The Buffalo Bills have drafted a wide receiver in each of the past three years but all three were all on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. The Bills would draft Gabe Davis in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Marquez Stevenson in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and Khalil Shakir last year in the fifth round.
The wide receiver position once again could be a priority for the Buffalo Bills but this year seems like there is a good chance of the team using an early draft pick on the position. These are five players at the position who are at the NFL Combine and could be good fits for this offense.
5 wide receivers the Buffalo Bills reportedly interviewed at the 2023 NFL Combine
Zay Flowers
One of the most talked about wide receivers over the past few weeks has been Zay Flowers. The former Boston College wide receiver was at the East-West Shrine Bowl and while he only participated in one practice, he impressed the New England Patriots coaching staff.
The biggest concern with Flowers was his size but he has also worked on that by adding 13 pounds over the past few weeks ahead of the NFL Combine. He has worked his way into the first round discussion and should be on the Buffalo Bills radar for their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Matt Parrino tweeted on Friday that Flowers had met with Bills’ wide receiver coach Adam Henry at the NFL Combine. Flowers would go on to mention that it would be a dream to play with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.
He is a quick wide receiver that can probably play outside but would be more effective out of the slot.
Jordan Addison
Jordan Addison is considered to be one of the best wide receivers in this draft class and there is a good chance he is the first wide receiver drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. If that is the case, the Buffalo Bills will unlikely be the team drafting him but if he were to fall, he is another wide receiver that would be a good fit in this offense.
During the media portion of the NFL Combine, Jordan Addison said that he did have a formal interview with the Buffalo Bills and he believed he ‘crushed it’ in terms of the plays and communicating it back. He also mentioned that he grew up in the same area as Stefon Diggs and he is a wide receiver that he has looked up to.
This makes a lot of sense as the two players are very similar in that they aren’t the biggest but are good route runners. They are able to do those little things that create the space needed to make plays. Addison had a breakout season in 2021 with the University of Pittsburgh where he had 100 receptions, 1,593 receiving yards, and 17 receiving touchdowns before transferring to USC last season.
He wasn’t as productive with USC but still had a good year with 59 receptions, 875 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns.
Josh Downs
Josh Downs out of UNC is probably a Day 2 target for the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, the trend of slot receivers continues for the Buffalo Bills as he certainly has the ability to step in almost immediately as the starter.
On Friday, Downs was asked what he could bring to an offense and described pretty much what the Bills need at the position. He brings quickness but also speed to stretch defenses and good hands. In the past two seasons, Downs had 195 receptions, 2,364 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns for the Tar Heels.
In the tweet from Mark Gaughan with The Buffalo News, Downs also mentioned that he had met with the Buffalo Bills at the NFL Combine this week. The biggest concern with Downs, and it is the same concern with Flowers, is his size as he is only 5’10” and 180 pounds, but if the Bills elect to wait on wide receiver this could be a great pick in the second or third round.
Jayden Reed
The trend of smaller, quicker wide receivers continues for the Buffalo Bills as they also reportedly met with Jayden Reed out of Michigan State this week at the NFL Combine. He is only 6’0″ and 185 pounds but was productive with the Spartans with 2,069 receiving yards in three seasons as well as 18 receiving touchdowns.
Reed has had a great few weeks after an impressive performance in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He was a standout for ESPN’s Louis Riddick among others who were there.
Even with Jayden Reed moving up draft boards he is still probably a Day 3 prospect for the Buffalo Bills but does bring something the other wide receivers mentioned haven’t and that is his return ability. In college, he had 42 career kickoff returns for an average of 20.3 yards per return but also had 38 punt returns for an impressive average of 15.3 yards per return with three punts returned for touchdowns.
If the Buffalo Bills were by chance to release Nyheim Hines to create cap space, a player like Jayden Reed could be a good replacement.
Michael Wilson
The final wide receiver that the Buffalo Bills have shown some interest in this week at the NFL Combine is Michael Wilson from Stanford as Ajay Cybulski with Cover1 tweeted the team met with him in Indianapolis but also at the Senior Bowl. He is not like the other wide receivers mentioned to this point as he is a bigger wide receiver at 6’2″ and 210 pounds.
The biggest concern with Wilson is injuries as he has seen his season cut short in 2020 and 2022 due to injuries. In the past three seasons, Wilson has played only 14 games in total.
The last time he played a full season was in 2019 and he showed potential with 56 receptions, 672 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. Wilson showed that production again this past season prior to his injury when he caught 26 passes for 418 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in six games.
Wilson would likely be a Day 3 target but probably wouldn’t be expected to contribute as a rookie and would be viewed more as a long-term option with the limited experience the past few years.