When the Buffalo Bills decided to give up a 2015 first-round pick to move up from pick No. 9 to No. 4, where the Cleveland Browns stood, it was clear who the choice was. Buffalo needed a star offensive player; one that could help second-year quarterback E.J. Manuel become the player they drafted him to be. The Bills drafted Sammy Watkins with the hope that he could be the next A.J. Green or Julio Jones and lead the team for years to come.
Watkins surely looks the part, catching passes from a similar quarterback (Tajh Boyd) at Clemson. He caught 290 passes for 3,391 yards at Clemson, both career records for the school.
These are great numbers, but what could separate him from other receivers in this class is his speed. Watkins ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Combine, which ranked seventh among wide receivers. His combine numbers translate very well onto the field, where he got by opposing secondaries often in his college career.
Some could make the case that Odell Beckham has the same speed, but what he lacks is the height and strength. Watkins is 6 feet, 1 inch and had 16 reps on the bench press, while Beckham Jr. is two inches shorter and only managed seven reps on the bench press.
The Bills made it even clearer that they believed Watkins could lead their team when they traded Steve Johnson to the San Francisco 49ers a day after drafting Watkins. Johnson caught 543 passes for 3,832 yards and 28 touchdowns in his six years in Buffalo, so trading away a major contributor like Johnson cleared the way for a No. 1 receiver.
The Bills also brought in Mike Williams from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving Manuel another threat to work with. This could bode well in Watkins’ favor, as opposing defenses will have to focus on both receivers, most likely giving each opportunities in single coverage.
Another aspect of the Bills offense that may give Watkins a better chance to succeed is the fact that they have two strong running backs: Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. With a one-two punch like Jackson and Spiller, play-action passes could be very useful for Manuel. And with Watkins’ speed, he could get by opposing cornerbacks and safeties to create chances for big plays.
But don’t mistake Watkins for simply a vertical receiver; he has the abilities to work in bubble screens and go through the middle. Plays like these were designed for Watkins at Clemson, so if Bills offensive coordinator Jim Schwartz takes plays from the Tigers’ playbook, he may be able to utilize Watkins even more.
Experts saw Watkins as an immediate threat for the Bills, and I do as well.
Dark Horses
Many forget that Mike Evans, fellow teammate of Johnny Manziel, was drafted 15 picks before his college quarterback. Evans is a huge receiver (6 foot, 5 inches) that has deceptive speed after the catch.
Evans will compete for a role in the revamped Buccaneers offense, but he poses a threat where it counts most: the end zone. He caught 12 touchdowns for the Aggies in 2013.
A second-round receiver that fell into a great position is Jordan Matthews, whom the Philadelphia Eagles took with pick No. 42. Matthews has speed (4.46 40-yard dash), strength (21 reps) and height (6’3”).
Matthews enters an offense void of DeSean Jackson, who was the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles for six seasons. Matthews won’t be the threat that Jackson was, but he will compete with Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper for reps on the first-team offense.