2023 NFL Draft: 4 prospects Buffalo Bills need to boost Stefon Diggs

Josh Downs, North Carolina

Height: 5’11”
Weight: 173 lbs
Age: 21

While Josh Downs might not be the first name people hear when talking about the top receivers of this draft, he deserves his well-earned respect.

No, he probably isn’t better than Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Jordan Addison, but he’s going to make a team very happy they drafted him, that’s for sure.

As for true slot receivers, Downs could be just a hair under the best in the class. He could even be the best pure slot receiver in the draft.

Smith-Njigba and Addison both can and do play slot, but they’re also capable of being outside receivers if necessary. JSN was more of a true slot than Addison, as Addison’s split was approximately 60% slot and 40% outside.

Had Smith-Njigba not played with receivers like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and now Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s possible he could’ve played more outside. That said, JSN played where his team needed him, and he did just fine.

Back to Josh Downs, however.

Downs’ size doesn’t help him, necessarily, but at the same time, receivers don’t need to be 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds to be a force in this league.

In fact, some of these smaller guys are the new norm for slot receivers in the NFL.

That doesn’t mean a slot receiver can’t be 6-foot-1 and above, but typically, teams in the league have the smaller, quicker guys in the middle of the field. And if the Buffalo Bills were to get their hands on this guy, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs could breathe a sigh of relief knowing there’s more firepower on the offense than there was prior.