While a franchise that’s seemingly been on the rise for a few years now, the Buffalo Bills are a relatively young team despite entering 2020 as the 10th oldest roster in the NFL (26.1).
That’s because the cornerstone pieces on the team playing key roles such as quarterback Josh Allen (24), middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (22) or cornerback Tre’Davious White (26) are all still young.
But those three are already known commodities. Could other youthful teammates enter such a level next season? Bleacher Report recently predicted who could.
B/R pegged their guesses for NFL team’s “biggest potential breakout player for 2021” and wide receiver Gabriel Davis was their pick for Buffalo:
Though he was overshadowed by other first-year receivers, including Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk and Chase Claypool, Buffalo Bills rookie wideout Gabriel Davis still had an impressive 2020 campaign.
Selected in the fourth round out of Central Florida, Davis emerged as a significant piece of Buffalo’s passing puzzle. He appeared in all 16 games with 11 starts and finished with 35 catches, 599 yards and seven touchdowns—becoming one of Josh Allen’s best breakaway targets.
Davis also starred in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, catching four balls for 85 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. He suffered an ankle injury the next week against the Ravens and did not catch a pass on four targets. He was targeted three times but came up empty in the AFC title game.
While Davis isn’t going to replace Stefon Diggs as Allen’s top receiver, he has the potential to become a star in Year 2.
After a solid rookie season, Davis did show that there is value in mid-round wide receiver picks. With his large frame, he’s also a solid complementary piece for Diggs.
But it still remains to be seen if Davis can preform in the long haul for the Bills. At times, he was an inconsistent player. His work along the sidelines with his feet was something very special for a rookie. However, Davis’s hands did let him down a few times in his first NFL season. Nothing in a major sense, but Davis will look to improve that aspect of his game in 2021.
And in the “for what it’s worth” section: Pro Football Focus recently conducted the same exercise for the Bills. Their pick was not Davis. Instead, defensive tackle Ed Oliver got the praise.
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