Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Now that the Buffalo Bills' wide receivers room is a barren wasteland populated by two nice players in Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir, and a collection of… guys… I figured I’d lay out where I’m at with three weeks left on this "WR Train".
Power Ranking Bills wide receiver Ideas:
* - These rankings are subject to change, but this is where I’m at right now.
1.) Move up for Rome Odunze
I land on Odunze here, because it seems he’s most likely to be the third wide receiver off the board. If Malik Nabers or Marvin Harrison Jr. are available around 8 or 9, then that’s essentially the same move.
I’m not afraid of this move. I’m not afraid for the Bills to trade a future first-round pick here. The math works out with the sheer number of picks that the Bills will be getting enough elsewhere to justify a trade.
I know, I know, trading up isn’t smart, right? Meh. Screw it.
I understand it’s not a great process, but then again, I don’t care. This is a WR Train. This thing isn’t stopping.
The main reason I’d like the Bills to do this is to show you, me, and the world they absolutely want to lean into Josh Allen’s prime years. The level of investment in the wide receivers they ultimately come out with will tell that story.
You want them to wait and draft four guys in the fourth round? That’s gambling just the same as trading up is. You get more kicks at the can, but chances are you’re not getting the best talent.
I’m into the trade up. I know general manager Brandon Beane is into the trade up. This one is about identity. I want Beane’s trade up identity to cement the Bills' Allen-to-stud wide receiver identity.
Bring me Odunze. Pay lots of draft capital, save actual dollars.
2.) Trade for Brandon Aiyuk
The report is the San Francisco 49ers offered Aiyuk to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 19th overall pick and former Bills second-round pick Zay Jones.
The Jaguars should have taken that.
Simply put, Aiyuk is ready for the Diggs pop. He was No. 1 in the NFL in yards per-target among wide receivers that had 50 or more targets. Shakir is No. 1 if you drop that number to 40.
But Aiyuk, like Diggs with the Minnesota Vikings, is an absolute Ferrarri that’s not driven as much as could be. Trade Pick 28, and a little more, whatever really to get your next Diggs.
You get prime years. You pay big money.
What’s the gamble here? There isn’t one. It costs a big trade and big money, because you’re buying Aiyuk’s development. You’re buying the insurance on the deep draft class. No flameout here. Just breakout.
If Aiyuk gets moved to a passing team, he’s going to become more of a household name and star in the league, just like Diggs did when he arrived in Buffalo.
Diggs went from 95 targets in Minnesota to 149 in his first year with the Bills. He blew up.
If you did that for Aiyuk, bump him 33% in targets, you could project his stat line to 1,920 yards, and about 10 touchdowns.
Aiyuk, baby. It’s a move.
3a.) Move up modestly for the guy you need in the 20-28 range
Here lies the race to get WR4 on the big draft board. 'MHJ', Nabers and Odunze go early, and Beane targets "his guy", like he always does.
You know the names. Josh Allen listed them all here:
3b.) Stay at 28 and take the best guy there
Your Xavier Legettes, Ladd McConkeys, Troy Franklins, and such.
I think a lot about what Matt Miller (@NFLDraftScout), said: "If you want a wide receiver in the first round of this draft, you can have one."
Don’t listen to any of the nonsense about boards and reaches and stuff. We don’t see the board. The position is such a gaping hole, they must address it.
They drafted like that when Kaiir Elam was the pick for corner No. 2. They drafted this way for edge rushers. The need is so great, any idea they can’t take a guy at No. 28 if they have him ranked 34th is silly.
Make the pick, then draft another one.
4.) Get aggressive in the second round, try to snag two
Your Adonai Mitchells, Franklins, Xavier Worthys, McConkeys, and such. I’m sorry for pluralizing all the names, I know some people don’t like that.
I’m trying to sound folksy and such. You also have to give me that a lot of these names might go between 20-60… and the Bills pick at No. 28 and 60.
If there is a trade down into the second round, the Bills would be selling off the fifth-year option that comes with a first-round pick. I don’t love that.
However, two second round wide receivers could be a really nice haul for this team.
The second round has been a sweet spot to find contributing wide receivers for several years now. There’s lots to like about this year’s crop. Coming out with two, could be nice.
5.) Simply have faith in the guys you have
Let's roll through the names right now in the wide receivers room: Shakir, Samuel, Justin Shorter, Mack Hollins, K.J. Hamler, Bryan Thompson, Tyrell Shavers and Andy Isabella.
Why not call Cole Beasley and John "Smoke" Brown and go full YOLO mode by taking guys on Day 3.
I’m sorry for writing that out. We don’t even joke about that.
Also, I’m still claiming Shavers as my guy at this year’s camp. I still like him.
