Recently we looked at some of the possible defensive linemen the Buffalo Bills could take with their first round pick, but another route the Bills could take with the 19th pick is by selecting a wide receiver. Not only could Buffalo use a compliment to Sammy Watkins, but now they also have a hole to fill at wide receiver with Chris Hogan recently signing with New England.
Laquon Treadwell: 6-2, 221 lbs, Ole Miss
Much like how Robert Nkemdiche has been a popular pick for Buffalo in many mock drafts, his former teammate Laquon Treadwell has been a popular name for the Bills with their first round pick if they decide to address the wide receiver position. Treadwell was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, and definitely lived up to the hype during his time with Ole Miss, catching 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015.
Treadwell isn’t the faster wide receiver, but he was still make a team very happy as a possession receiver. With his size and great hands, Treadwell is able to climb the ladder and make some spectacular catches. Also, Treadwell’s strong blocking skills could help the Bills if they hope to again have one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL this year.
There are some areas aside from his lack of speed which are likely to keep Treadwell from being a top-10 pick in this year’s draft. While at Ole Miss, Treadwell struggled to free himself from press coverage. He isn’t quite as strong when he is crowded. Even with the areas he needed improvement in, Treadwell is still a size mismatch when he is put in the slot and should have a strong career as a pro.
Will Fuller: 6-0, 186 lbs, Notre Dame
Of the top receivers in this year’s draft, Treadwell may have the size but Notre Dame’s Will Fuller has the speed. During his time in South Bend, Fuller was a big play machine, catching 15 touchdowns in 2014 and 14 touchdowns in 2015. The most impressive thing about the huge numbers Fuller was able to rack up, was he did it with a backup quarterback most of the season last year, as Malik Zaire was injured in the middle of Notre Dame’s second game of the season in 2015.
Fuller is the best deep-threat available in this year’s NFL Draft. Not only does Fuller have game-breaking speed, but he also has above-average ball tracking skills. The elite acceleration Full possesses is what helps him to gain separation and become since a big play threat down the field.
What will likely keep Fuller from being a truly elite wide receiver is his size. Since he is just six-feet tall, Fuller is undersized as an outside receiver. Also, Fuller struggled with drops at times, dropping nine passes in each of the last two years. With a strong possession receiver as a compliment, Fuller could find success, but it’s hard to bank on him being a true number one wide receiver.
Michael Thomas: 6-2, 212 lbs, Ohio State
One receiver who has all the tools, but could be flying under the radar just a little bit is Michael Thomas of Ohio State. Thomas’ numbers weren’t quite as impressive as some of the other wide receivers out there, but the Buckeyes have a more run-oriented offense. Thomas has some NFL lineage since he is the nephew of former top overall pick Keyshawn Johnson.
Thomas has the desired combination of size and speed which NFL teams are looking for. Thomas has plus separation and is also a hand catcher who didn’t have too much of an issue with drops in college. With his size and strength, it’s hard to bring Thomas down, and he cam make opponents pay for missed tackles.
There are still some areas which Thomas needs to work on, which will likely keep him from being the first wide receiver taken, Thomas isn’t quite as good against press coverage, and he tends to become passive against more aggressive cornerbacks. Thomas also still needs to develop a greater feel for the position and is still a bit of a work in progress. With his physical tools, if Thomas is able to address his areas of weakness, he could end up being the best wide receiver to come out of this draft.
Braxton Miller: 6-1, 204 lbs, Ohio State
Even though Michael Thomas was Ohio State’s top receiver last year, many tuned into the Buckeyes to see just how quickly Braxton Miller would adjust after moving from quarterback to receiver. In the season opener against Virginia Tech, Miller showed some of his tremendous athletic ability with a couple big plays as the Buckeyes went on to a big win. Miller didn’t quite have the same impact the rest of the year, but it’s hard to fault him since he was adjusting to a new position.
Out of all the wide receivers in the draft, Miller is the biggest risk, but he could also provide the biggest reward. After spending just a year at wide receiver, Miller still has plenty of raw, untapped talent. Miller has a great mix of size and speed, and his athleticism makes it easy for him to get separation against defenders. With his previous experience at quarterback, Miller could also be quite a weapon if a team decides to use the Wildcat formation.
The biggest knock against Miller is his inexperience at wide receiver. In the right offense he can be successful, but teams are going to have to be patient with him. Miller is still too upright in his routes, and is too reliant on his speed and athleticism. At a point he is going to have to incorporate some technique into his game. If Miller is able to put it all together, he could be one of the most explosive players in the league, but it just might take some time.
Josh Doctson: 6-2, 202 lbs, TCU
During his time at TCU, Doctson had a nose for the endzone, scoring 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Those numbers are even more impressive when considering Doctson missed the final three games of 2015 after he suffered a wrist injury.
What sets Doctson apart from a lot of the other wide receivers in this draft class is he possesses strong hands. Those hands in combination with his size allows for him to make acrobatic catches in tight spots. Doctson isn’t a burner, so he isn’t going to run by defenders, but he definitely makes up for not having explosive speed with his tremendous body control.
Even though Doctson has good size, he would benefit from adding some muscle to his frame. Even with his tremendous body control, Doctson isn’t going to overpower defenders. At TCU, Doctson rarely saw any press coverage, so NFL teams could try and exploit his inexperience against the press. At this point it doesn’t look like Doctson will be able to be a top receiver in the NFL, but with his size and skills he definitely could be a productive second option for a team.
Corey Coleman: 5-10, 194, Baylor
Over the past couple years Baylor has put up some ridiculous offensive numbers and a big reason for the outstanding output is because of Corey Coleman. In 2015 Coleman hauled in 20 touchdowns and won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top wide receiver.
What stands out the most about Coleman is his explosive speed off the line. Coleman was able to hurt opponents over the top since he is speedy vertical deep threat. Not only is Coleman fast, but he also has precise route-running, which allowed him to get separation on many of his opponents.
Coleman is likely never going to be a wide receiver who plays on the outside because of his size. In the NFL, Coleman will likely be a slot receiver, and his issues with drops in the past is troublesome. NFL teams will likely expect him to go over the middle more, which could be a problem if he doesn’t find a way to fix his problems with dropped passes. At least Coleman will also give an NFL team an added dimension since he is an experience kick returner.
Tyler Boyd: 6-2, 190, Pittsburgh
There wasn’t much to write home about when it comes to the Pittsburgh offense the last few years, and anything of note pretty much came from Tyler Boyd. The lanky wide receiver was the Panthers main option over the past few years, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can be as productive at the next level.
Boyd isn’t terribly fast or physical, but he makes up for those issues with his powerful hands. Much like Doctson, Boyd has outstanding body control and is able to make difficult catches in tight spots. Boyd is also a good route runner, which allowed him to get open even though most of the time the opposition knew he would be targeted frequently.
Like Coleman, Boyd has spent time as a kick returner, but unlike the speedster from Baylor, Boyd has had issues with ball security. Boyd also isn’t going to get much after the catch because he doesn’t have great strength or physicality. To make up for his lack of speed and strength, Boyd has to get his catches with precise route running and also by using his strong hands. Boyd will likely become a great possession receiver, but he likely won’t be a game-breaker.
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