5 best wide receivers for the Buffalo Bills to select in the 2022 NFL Draft

Buffalo Bills’ Wide Receiver Prospect No. 4: George Pickens, Georgia

As for which wide receiver prospect is the best athlete, George Pickens would likely check that box.

He’s an incredibly rare combination of size, speed, and a pair of hands that seem to work 24/7.

However, with all of these positives, there is one big negative. Pickens has missed some significant time due to his right knee injury.

While he was able to play in the National Championship, it’s uncertain the load Pickens is going to be able to take in the NFL, specifically right away.

It’s possible that he can come into the 2022-23 season and play immediately. However, another possibility is that he doesn’t really play much in 2022-23 due to the fact that he could still be nursing that knee injury.

Another thing with knee injuries is, especially with wide receivers, it’s tough to mentally get over a knee injury. In a profession that relies a lot on one’s knee to make certain cuts, the brain can trick athletes, or even regular people, into not doing something that could cause an injury that’s happened before.

It’s a different sport, but the point remains the same: Derrick Rose wasn’t the same player he was after his ACL tear on the Chicago Bulls. His game couldn’t rely on the jump-cuts that made him so dynamic, so the overall theme of Rose’s game had to transform into something else.

Is this going to be the case with George Pickens? It could be, but it also could be the opposite. The only way to tell with that one is time, which is what’s caused Pickens to drop so significantly.

Pickens plays with an aggressiveness that could make him an absolute monster in the NFL if he isn’t hindered by the knee injury.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1480722115854745604

Prior to that injury, Pickens was considered one of the top receivers in the class, and for good reason. In his entire college career, he’s had a single drop. One. One drop.

That is absolutely insane.

Sure, he didn’t play in that many games, but to have one drop off nearly 100 targets– 96 to be exact– is a really tough statistic to overlook. Being able to catch 96 balls out of 100, statistically, is a stat that should perk up the ears of every offensive coordinator in the NFL.

So, while George Pickens is a big gamble, taking him with the 89th pick could be one of those Old Takes Exposed, where people look back and wonder how so many teams could pass on him.

As said about four times so far about these receivers, pairing Josh Allen and George Pickens– at his potential– could be a scary thing to watch on Sundays.

Alright, it’s finally coming down to the final receiver. Who could it be?!