If the Buffalo Bills are shopping for a wide receiver in the draft, they’re checking every aisle.
Receivers took the stage Friday at the NFL scouting combine and a host of them acknowledged they have spoken with the Bills this week. Florida State’s Keon Coleman, Oregon’s Troy Franklin, Texas’ Adonai Mitchell and LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. all have a chance to be first-round picks and all of them confirmed meeting with Buffalo, as did South Carolina’s Xavier Legette and Texas’ Xavier Worthy.
Georgia slot receiver Ladd McConkey met with the Bills during the Senior Bowl, but hasn’t spoken to them this week. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. did not attend media availability, while LSU’s Malik Nabers has not spoken to the Bills.
Meeting with a prospect doesn’t always equate to interest on draft day, but the volume of receivers spoken to shows the Bills are actively hunting for one.
Harrison, Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze are currently projected as top-10 prospects and it would be stunning if any of them fell to the Bills at the 28th pick, but they’re starting to get to know a variety of receivers with different skill sets and a lot can change after the receivers go through testing Saturday.
Thomas is the most polished of the second crop of receivers, and along with Franklin, was recruited by Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady during his tenure at LSU.
“I would say most of the time was spent on personality, not really the whiteboard,” Thomas said of his meeting with the Bills. “Just going over plays, going over what we did at LSU, naming formations and stuff like that.”
On top of leading the nation with 17 touchdown receptions last year, Thomas proved he is a well-rounded receiver. He averaged 5.7 yards after the catch, while posting 13.7 yards per depth of target, and at 6-foot-4, caught seven of 13 contested targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
Mitchell’s production was more spotty in his first season after getting little playing time at Georgia, but he caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns. The 6-4 Mitchell specializes in route-running and his targets came 16 yards downfield on average.
“I like to change my pace in routes; I never run routes full speed,” Mitchell said. “That’s just a part of my game that allows me to run routes for the whole drive. I mostly feel I’m in control when I’m running routes with the people I’m going against.”
Coleman is another big target, but must prove he can separate from defenders. He improved his yards after catch from 4.2 in two seasons at Michigan State to 6.3 at Florida State last year, but his average depth per target was 7.9.
Even at 6-4, however, Coleman caught just 21 of 47 contested targets during his college career and ran 1.74 yards per route, compared to 4.42 for Nabers and 3.44 for Franklin. On the flip side, Legette, who is likely a Day Two pick, isn’t a smooth route-runner, but at 6-1, 213 pounds, he’s physical with defenders, averaging 6.4 yards after the catch and catching 10 of 21 contested passes.
Franklin and Worthy also have something to prove this week, as both enter the combine on the slender side. Franklin was listed at 6-3, 187 at Oregon, while Worthy was 6-1, 172.
Likely the best deep threat in the draft, Franklin improved his YAC from 4.3 to 6.6 this season, but caught 14 of 37 contested catches during his college career. Franklin has a good chance to sneak into the first round at this stage of the pre-draft process, but Worthy is probably a second- or third-rounder.
Worthy is also a dangerous deep threat, but his lack of size and strength causes concerns against press coverage. Of his 1,014 yards last season, 571 came after the catch, but hauled in just five of 21 contested catches and his yards per catch went from 10.7 against man to 14.2 against zone coverages.
“Definitely grown men (in the NFL),” Franklin said. “I think I will just have to hit the weight room a little bit. Put some work in, put some armor around me. That’s pretty much it, right there.”