It’s crucial that the Buffalo Bills spend the offseason accumulating more weapons for Josh Allen and ESPN’s Melvin Kiper Jr. appears to agree. ESPN’s number-one draft guru analyst (sorry, Todd McShay) released his 2.0 mock draft Monday, with the Bills selecting former Ole Miss receiver, and future Mr. Universe, DeKaylin Zecharius “D.K.” Metcalf with the ninth overall pick. Here’s what Kiper had to say regarding the choice:
“Quarterback Josh Allen had an up-and-down rookie season in Buffalo, but he needs better pass-catching options in Year 2. That’s how we can fully evaluate his development. You might remember Metcalf from this viral photo from last week -- he’s a 6-foot-4, 230-pound physical specimen who is going to test well at the combine. There is some projection here, as Metcalf missed most of the 2018 season with a scary neck injury and only caught 67 passes in his college career. But he is a big-play threat -- check out this catch -- who is the best “big” receiver in this class.”
Grif’s take:
Mel is right to point out Metcalf’s athleticism. He’s one of the few large receivers in the draft—just as liable to outrun cornerbacks as he is to physically dominate them at the catch point. If Metcalf does run around a 4.40 40-yard dash at the combine later this month, his stock will rise and mocks will start placing him inside the first fifteen picks. Not only is Metcalf athletic for his size, he’s surprisingly nuanced for a sophomore college wide receiver when it comes to things like route routing and using his hands against press coverage at the line of scrimmage.
Perhaps the only risk with the young man is the neck injury scare he suffered midway through the season, preventing a complete evaluation. However, by all accounts he’s moved past the injury, and would certainly be worth a ninth overall selection.