Bills Named ‘Prospect to Watch’ Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills lost 107 receptions and 1,183 yards in the 2024 offseason when they traded Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in exchange for a second-round pick in next year’s NFL draft. The departure of the franchise’s fourth-all-time leading receiver leaves the team’s receiving corps with a glaring question mark atop its depth chart, a point only reinforced by the simultaneous departure this spring of complementary offensive contributor Gabriel Davis.

Buffalo plans to take an even-keel approach to aerial production given the omissions, which it believes it can do thanks to the talent in the revamped receiver room and the otherworldly nature of quarterback Josh Allen. Third-year receiver Khalil Shakir, free agent Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman should lead the way at receiver while second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid will be a frequent body in the middle of the field; veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and (tight end) Dawson Knox could scrape together most of the remaining production.

The Bills have some talented receivers, but they are still unproven, with the wide receivers considered by many to be the team’s biggest question mark heading into the new season. Given the inexperienced nature of the group and the assets Buffalo acquired this offseason (the Diggs trade gave them long-term salary cap flexibility and gave them an asset to trade for in the 2025 draft, if they so choose), some speculate the Bills could seek a top receiver in the 2025 offseason, either through free agency or the draft.

Related: Overlooked linebacker named Bills’ ‘non-QB MVP’ heading into 2024 NFL season

Pro Football Focus writer Trevor Sikkema agrees, and believes Buffalo could land Allen’s next favorite target in next year’s draft. In a recent article looking at a draft-eligible offensive player every team should keep an eye on throughout the 2024 college football season, the analyst identified Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan as a player of interest for the Bills.

“The Bills said goodbye to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, leaving their receiver room without a true WR1,” Sikkema wrote. “They selected Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and maybe he could fill that role, but the team will likely be looking for a top receiver next offseason regardless. McMillan, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, looks like a rare breed when he’s on the football field. His best game brings out shades of Mike Evans.”

If you haven’t heard of McMillan yet, brace yourself, because you’ll be hearing his name a lot throughout the fall. He’s one of the best receivers in the country, with his combination of size, speed and route-running ability making him a particularly dominant receiver that cornerbacks around the country often struggle to contain. He’s coming off a 2023 campaign in which he caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

He can play both the wings and the slot, but given his 6-foot-5 frame, NFL teams likely view him as a typical outside X-receiver. Buffalo hopes Coleman can grow into that role as a rookie, but several draft prognosticators felt he was best suited to play as a “big slot” at the professional level; if the Bills ultimately decide that’s true, they could be in the market for a player like McMillan next season.

If Coleman and the rest of the team’s receivers continue to generate passing production, Buffalo may not feel compelled to acquire a top receiver next spring. Regardless, the team will likely have to make a significant trade offer if it wants to land McMillan in next year’s draft. Already considered one of the top prospects in the draft, he has often been projected as a top-10 or top-15 pick in early mock drafts.

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