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If there’s one thing we can expect in the off-season, it’s for mock drafts to send wide receivers to the Buffalo Bills. Through fifteen games, the leading receiver for the Bills is Zay Jones, who has 50 receptions for 559 yards and five touchdowns. He does most of his damage in the fourth quarter of losing games. Rookie Robert Foster is the second leading receiver with 520 yards and two touchdowns this year. Anyone who examines the team could understand how badly it needs more talented skill players, and that’ll be reflected in write-ups like Dan Kadar’s latest mock draft for SB Nation. After rolling with a defensive lineman in his first go-round, Kadar switched gears to wide receiver for his second attempt. Here’s what he had to say about the selection:
7. Buffalo Bills: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Maybe Josh Allen leads the Bills in rushing because he doesn’t have good receivers. Through 16 weeks no Bills receiver has 500 yards on the season. The team’s third-most productive receiver is Kelvin Benjamin, who isn’t even on the team anymore. Metcalf is a massive receiver at 6’4 and 230 pounds, and would give Allen a legitimate No. 1 pass catcher.
Dan Lavoie's take
The Bills have two clear needs heading into the off-season: offensive playmakers and offensive linemen. The exact specifics are up for discussion; upgrades are needed at running back, wide receiver, and tight end, and at least three starting offensive linemen should be replaced. Still, this is the biggest weakness with the team. With two offensive tackles off the board, it wouldn’t be a bad choice to go with the consensus number-one receiver in the draft.
Metcalf missed half the season with a neck injury, but if he’s healthy, he has strong potential. There’s a huge catch radius at 6’4,” explosive downfield speed and burst, and signs of advanced route-running in his game. Josh Allen played best in his rookie season with faster players on the field, and Metcalf adds size to his speed.
Expect this to be a common mock, especially if the position is unaddressed in free agency. In Zay Jones and Robert Foster, the team has a pair of number-three targets, or number-two targets at best. They need a leader in the group.