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The Buffalo Bills have a big task ahead of them this offseason — finding a way to replace both of their top wide receivers from last season.
The Bills saw No. 2 wide receiver Gabe Davis leave in free agency, then traded No. 1 Stefon Diggs in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans. While general manager Brandon Beane has hinted that the team could add another veteran through free agency, the best chance to find a difference-making receiver could come through this month’s NFL Draft.
That’s exactly what Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus believes will come next, predicting the Bills will use their first-round pick on a talented but raw wide receiver with the potential to grow into a replacement for Diggs.
‘Desperate’ Bills Take a Swing at Wide Receiver
Chadwick predicted that the Bills will use the No. 29 overall pick to grab Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who he called one of the “most athletic” receivers in this year’s draft class. The PFF writer added that Mitchell could pair well with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“The Bills desperately need to add viable pass catchers after trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Adonai Mitchell has a high ceiling as one of the most athletic receivers in the draft, though he has some work to do to reach his ceiling,” Chadwick wrote. “There may be no better quarterback to help him do so than Josh Allen.”
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein called Mitchell an “ascending prospect” but noted that he needed to put in some work on the weak points in his game.
“His route running currently lacks focus and consistency, but agility and burst out of breaks will not be an issue,” Zierlein wrote. “Mitchell is rugged after the catch and has the ability to become a winner on all three levels. The difference between becoming a WR2 or WR1 could rest on his urgency and willingness to go to work on the unpolished areas of his craft.”
Bills Not Pressing for Wide Receiver
While many analysts have joined Chadwick in predicting the Bills will take a receiver with their first-round pick, Beane stressed that the team won’t reach if there are no good options on the board.
“At 28, if all our first-round receivers are gone and the next guy is well into the second round, but we have other positions, we’re going to take the other position. You still gotta take good football players,” Beane said, via the team’s official website.
The Bills general manager added that if the Bills aren’t able to get the receiver they want in the draft, they can always look to free agency afterward and add a veteran.
“There’s still veterans out there. We’ll still look and see if there’s someone that would fit,” he said. “And then we’ll do the same, we’ll grade our draft board, put it up there, put them in the order we see them if you’re talking about just the receiver position.”
The Bills will likely give a bigger role to third-year receiver Khalil Shakir, who made big strides in his second season with 39 catches for 611 yards and two touchdowns.
