2024 WR Draft Class

[DJB]

Other than Harrison and Odunze,  Ladd McConkey as the safest WR to draft . 
 

At minimum you have a high end slot guy with good work ethic, character, ability to separate and hands. 
 

If he’s able to work as an outside guy then you will have hit a home run. 

Edited April 17 by DJB

[Andrew Son]

4 minutes ago, DJB said:

Other than Harrison, Odunze is place Ladd McConkey as the safest WR to draft . 
 

At minimum you have a high end slot guy with good work ethic, character, ability to separate and hands. 
 

If he’s able to work as an outside guy then you will have hit a home run. 

I think the complete focus on an outside guy is overstated.

 

Yes, we need to replace Gabe.  But we also need to replace Diggs.  Made we get a Ladd or Pearsal early to play the Y and get an X later or via trade or something.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

5 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

I think the complete focus on an outside guy is overstated.

 

Yes, we need to replace Gabe.  But we also need to replace Diggs.  Made we get a Ladd or Pearsal early to play the Y and get an X later or via trade or something.

Agreed. I think they want a WR room full of guys who can line up anywhere. 

[Mat68]

11 minutes ago, DJB said:

Other than Harrison, Odunze is place Ladd McConkey as the safest WR to draft . 
 

At minimum you have a high end slot guy with good work ethic, character, ability to separate and hands. 
 

If he’s able to work as an outside guy then you will have hit a home run. 

Availability is your best ability.  He has all the tools but has yet to complete a season.  Smaller guy often injured is not an ideal combination. 

[Einstein's Dog]

23 minutes ago, gonzo1105 said:

Right everyone expects a clean 1,000 yard rookie who’s 6’3 210 pounds that runs a 4.3 who produced 3 years in college and expect them at 28 with no flaws. Rookie will be lucky to have 50 catches for 7-800 yards rookie year with the weapons the Bills have and yes they still have good weapons after Davis and Diggs departed 

I agree, risky and borderline unrealistic to rely on a rookie.  The safer play is to let Tenn grab one of the big 3 and then send a 4th for DHop.  That's the short term replacement for Diggs, and reasonable to expect similar production.  Then in the 1st two rounds grab a G Davis replacement, who can develop into much more.

 

If you grab 2 WRs in this class, the Bills would set themselves up for problems with offensive personnel in a few years.  All the youngsters would be coming due and in line for big money - Kincaid/Cook/maybe Shakir/Torrence/C Samuel/and now our new rookie WR.  Might be best to add another premier, high draft pick, WR in two years to have a staggered approach for long lasting contention.

[DCOrange]

32 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

I think the complete focus on an outside guy is overstated.

 

Yes, we need to replace Gabe.  But we also need to replace Diggs.  Made we get a Ladd or Pearsal early to play the Y and get an X later or via trade or something.

I think that may be at least in part what Samuel is for.

[Brandon]

4 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Here’s a question. Let’s say we draft a WR at 28 and another in the 2nd. They both have average rookie seasons. Let’s say around 40-50 catches and 3-4 tds.

 

Are we set at WR in 2025?

 

 

It depends.  If it seems like the overall offense is performing well and those guys are increasing their production throughout the season,  cutting down on mistakes and generally building momentum in the right direction,  yeah,  I think the Bills probably would be set at WR for 2025. 

[LEBills]

1 hour ago, DCOrange said:

Jermaine Burton is next up for Matt Harmon...looks like his profile will be posted today or tomorrow. The data is pretty good though. 3rd best success rate against man in the draft class, though he is tied with Nabers for 3rd worst against zone. 3rd best against press coverage as well and I know his hands are considered to be very good. Says based purely on film and his data, Burton would be a 1st round pick. Maybe bumped down to early 2nd round based on his off-field issues.

The bolded is so interesting to me because Nabers crushed zone in YPRR (4.5) and Burton was at 3.2 YPRR vs Zone. Both were markedly worse in yprr vs man. 
 

Is it just that the QBs are throw them better balls in zone coverage, and struggling to get them balls in good position for bigger plays against tighter man coverages? And do big plays vs zone mask some of the down by down poor separation vs zone for Nabers and Burton?

 

Thanks again for posting

Edited April 17 by LEBills

[HappyDays]

2 hours ago, Roundybout said:

 

Beane needs to get this guy on the team come hell or high water 

 

My appetite for trading up starts at #9. If Odunze is still there I'd pull the trigger. Next year's 1st, next year's 2nd (from Houston), maybe both of our 4ths this year. Chicago only has 4 picks in the entire draft, they are a prime trade up candidate.

[Andrew Son]

23 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

My appetite for trading up starts at #9. If Odunze is still there I'd pull the trigger. Next year's 1st, next year's 2nd (from Houston), maybe both of our 4ths this year. Chicago only has 4 picks in the entire draft, they are a prime trade up candidate.

I know the Bears are light on picks but I can't see them passing up the opportunity to pair a #1 WR with their rookie QB

[KingBoots8]

26 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

My appetite for trading up starts at #9. If Odunze is still there I'd pull the trigger. Next year's 1st, next year's 2nd (from Houston), maybe both of our 4ths this year. Chicago only has 4 picks in the entire draft, they are a prime trade up candidate.

The 2nd we got from Houston actually belonged to Minnesota. If we have to include a 2 we would be better sending ours over and keeping that one if possible as it could be a very early pick.

[billsfan89]

1 hour ago, SWATeam said:

I think the complete focus on an outside guy is overstated.

 

Yes, we need to replace Gabe.  But we also need to replace Diggs.  Made we get a Ladd or Pearsal early to play the Y and get an X later or via trade or something.

I think they likely view Samuel as eating up the targets for Gabe. I know they aren’t exactly the same player but I think they likely view both Shakir and Samuel as splitting time in the slot and at the boundary. 
 

What they really need is a solid boundary WR who can efficiently take on 70-80 targets and turn that into 50+ receptions and 650-750 yards 5-6 TD’s. You are going to be then counting on Shakir having more production on better volume, Kincaid taking on a bit more in terms of 20 additional targets, and Samuel having a solid season taking the 70-80 targets Gabe has gotten in the past two seasons and making them more efficient.

 

 You don’t necessarily need a rookie to come in an replace all or most of Diggs production but just some of it. I then think adding a boundary WR in round 4-5 as depth rounds out the WR core as out probably need another pure boundary guy to spot start if needed

[OldTimer1960]

23 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

I think they likely view Samuel as eating up the targets for Gabe. I know they aren’t exactly the same player but I think they likely view both Shakir and Samuel as splitting time in the slot and at the boundary. 
 

What they really need is a solid boundary WR who can efficiently take on 70-80 targets and turn that into 50+ receptions and 650-750 yards 5-6 TD’s. You are going to be then counting on Shakir having more production on better volume, Kincaid taking on a bit more in terms of 20 additional targets, and Samuel having a solid season taking the 70-80 targets Gabe has gotten in the past two seasons and making them more efficient.

 

 You don’t necessarily need a rookie to come in a replace all or most of Diggs production but just some of it. I then think adding a boundary WR in round 4-5 as depth rounds out the WR core as out probably need another pure boundary guy to spot start if needed

Just playing devils advocate- I don’t think Miami and its prolific offense have that big boundary receiver.  I’m not saying that the Bills shouldn’t try to find one, but I think there are successful offenses that don’t have that.

[gonzo1105]

6 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

Just playing devils advocate- I don’t think Miami and its prolific offense have that big boundary receiver.  I’m not saying that the Bills shouldn’t try to find one, but I think there are successful offenses that don’t have that.

There are a lot of teams who don’t have a traditional Z,X , Slot. 
 

Jaguars 

Commanders

Rams

Chargers had 3 X Receivers last year

Dolphins

Ravens didn’t have an X

Bears

Colts had two X WRs 

 

I could continue but you get the idea. This idea that you need to have a smaller guy and a bigger guy are so outdated. Someone else said it. Interchangeable parts that can play inside and outside to make defenses have to prepare for a multitude of packages and personnel

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

My appetite for trading up starts at #9. If Odunze is still there I'd pull the trigger. Next year's 1st, next year's 2nd (from Houston), maybe both of our 4ths this year. Chicago only has 4 picks in the entire draft, they are a prime trade up candidate.

 

Thing is if Odunze is there I don't think the Bears trade back. If he is gone I think they will. 

 

I think #8 is the target spot for Odunze.

[section122]

1 hour ago, SWATeam said:

I know the Bears are light on picks but I can't see them passing up the opportunity to pair a #1 WR with their rookie QB

 

They do have Keenan Allen and DJ Moore along with Cole Kmet.  Add in that they have Swift at RB and I think they have pretty good weapons already.

 

2 hours ago, DJB said:

Other than Harrison and Odunze,  Ladd McConkey as the safest WR to draft . 
 

At minimum you have a high end slot guy with good work ethic, character, ability to separate and hands. 
 

If he’s able to work as an outside guy then you will have hit a home run. 

 

Would you say he brings his lunch pail to work? A real first in last out kind of guy?  Maybe he's scrappy and sneaky athletic?  A real gamer? Plays the game the right way?

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, DJB said:

Other than Harrison and Odunze,  Ladd McConkey as the safest WR to draft . 

 

I wouldn't call him safe. He's been banged up quite a bit over the past few years. 

 

https://www.cover1.net/nfl-draft-injury-impact-georgia-wr-ladd-mcconkey/

 

It makes you wonder, can he hold up to NFL punishment?

 

And his ceiling is just very low IMO. If he stays healthy he probably has a high floor but I want more out of my 1st round pick.

 

That being said I would still prefer McConkey over say Chop Robinson. I would just want us to also trade up for a more physically gifted WR in the 2nd if he is our first pick.

 

Edited April 17 by HappyDays

[Buffalo_Stampede]

I think I’m on the Ladd McConkey train. Get the best route runner available.

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, SWATeam said:

I know the Bears are light on picks but I can't see them passing up the opportunity to pair a #1 WR with their rookie QB

 

They already have a #1 WR in DJ Moore. They have needs on both lines and at safety. I just can't see any GM feeling comfortable with 4 picks in an entire draft. I'll be surprised if they don't trade down with somebody.

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, HappyDays said:

 

They already have a #1 WR in DJ Moore. They have needs on both lines and at safety. I just can't see any GM feeling comfortable with 4 picks in an entire draft. I'll be surprised if they don't trade down with somebody.

 

But Odunze isn't just a regular #1 prospect. Passing a player like that up for some picks is a mistake IMO.