Diggs vs the WR field in the draft

[John from Riverside]

So we obviously do not know this and wont know for years probably.....but just a thought.

 

What WR's in this draft do we absolutely think were going to be better then Diggs.....make sure you taking into account

 

- Diggs's production over the course of seasons

- Diggs plays in a run dom offense

 

My own field is there night not be a WR in this draft that ends up being better then Diggs.....but thats just my opinion and wanted your thoughts

[CommonCents]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

So we obviously do not know this and wont know for years probably.....but just a thought.

 

What WR's in this draft do we absolutely think were going to be better then Diggs.....make sure you taking into account

 

- Diggs's production over the course of seasons

- Diggs plays in a run dom offense

 

My own field is there night not be a WR in this draft that ends up being better then Diggs.....but thats just my opinion and wanted your thoughts

John I knew where this was headed and what your opinion would be just from the title and your love of all things Bills.

 

I liked Diggs before he entered the NFL, i still like him. He is a good player, he wasn’t even thought of the first few days of the draft. With so many highly touted guys coming out it’s almost a certainty that one will be as good or better. What’s that matter though?

 

Would he have been there at 22? Would the Bills have picked him? The real question, when will he reach Digg’s level? Not anytime soon would be my guess.

 

The Bills need an impact guy now so they can improve the O and equally as important so they can evaluate Allen. 

 

The trade made sense and the only way it won’t work out is if Diggs acts up and stresses an otherwise amazing locker room. 

[DJB]

Jeudy, Lamb and possibly Ruggs are the only possibilites for me. 

 

No guarantee though

[Maine-iac]

At the place we are picking I would seriously doubt any WR would compare to Diggs.  Even if they developed into a comparable receiver it often takes more than one season.  Diggs could very well plug right into the system and run everything (and more) that Brown was running last year and have Brown playing across from him in case they play coverage to Diggs side.  Brown might get even better looks this year.  What might pan out well is if we pick a WR after round 1 to develop as Brown and Diggs play out there contracts.

[PIZ]

I think lots of them could end up better than Diggs in a few years, but for the 2020 season, Diggs is what Josh Allen and the Bills needed. This is our year, and Josh Allen and the Bills needed a sure thing at WR, and Diggs gives that to them. I think that they’ll add a WR in the draft as well, to build on the WR group though. 
 

 

[GunnerBill]

There might not be, sure. But there are 3 who in my view have the potential to be. The point is they were likely not obtainable for the same cost as Diggs. 

[JESSEFEFFER]

I have no problem with Beane's stated reasons in favor of making the trade.  He is doing his job well.

[Bronxbomber21]

8 minutes ago, DJB said:

Jeudy, Lamb and possibly Ruggs are the only possibilites for me. 

 

No guarantee though

Im thinking Lamb i think Jeudys celling is Diggs

[LEBills]

Honestly, I think the best WR from this class will be had after the first round. Jeudy and Lamb are good but not sure they'll be great. Whoever it winds up being, we have now taken away the risk associated with the pick to get a guy in his prime that has been compared (on the field) to Antonio Brown.

 

By eliminating that risk, the Bills - and I agree- take Diggs over any other WR available in the draft. 

[Billl]

I would guess that there will be a WR drafted at 22 or later who will be better than Diggs, but there isn’t one specific WR I would take over Diggs.

[947]

I think Lamb is the only one in this draft that screams star WR1. Jeudy is Calvin Ridley, a good WR but won't be a star. I hope he's the Jets' choice...

 

I actually think Denzel Mims will be a star, and he's the only WR we'd have had a shot at. But he'll take 1-2 years to develop. I prefer Diggs.

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by 947

[FireChans]

18 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

So we obviously do not know this and wont know for years probably.....but just a thought.

 

What WR's in this draft do we absolutely think were going to be better then Diggs.....make sure you taking into account

 

- Diggs's production over the course of seasons

- Diggs plays in a run dom offense

 

My own field is there night not be a WR in this draft that ends up being better then Diggs.....but thats just my opinion and wanted your thoughts

 

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

There might not be, sure. But there are 3 who in my view have the potential to be. The point is they were likely not obtainable for the same cost as Diggs. 

The overarching point is if you traded up for say, Lamb. (IMO the best all around WR in this draft), the best you could reasonable hope for is that he turns out to be as good of a player as Diggs. But there’s no guarantee he would have been. And you’d have to trade more capital to secure it. Diggs is the bird in the hand. Out of the top 3 guys, maybe one of them will turn out to be better than Diggs. But there’s also a significant chance none of them will be better than him at all. 

 

Bird in the hand. Known commodity. Easy decision.

[LABILLBACKER]

7 minutes ago, DJB said:

Jeudy, Lamb and possibly Ruggs are the only possibilites for me. 

 

No guarantee though

Just Jeudy & Lamb. They'd both be long gone by 22. There would be no one left in this draft that would have the immediate impact Stefon would have. He will be our #1 wr for the next 4 years. And besides it's still not out of the realm for Claypool to drop in our laps. This was a brilliant trade by Beane. Now let's find Devin a running mate.

[1ManRaid]

22 minutes ago, PIZ said:

I think lots of them could end up better than Diggs in a few years, but for the 2020 season, Diggs is what Josh Allen and the Bills needed. This is our year, and Josh Allen and the Bills needed a sure thing at WR, and Diggs gives that to them. I think that they’ll add a WR in the draft as well, to build on the WR group though. 
 

 

Lots of them?  That would be a lock for the greatest WR class of all time by a wide margin for lots of them to all be better than a top 10 WR.  Surely you mean that in a strictly hypothetical "anything is technically possible" sort of way.

 

I can see a number of them from this deep class developing into decent starters with a couple top 10s, but not a hostile takeover of the top tier WR hierarchy from a single class.

[Hardhatharry]

It's good to see you agree with the rest of us.

[DJB]

26 minutes ago, Bronxbomber21 said:

Im thinking Lamb i think Jeudys celling is Diggs

 

Nah. I think Jeudy's floor is Diggs. Jeudy celing is Reggie Wayne 

[Just Joshin']

30 minutes ago, PIZ said:

I think lots of them could end up better than Diggs in a few years, but for the 2020 season, Diggs is what Josh Allen and the Bills needed. This is our year, and Josh Allen and the Bills needed a sure thing at WR, and Diggs gives that to them. I think that they’ll add a WR in the draft as well, to build on the WR group though. 
 

 

You got to the right conclusion but define the "lots".  I am thinking 3 tops and history shows 1 of those 3 will likely bust. 

[Bangarang]

Lamb is the only one I’d feel good about.

[CommonCents]

It’s a tough exercise, if you had a similar conversation in 2014 everyone here would be saying Sammy Watkins would be better than X. Then look how many other guys from that same draft were so much better. 

[Doc]

It would seem like the top-3 would, and probably 1 or 2 others, but there are no guarantees.  Diggs is proven and the Bills haven't shown they can draft for offense so trading for him made sense.

[BuffAlone]

8 minutes ago, DJB said:

 

Nah. I think Jeudy's floor is Diggs. Jeudy celing is Reggie Wayne 

Thats interesting. Wayne played with Peyton...big difference than what Diggs had/has. I personally don't see much difference in ability between the two..jmo

[Aussie Joe]

I feel pretty good about this trade...

 

I would take him in 2020 over any of the guys in the draft.., yes, a couple of those may have the potential to be better but I think this is very unlikely this season..

 

We need someone who can make a maximum contribution to hopefully a SB winning season in 2020...( hey ,dreams are free)..

 

9 minutes ago, CommonCents said:

It’s a tough exercise, if you had a similar conversation in 2014 everyone here would be saying Sammy Watkins would be better than X. Then look how many other guys from that same draft were so much better. 

It’s very unlikely that the Top 3 guys that everyone is splooging over this time around will be the best 3 WRs in the draft..

 

Anyone remember Corey Davis?

 

[schoolhouserock]

With every delay to offseason training, the Diggs trade becomes more and more favorable against having drafted a rookie WR in round 1.

[John from Riverside]

Good posts folks

 

This is a very good WR draft....would still take another somewhere in this draft

[Buffalo716]

Taking a different approach, Diggs college play was hampered by poor QB play at Maryland

 

He was a consensus 5* recruit and top 10 player. He goes to USC or Clemson and he probably is a top 40 pick

 

He stayed home and his draft stock took a hit, tho he balled must every opportunity he got

[Sherlock Holmes]

I know he isn't a rookie but Kupp is the WR I really see being able to compete with and surpass Diggs

[Scott7975]

1 hour ago, John from Riverside said:

So we obviously do not know this and wont know for years probably.....but just a thought.

 

What WR's in this draft do we absolutely think were going to be better then Diggs.....make sure you taking into account

 

- Diggs's production over the course of seasons

- Diggs plays in a run dom offense

 

My own field is there night not be a WR in this draft that ends up being better then Diggs.....but thats just my opinion and wanted your thoughts

Dont forget to take into account at pick 18 or lower because there is no way we would be able to move up high enough for the top of the draft receivers. 

[purple haze]

31 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Taking a different approach, Diggs college play was hampered by poor QB play at Maryland

 

He was a consensus 5* recruit and top 10 player. He goes to USC or Clemson and he probably is a top 40 pick

 

He stayed home and his draft stock took a hit, tho he balled must every opportunity he got

Exactly.  Maryland had years of freakish QB injuries.  One season a converted LB returned to QB when the 3rd or 4th string QB got injured.  And Diggs still made plays.  Jeudy or Lamb or Ruggs might be better.  The odds are they won't be.  Diggs is a top 10-ish WR in the NFL and has yet to be the #1 guy on his team.  He impacts all levels of the field and is proven in the NFL.  And he's just hitting his prime years.   

 

Forget what Beane might have gotten in the draft.  We got a stud for basically a 1 and  4 (the 5th and 6th were from a surplus of picks in each round).  Just watch Diggs and appreciate.

Edited April 5, 2020 by purple haze

[BeastMaster]

1 hour ago, PIZ said:

I think lots of them could end up better than Diggs in a few years, but for the 2020 season, Diggs is what Josh Allen and the Bills needed. This is our year, and Josh Allen and the Bills needed a sure thing at WR, and Diggs gives that to them. I think that they’ll add a WR in the draft as well, to build on the WR group though. 
 

 

Lots of them?

 

Not a chance, my friend.

[Turk71]

  Regardless of whether there will be better wrs drafted, it is almost a certainty that most of the wrs drafted will not be better. The Bills could spend their 1st 2nd and 3rd rnd picks on 3 wrs and still not be guaranteed to get one of Diggs' caliber.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Turk71

[Don Otreply]

Most of the class will not be talked about very much in five or so years, and will be considered average to slightly better or worse. Something around five will still be considered good to very good in five years. A bunch will just fade away with short careers. 

  So Diggs is a by far a better choice for what we gave to get him, compared to what we would have had to give to get someone who might be as good in three to five years. 
 

yah, I know, highly scientific analysis. ?

 

Go Bills!!!
 

 

[BuffAlone]

If I had one realistic WR we could draft this year, and probably 1 of 2 I preferred all along, it would be Mims. He likely wouldn't help much this year, but he's a swing for the fences guy. Therefore, this year, Diggs is our best option 

[Doc]

If someone could guarantee me that a rookie picked at 21 (the value of the picks surrendered for Diggs) would be as good as Diggs this year and beyond, sure I'd take him.  In the absence of something that's impossible...you go with the proven guy.

[Buffalo716]

6 minutes ago, Doc said:

If someone could guarantee me that a rookie picked at 21 (the value of the picks surrendered for Diggs) would be as good as Diggs this year and beyond, sure I'd take him.  In the absence of something that's impossible...you go with the proven guy.

A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush

[Augie]

Diggs is a known entity. He’s in his prime, locked up for 4 years and he’s “cheap” for now. The rest are a crap shoot in the draft and would have cost more to get. WR is a tough spot to fill. Beane done good! 

9 minutes ago, Doc said:

If someone could guarantee me that a rookie picked at 21 (the value of the picks surrendered for Diggs) would be as good as Diggs this year and beyond, sure I'd take him.  In the absence of something that's impossible...you go with the proven guy.

 

I think Beane said the value was more like pick18-19, but the fact remains......he likely does not get one of the top 3 WR’’s there, and they are still a gamble. I call it a win. 

 

 

. 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Augie

[Doc]

7 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush

 

Yup.  You might save some money but then again, the odds are higher you might choose a bust.

 

6 minutes ago, Augie said:

Diggs is a known entity. He’s in his prime, locked up for 4 years and he’s “cheap” for now. The rest are a crap shoot in the draft and would have cost more to get. WR is a tough spot to fill. Beane done good! 

 

I think Beane said the value was more like pick18-19, but the fact remains......he likely does not get one of the top 3 WR’’s there, and they are still a gamble. I call it a win.

 

Yeah, not sure why he said that as he should know better.  A pick in a following year's draft is equal to a pick one round earlier in the current draft.  Or to put it another way, if Beane were to trade for a team's 5th rounder this year, it would cost the Bills their 4th rounder next year.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Doc

[Inigo Montoya]

3 hours ago, CommonCents said:

John I knew where this was headed and what your opinion would be just from the title and your love of all things Bills.

 

I liked Diggs before he entered the NFL, i still like him. He is a good player, he wasn’t even thought of the first few days of the draft. With so many highly touted guys coming out it’s almost a certainty that one will be as good or better. What’s that matter though?

 

Would he have been there at 22? Would the Bills have picked him? The real question, when will he reach Digg’s level? Not anytime soon would be my guess.

 

The Bills need an impact guy now so they can improve the O and equally as important so they can evaluate Allen. 

 

The trade made sense and the only way it won’t work out is if Diggs acts up and stresses an otherwise amazing locker room. 

 

Nice post.  Couldn't agree more.  Here  is a link to all the WRs taken in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Spoiler, Diggs didn't get selected until the 5th round. He was the 19th WR selected in the Draft.   Look at all the WR who went before him.  Some good, some not so good. Many are just now hitting their stride.  The only two WRs in that draft class who are in the same conversation as Diggs are Amari Cooper (1st WR drafted) and Tyler Lockett (9th WR drafted).  The Draft is always a roll of the dice.  Diggs is a known commodity WR1 who is on a team friendly deal.  I would rather take Diggs now than what's behind curtain #2.

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/draft-finder.cgi?request=1&year_min=2015&year_max=2015&draft_round_min=1&draft_round_max=6&draft_slot_min=1&draft_slot_max=500&pick_type=round&league_id=NFL&pos[]=wr&conference=any&show=all&order_by=default

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Inigo Montoya

[Rob's House]

That Diggs himself wasn't taken until the 5th round illustrates the fact that we really don't know who will or won't be better than him.

 

Antonio Brown was drafted in the 6th round. Devante Adams in the 4th. Chris Godwin, Keenan Allen, T.Y. Hilton, and Kenny Golladay went in the 3rd. Michael Tomas, Juju Smith-Schuster, Tyler Boyd, and Jarvis Landry in the 2nd. Hell, Adam Thielen wasn't even drafted.

 

The point is that if it was easy to determine how good these guys would be none of them would have made it out of the first round.

 

On the other side, Tayvon Austin was a top 10 pick, and went 19 slots ahead of DeAndre Hopkins.

 

As others have said, the value in Diggs isn't that he's necessarily better than whoever we could have drafted, or even that he's better right now, but simply in the fact that you know what you're getting rather than rolling the dice for a bigger score.

 

Even a sure thing prospect isn't always a sure thing. Sometimes it's Sammy Watkins.

[hondo in seattle]

I don't 'absolutely' believe any particular WR in this draft will be better than Diggs though it wouldn't surprise me if 1 or 2 did end up being better.  I just don't know which 1 or 2.  

 

Let me ask: If Diggs - as a proven NFL vet - was allowed to enter this draft, where would he be picked? 

 

I'd guess he'd be the top WR taken because he's a proven NFL performer.  

 

Every time a GM makes a pick, they're relying on a lot of scouting, hope, and prayer.    

 

Draftees are great because they play on rookie contracts.  Otherwise, a proven guy is better than a guess, hope & prayer - no matter how educated that guess may be.  

 

 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

2 hours ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

I know he isn't a rookie but Kupp is the WR I really see being able to compete with and surpass Diggs

He's a really good player but benefited from Cooks and Woods pulling a lot of the coverage.  He seldom faces the top corner from the opposition and works primarily out of the slot.  He isn't the same type of player as Diggs.  Kupp isn't a guy that can stretch the field or command double coverage.  Comparing him to Diggs is like comparing apples and oranges.  Even with all of that said, I'd be really excited if the Bills could add a player like Kupp to the roster.  He doesn't drop passes, blocks in the run game, and makes good plays with the ball in his hands.