When it was time for the Buffalo Bills to pick in the NFL draft, they were expected to select a wide receiver. After all, the departures of Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin had left them more than a little bit thin at the position. Instead of selecting a wide receiver with their first round pick, the Bills selected cornerback Tre'Davious White after trading down and receiving an extra first round pick from the Kansas City Chiefs next year. In the next round, the Bills chose Zay Jones, whom the team is hoping will contribute to the wide receiver efforts.
But many expected Buffalo to stay put or trade up and take star Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams at their original draft position.
Clemson's Mike Williams.
In college, Mike Williams was an absolute beast. As a junior, he had 98 receptions, posted 1,361 receiving yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. He really shined in the national championship game against Alabama, significantly improving his draft stock. Williams was linked to the Bills from then on, but was selected by the Chargers with the 7th overall pick. The Bills should be glad that he didn't fall into their lap, because it looks like San Diego isn't going to get any production from him for a long time.
A Season Ending Injury.
In a twist of fate, the Bills aren't the ones with players experiencing season ending injuries.
Instead, the Chargers will be forced to deal with the fact that they won't have their first round Draft Pick on the field in 2017. He's having back problems and could need season ending surgery, and even if he doesn't need the surgery, this will be an ongoing constant issue with Williams. If the Bills had selected him, they would have been stuck with the headache, and it would have been exactly what happened last season with Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland.
Instead...
This time, the Bills haven't been as unfortunate. Both Zay Jones and Tre'Davious White are healthy right now and ready to contribute to a team that desperately needs their services, and the Bills aren't on the hook for an injured player like Mike Williams. Buffalo is still a bit thin at wide receiver, but could still potentially address that situation in free agency with their additional cap space.
Both of last year's top draft picks are finally healthy, and that means the Bills didn't get obliterated by injuries yet, which seems to happen every single year. For now, Bills fans just have to be glad that Buffalo avoided what could have been a terrible situation with Mike Williams.