If Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins is available when the Bills come to draft at 9th overall; they should draft the speedster.
I keep reading a lot about the Buffalo Bills going out and selecting a top wide receiver with their first round pick selection and adding additional weapons to help EJ Manuel develop as the long term solution quarterback. Although my “mock draft” has the bills selecting TE Eric Ebron, in review of the upcoming draft calls, the one offensive weapon that shines above the rest is Sammy Watkins.
Todd McShay, along with others, have Watkins going to the Bills overall with the 9th pick, which may or may not happen. Watkins in comparison to the rest of the WR class is the most likely to be starter ready and make an immediate impact. So if by some chance Watkins is still available, he is the only player the Bills should really consider selecting.
Watkins is as polished a receiver as you can get and that is what makes him the best and only choice for the Bills. Compared to Mike Evans, Marquise Lee or Kelvin Benjamin, Watkins just outshines all his other class-men in every category.
What he brings is the vertical game that the rest of the Bills wide receiver corps lack. Speed is certainly not an issue as Goodwin and Grahm showed last year. Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods seem to have the middle and intermediate routes handled but the outside and jump ball situations is what was lacking and the clear remedy is Watkins.
He can push cornerbacks with speed allowing to create separation for the fade pass. He has a natural athleticism that he uses with his jumping ability to make up for the lack of height (6’1″). He has many tools, and is disciplined in each skill, making him exceptional in a Reggie Wayne type mold. He gets open even when he is covered and the Bills need that the most.
If the Browns select Watkins before the Bills do then Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin or Penn State’s Allen Robinson may be available in the second round. The point is that the Bills do have options and each have specific shortcomings but it also makes going after Watkins that much easier. He is the purest receiver out of the bunch and everyone else has too many flaws so why not pay top dollar for the best.
The Bills selection will come down to either taking the player that will provide the most immediate impact, Watkins, or if not available, sit back and draft the best/biggest need player available and that lands on the offensive side of the ball. Ebron will be a very nice consolation prize as the TE position can also aid in Manuel’s development. But if they go after a receiver in the first and Watkins is available at 9th overall, not taking him will equal stepping on a landline that the Bills administration may never overcome.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS