The Buffalo Bills needed to bring in a wide receiver at some point during the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Brandon Beane had faced a ton of criticism over the past two seasons about not bringing in a true No. 1 target for Josh Allen, and there certainly is evidence as to why the lack of having one led them to losing some games going back to 2024.
They have had receivers such as Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer. While Coleman and Palmer are still on the roster, none of these receivers made the WR1 impact that Josh Allen needs. Even for as great as Allen is, he still needs the help on the outside.
Buffalo made a splash trade when they acquired D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears, giving Allen the proven veteran WR1 that he hasn’t had since Stefon Diggs. Moore played under Joe Brady with the Carolina Panthers where he had some of his best years of his career. While Moore has declined in production the last two seasons statistically, you have to look at the situation that he was in with the Bears.
After posting over 1,300+ yards in 2023 with Justin Fields as his quarterback, Moore then had a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams who had some big time struggles. Then while Williams took a step forward last season, there were too many playmakers on offense that Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson brought in. Moore was destined to decline a bit in production.
Now, Moore gets an upgrade at quarterback and the Bills get themselves a proven No. 1 receiver. He wasn’t the only addition that the Bills made at wide receiver.
In the 4th round of the NFL Draft, the Bills drafted Skyler Bell out of UConn who is going to fit nicely in Brady’s offense.
Coming off a great year at UConn with 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, Bell has proven that he can play inside and outside on the line. The versatility factor is going to open up the playbook for Buffalo, and it’s surprising that this draft selection wasn’t mentioned on Matt Bowen’s latest list on ESPN.
Skyler Bell-Bills fit completely ignored on latest ESPN list
Bowen listed rookie players who should be great team fits and landed in the perfect spot, yet Bell was left off of this list. It may not be anything to look closely into, but the Bills drafting Bell not only fulfilled a need, he might become Josh Allen’s go-to guy in a season or two.
Bell’s motor is undeniable and now that he gets Allen as his quarterback, he has the chance to grow his game even more. Even with receivers like D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir in the offense, Bell has more versatility than them which will make him more valuable as time goes on.
With Buffalo already establishing the run game, they needed pass catchers who will make a serious impact both now and for the future. Bell fits that narrative perfectly and fans will soon see it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google