as a kickoff returner with 34 career returns at Houston and an average of 26.1 yards per return along with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns.
This was the first skilled player the Buffalo Bills drafted but with three more picks left in the 2021 NFL Draft (two sixth round picks, one seventh round pick) he may not be the last.