Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs ranked too low on PFF’s Top 50

This week, Pro Football Focus was announcing their Top 50 players right now and the Buffalo Bills had two players make the rankings. It isn’t surprising that quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs were the two players, however where they ranked certainly is open for debate.

Of the two Buffalo Bills, Allen was ranked slightly higher at 40th overall and Sam Monson wrote about the Bills quarterback:

"40. QB JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLSAllen was spectacular in 2020, but it was such a giant leap forward from his previous baseline — his overall PFF grade jumped from the mid-60s to 90.9 last year — that the smart analysis is to expect some degree of regression, given what we know about player development at this level.It was certainly a breakout season, but players rarely maintain a development curve with a trajectory to the moon year over year. Allen’s most impressive improvement came in terms of accuracy, where he went from a player with an adjusted completion rate dead last as a rookie to ranking fifth in the league in 2020."

Pro Football Focus has always been a skeptic of Josh Allen and there is no debating that Allen continuing an upward is unlikely. However, ranking him this low based on that premise is discrediting what he did last season and if he continues to produce at that level year over year, then he certainly would be higher than 40th overall.

When looking at the season he had, there is a case that Allen should be in the same range as Aaron Rodgers (who was ranked 10th) and Patrick Mahomes (who was ranked 2nd) as they were the only three players to receive first place MVP votes.

As for Stefon Diggs, he was ranked five spots behind Allen at 45th overall and was ranked as the eighth wide receiver. Monson wrote about Diggs:

"45. WR STEFON DIGGS, BUFFALO BILLSIn his first year in Buffalo, Diggs teamed up with Josh Allen and the rest of the Bills offense to produce his finest season to date. He saw 21 more targets, hauled in 25 more receptions and tallied 403 yards more than he had in any single season to date, and he caught those passes at a higher rate (78.4%) than any other season of his career.Diggs effectively justified the frustration he felt in Minnesota — he knew that he was capable of much more; all he needed was increased opportunity. He showed that in Buffalo in Year 1 as one of the best and most complete receivers in the game."

Diggs led the league in receptions and receiving yards, was a first-team All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl. The idea that Diggs is behind players like Michael Thomas, Allen Robinson, and Julio Jones at this point in his career, is certainly questionable.

While a case could be made for Stefon Diggs being the best wide receiver right now, I wouldn’t make that. However, there is no question that he should be in the discussion with players like DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, and Davante Adams who all were in the Top 18 of these rankings.

If Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are able to replicate the season they had in 2020 with the Buffalo Bills, expect this duo to move up significantly in these types of rankings next offseason.