It’s become rather apparent that Buffalo Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane did not have a first-round draft grade on receivers Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall or Xavier Legette.
Beane passed on the chance to draft any of them at No. 28 overall, trading back to the No. 32 spot and subsequently out of Round 1. When the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs used the Bills’ pick to select Worthy, who set the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record, the outrage emerged from a hungry fan base hoping to find a replacement for WR1 Stefon Diggs. After taking a deep breath, one may realize that the Bills are actually better off today than yesterday. Instead of the No. 28 and No. 60 overall selections in the Top 100, the Bills now have the No. 33, No. 60 and No. 95 overall picks.
“We’re excited about tomorrow. Instead of just having the one pick, now we got three,” said Beane.
Next, they may have dodged a bullet by passing on Worthy, whose stock has risen in recent weeks. The speedster seems eerily similar to former first-rounder John Ross, whose speed never translated to NFL production. Worthy lacks body mass, tipping the scales at just over 160 pounds and lacking the height of a typical “X” receiver. The better Texas receiver is arguably still available and Buffalo may take him at No. 33 overall. Featuring a larger frame than Worthy, Adonai Mitchell was Texas’ leader in yards per catch (15.6) and touchdown receptions (11) in his lone season after transferring from Georgia. Although behind Worthy’s record-breaking performance, the 6-foot-2 Mitchell ran the third-fastest 40 (4.34) of all receiver participants at the Combine.
Meanwhile, Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey remains available and seemingly offers value in the top half of Round 2. The Bills have reportedly met with McConkey on multiple occasions during the pre-draft process.
If either Mitchell or McConkey were one of their desired prospects, then the Bills will still get their “guy” while adding another Top 100 pick in the process. It seems like the best way forward once LSU’s Brian Thomas went to the Jaguars’ at No. 23 overall.
