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

Buffalo Bills’ Wide Receiver Prospect No. 5: Christian Watson, NDSU

Considering the three picks that the Buffalo Bills have within the Top 100 are 1.25, 2.57, and 3.89, Christian Watson could be a guy they go after with one of their first three picks.

With Watson gaining traction around his name in the national media, it’s likely that true NFL scouts have already known that Watson is a likely solid receiver at the next level.

While his drops could be seen as an issue, the rest of what he brings to the table towers over that “issue.” He’s a freak athlete that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The only person to rank higher than Christian Watson’s RAS score of 10 is Calvin Johnson. A receiver out of Georgia Tech, a school not known for their passing game. Sound familiar?

And before people claim that Christian Watson can’t replicate what he did at North Dakota State because it’s a “small school,” they’re basically the Alabama of FCS.

In all the championship seasons they’ve had, their combined record is 225-10-1. In case that stat was glanced over, take another moment to re-read that record. 225-10-1. All-time, they’re 762–375–34. The Crimson Tide, in their entire existence, is 943–332–43. So, while the Bison have a little cushion between them and Alabama, their gap isn’t nearly as big as most would likely expect.

NDSU is a team that gets their opponents’ best each week. When Illinois State has a game against North Dakota State, there’s high doubt that the Red Birds don’t want to beat the Bison even more than they’d want to beat one of the other teams within the Missouri Valley Conference. So, the argument that Christian Watson isn’t going to be able to translate his skill into the NFL is just one of those baseless claims, usually rooted in the idea that Watson’s success was due to lower caliber competition instead of Watson’s skill itself.

Sure, when a receiver comes out of LSU or Alabama, they’ve played against some of the top talents in college football, but that doesn’t automatically prove that the receiver will translate their skill to the NFL better than a player coming out of FCS.

Christian Watson is genuinely my favorite wide receiver prospect coming out of this draft based on what I’ve seen in his film. Whichever team gets him is going to get an incredible receiver. It may sound like I’m a broken record, but pairing Josh Allen with Christian Watson would be a nightmare for opposing teams.

While the 25th pick would possibly be a reach on getting Christian Watson, the Buffalo Bills could absolutely afford spending pick No. 57 or 89, if he’s even still available at 89. The most likely outcome would be 57, so if he’s still available, the Bills should at least consider it. The skills he brings to the table would pair incredibly well with the current receivers on the roster, and considering the strength of the AFC, it could take a deeper offensive team to make it out of the AFC alive.

While it’s all speculative, any of these receivers would add an element to the Buffalo Bills’ offense that could make their contention even stronger this year, as the Bills look to hoist that Lombardi trophy next February. Whether one of these receivers is taken or not, the mission remains the same: Win the Super Bowl.