Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen attempts a pass to receiver Gabe Davis at Lincoln Financial Field on November 26, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills made a big move for their wide receiving corps in free agency, grabbing the speedy and versatile Curtis Samuel in free agency.
But there could still be more work, with Pro Football Focus predicting the Bills will find a potential replacement for outgoing Gabe Davis in the upcoming NFL Draft. The outlet predicted that general manager Brandon Beane would use the team’s first-round pick on one of the top receiving prospects who gained a reputation for stretching the field.
Bills Expected to Snag LSU Pass-Catcher
In a mock draft of Round 1, PFF predicted the Bills would take LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. The analysis outlet noted that other pundits see Thomas as a top target for the Bills with the No. 28 overall pick
“This is a very common pairing, but after moving on from Gabe Davis, the Bills need a consistent field-stretcher,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote in the mock draft. “Thomas ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at 209 pounds — so, yeah, he’ll do.”
Brian Thomas Jr junior season highlight tape 🐯
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News also predicted the Bills would take Thomas, noting that he would be a good complement to the existing targets for quarterback Josh Allen.
“The Bills have two good key young targets for Josh Allen in Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid, but Gabe Davis is a pending free agent and Stefon Diggs is showing signs of decline at 30,” Iyer wrote. “Thomas would give Allen the classic big-bodied No. 1 with his hands, strength, physicality and route-running prowess.”
Bills Face Uncertainty at Wide Receiver
The Bills lost their No. 2 receiver when Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Over four seasons with the Bills, he racked up 163 catches for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns and was one of the most consistent deep threats for Allen and the offense.
But Davis also struggled with inconsistency, especially in 2023 when he was held without a catch in four of his final eight games of the regular season and missed both playoff games with a knee injury.
Top receiver Stefon Diggs also suffered a slump in the back half of the season, being held without a touchdown in his final seven games — the longest stretch of his career without a score.
Beane expressed confidence in Diggs, saying after the conclusion of the season that the team still sees him as the No. 1 receiver going into the coming season.
“Stef’s, he’s a No. 1 receiver. I firmly believe that, not wavering off of that,” Beane said, via ESPN. “… Listen, we have to continue to put weapons out there to keep teams from bracketing him or, you know, locking him down in different ways to take him away. They know you are going to want him. Stef can still play, I’m sure he would love to have that deep ball again, he’d be the first to tell you. He’s super competitive, he’s going to work his tail off this offseason. I know there’s various reasons or questions on this or his production, all that, but I still see Stef as a No. 1 receiver.”