Five WR the Bills could still land if they wait until third round

At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, Hurst is an impressive athlete who ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the combine which tracks because he had 34 catches of at least 20 yards at Georgia State, No. 1 in FBS during the last two years. He’s going to need time to transition to the NFL because he’s never seen the types of talented defensive backs he’ll be facing, but he can make a quick impact as a deep threat, giving the Bills’ offense a dimension it doesn’t have in its receiver group.

“He’s an above-average ball-tracker deep and a dangerous catch-and-run option,” Lance Zierlein of NFL. com said. “The hands are average and he needs to become more assertive on 50/50 balls on all three levels. Hurst appears capable of surviving the jump in competition and projects as a “Z” receiver with quality upside.”

Elijah Surratt, Indiana

He helped the Hoosiers win the national championship by catching an FBS-high 15 touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winner and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder lined up on the outside for more than 86% of his snaps and that’s what the Bills need because Khalil Shakir, tight end Dalton Kincaid, and maybe even Keon Coleman will get the bulk of Buffalo’s slot snaps. Surratt’s not going to be a big deep threat, though his 4.53 time in the 40 at his pro day proved he’s not a plodder. He’s more of a possession receiver and his calling card was his sure hands with a low career 3.6% drop rate.

“A tall, rugged pass catcher who separates from defenders and catches everything in his zip code,” said Danny Kelly of The Ringer. “Sarratt lacks elite speed and burst. He won’t easily run away from pro corners. He struggles at times to shake tight coverage and ends up in a lot of contested-catch situations. He has good height but short arms. He works hard at run blocking but doesn’t always sustain his blocks.

De’Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss

He certainly got around in college as he played two years at Washington State, two at Oklahoma State (though he missed most of 2023 with a broken wrist) and one at Ole Miss. Across 56 career games with 55 starts he caught 216 passes for 2,963 yards and 23 touchdowns, so the production was terrific, and he did playing mostly out wide.

Stribling will bring speed as he ran a 4.36 at the combine which tied for 15th-fastest among all the players who ran and eighth-best among receivers. And coupled with that speed, he had just nine drops on 345 targets, though his contested catch rate of 45.7% was average, not great. In fact, it was exactly what Coleman’s was coming out of Florida State when the Bills picked him.

“Stribling isn’t the most well-rounded in terms of his route success, but he is a big-bodied athlete with strong ball skills and a pro mindset,” said The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. “He has the talent and competitive toughness to settle into a WR2/3 role for an NFL offense.”

Chris Brazell, Tennessee

There are varying opinions on the 6-foot-4, 198-pounder which is why his projections are anywhere from early second round all the way to early fourth round. He had a breakout 2025 season when he caught 61 of 86 targets for 1,006 yards and nine TDs with only two drops, and then he ran a 4.37 at the combine which certainly popped.

However, there was plenty of inconsistency during his two seasons at Tennessee and one at Tulane which led to a career drop rate of 8.2% and a contested catch success rate of just 40.8%. Also, some of Brazzell’s success in Tennessee’s was attributed to its unusual passing scheme where the wideouts are split out almost to the sideline. With all that space to work, Tennessee wideouts have excelled in recent years, but the game gets tougher when they get to the NFL where things are much more condensed.

In his DraftGradeBook, Chris Trapasso said, “From a technical standpoint, Brazzell is more polished than most receivers with his frame. He shows an advanced release package versus press, winning more often with light, quick feet and burst than with brute strength or length, though he can use his reach situationally. His route-running savvy stands out for a tall receiver - he understands pacing, leverage, and how to stay on his line when defenders try to disrupt him. While college usage included wide splits, he routinely ran past coverage and handled physicality well enough to project as an immediate vertical threat at the next level.”

Bryce Lance, North Dakota State

Bryce’s brother, Trey Lance, had a standout career as the quarterback for North Dakota State and the 49ers made him the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. That turned out to be one of the worst picks in recent draft annals and now he’s hanging on as a backup QB for the Chargers.

Bryce followed his brother to North Dakota State and while he didn’t have the same outstanding career there, it was nonetheless impressive as he finished with 127 catches for 2,157 yards and 25 TDs, helping the Bison win the 2024 FCS national championship.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder then tested off the charts at the combine while competing against FBS players which confirmed what scouts saw on his tape. He ran the 40 in 4.34 seconds which was 10th-best among all positions; his 10-yard split of 1.49 seconds was tied for second-best; his short shuttle of 4.15 seconds was second-best; and his vertical jump of 41 ½ inches was 13th-best.

Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports said, “Lance could have made a lot more money by transferring to a Power 4 school last offseason, but he stuck it out for the Bison and dominated his competition. There will be questions about whether that dominance can translate in the NFL, but his testing numbers prove he’s one of the best athletes at the position this year. Lance’s combination of size, speed and athleticism should be enough to get him picked on Day 2, regardless of his level of competition in college. In the right scheme, with the right coaching staff, Lance could eventually develop into a dynamic target who can stretch the field deep and after the catch.”

Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills draft preview includes five receivers who could fit in Round 3