In the free agency era, tons of new faces pop up on new teams every year. But Bleacher Report narrowed a list of players who will “breakout” on their new teams down to only four.
Appearing on that list was Nick Kwiatkoski, Javon Hargrave, Hayden Hurst, and Buffalo Bills new No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Here’s why B/R likes Diggs’ move to the Bills so much:
It’s almost unfair that wide receiver Stefon Diggs makes the list, but somehow he didn’t earn a Pro Bowl invite despite logging back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard seasons. That’s going to change soon.
Diggs isn’t mentioned with the likes of Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas, but he’s among the second tier of wide receivers. The five-year veteran runs sharp routes, separates from defenders and beats coverage all over the field.
Last season, Diggs averaged 17.9 yards per catch and came into his own while wide receiver Adam Thielen nursed a hamstring injury for five of his six absences. The former led the Minnesota Vikings in receptions (63) and yards (1,130).
He’s poised to fully break out in 2020.
In 2019, with the Bills, wideout John Brown recorded a career high in catches (72) and yards (1,060), but he hasn’t progressed like Diggs has over the past few years. Since 2017, the latter has improved his receiving yard totals every season. He also has a much better catch rate for his career (68.4 percent compared to 52.9 percent).
Going into his third season, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen isn’t a refined signal-caller, so he doesn’t compare to Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, but his strong arm can lead to huge plays. Diggs may routinely haul in 20-plus-yard receptions and rack up gaudy receiving numbers.
If Diggs hasn’t already broken out… look out, Buffalo… and the rest of the NFL. Diggs is already a known commodity with a couple of 1,000-yard seasons already in his back pocket. That’s why the Bills were fine parting with a first-round pick to make the trade with the Vikings happen.
Combine Diggs with Brown, Cole Beasley, Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox, just to name a few, there’s no reason Allen and Buffalo’s offense won’t look even better in 2020. Plus more can be added to that arsenal via the upcoming draft, too.
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