When it comes to the wide receiver position, Stefon Diggs knows a thing or two. After all, the 27-year-old had a dominant 2020 campaign leading the league with 1,535 receiving yards and 127 receptions.
While the Bills wideout had the most touchdowns (8) for the team as well, it turns out that was part of a bet with 22-year-old rookie receiver Gabriel David to see who would catch the most.
In his first year after being drafted by Buffalo in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, Davis notched seven total scoring catches.
He had a couple of big-time plays in the end zone against the Titans and Jets, however, that got called back due to penalties. Had those plays not been flagged, the rookie might have won that bet.
With some early success under his belt, could Davis have an even better season even with the teams’ addition of veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders?
Diggs believes he could do just that.
“I tell him all the time now — ‘let me see it,'” Diggs said. “‘Last year, you did play pretty well. You did have some success, but there’s a lot more football for you and there’s a lot more you can obtain, a lot more things you can do better. So let me see that this next year, making that second-year jump.”
Despite 2020 being his first year in the league, Davis saw increased playing time due to his ability to play every receiver position, as well as injuries to WR John Brown.
In fact, Davis led all NFL rookies in yards per catch last season with an average of 17.1 yards.
“He handled himself extremely well as a professional,” added Diggs. “He had success and he handled success well … He’s a humble kid, he’s a kid that works extremely hard, and I look forward to him taking that next step.”
The veteran wideout should know, he met with Davis in Florida during the offseason to work on the young receiver’s route running.
“Diggs is a big help. He has a different style of play than I do,” Davis said. “So I’m always trying to pick his brain on what he likes to do and watching what he does and trying to add that to my arsenal.”
The progress and versatility have shown at training camp, where he’s had more playing time while Cole Beasley, Diggs, and Sanders had veterans’ days off.
Count offensive coordinator Brian Daboll among those who love to see it.
“He’s one of the guys, Stef gets a down day or something, and you’re like, ‘All right, Gabe get in there!’ said Daboll. “You don’t even tell him where he’s at. He just goes in and knows it.”
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