By Wake Jatkins (The Crowd Assist Podcast)
This is the first full off-season of me covering the Buffalo Bills for Trainwreck Sports and I’d like to say thank you. Thank you readers and listeners for reading and listening. Thank you to my girlfriend Lauren for rarely getting frustrated with how much my life revolves around football. Thank you to Maniac, Degenerate Al, Ty B, and DJ Supreme for bringing me aboard in 2018. It’s incredible, having this opportunity to connect with Bills fans and fans of other teams in a conversation about a sport I’ve loved since I was a youngin.
That being said I want to continue the draft conversation, and bring you 10 under-the-radar prospects that I’ve fallen in love with during the draft process. This isn’t in a particular order. The player I wrote about first is in this inaugural article just because I was excited to write about him. So you understand why Caleb Farley and Ifeatu Melifonwu won’t be in this series, here are my criteria for these prospects:
- They must be a projected Day 3 Draft Prospect
- They can’t be one of the trendy guys that Bills Mafia has already fallen in love with
- No touching of the hair or face (If you get it, you get it)
And that’s it! Now let’s do this! Let’s dive right in with a prospect that just the name of might ruffle the feathers of some Bills fans.
Austin Watkins – WR – UAB
As I explained in a TikTok for Trainwreck Sports, yes, this is Sammy Watkins’ younger cousin. But please don’t scoff at this prospect just because of his bloodline. Despite having very similar builds, they are different human beings, with different skill sets, and most importantly to me, different journeys to the NFL.
Sammy Watkins was a consensus Top 10 pick when he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2014. After becoming the all-time leading receiver in Lee County history with 133 receptions, 2,997 yards, and 36 touchdowns, the South Fort Myers High School product earned the right to be a five-star recruit and the top-ranked wide receiver in the nation. He committed to Clemson and played out his three-year collegiate career. Sammy also had offers from Michigan, Alabama, Florida, and Miami.
Austin Watkins has had a bit of a different experience. To sum it up, this guy is a DOG. This story is going to sound very familiar. He had ZERO offers out of high school and opted to take his talents to the National Junior College Athletic Association, better known as JUCO. Then he transferred to UAB, a small school in the heart of Alabama, where in 21 games, he put up 90 receptions for 1,558 yards and 9 touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but watching him play, you can’t deny his raw ability.
If you replace some of the specific details in that sentence, it could very well sound like Josh Allen. It’s impossible to knock someone like Sammy Watkins for being as talented and ahead of the curve as he was. But there’s a very distinct difference between his development and his younger cousin’s. Austin had to dog it out. He had to earn his place in the NFL Draft. Sammy had a body of work that showed that he would likely be a decent NFL receiver. Austin needed to earn the chance to show that he could belong in these ranks, and I think he did more than enough. Sammy woke up every day knowing he’d probably get to the NFL. Austin didn’t have that luxury, and it motivated.
I’ll be honest, he might not do much in his rookie year. He may sit on the practice squad all year or he may earn some snaps and targets due to injuries in front of him. This draft choice would be a luxury pick for the Bills because they don’t need a rookie receiver to come in and produce right away. Between Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Dawson Knox, Jacob Hollister, and the running backs on this roster, there might be 30 total targets up for grabs in this offense.
By all accounts, Austin Watkins is considered a developmental wide receiver, but he could fit well into this offense and provide Josh Allen a target who is open even when he’s not because of his great ball skills, and his ability to high point the football. Those are skills that we know McDermott and Beane value. Think back to the Kelvin Benjamin experiment. But Austin Watkins isn’t one Popeye’s biscuit away from being a tight end. He’s absolutely outstanding after the catch, so a quarterback like Allen who has gotten irrationally good at throwing his receivers open is just what Watkins may need to start his career. The young vertical threat could also help stretch the field, and with John Brown now out of the receiver room, they might need an extra body to pose that threat. You can read up on his skill-set anywhere so I won’t go on much more about this.
There’s been a debate on Twitter this week about if the NFL Draft is a crapshoot. Enough, alright? It’s an educated crapshoot. Let’s end the debate there.
But part of what makes it an educated crapshoot is all the variables. What situation do these players walk into? What players are around them? Are other players threatened by young talent coming for their job? Are the position coaches for these rookies inexperienced at developing raw talent? These are all important questions better answered in hindsight, but in the case of Watkins stepping into this locker room, I don’t think there’s a better fit in the league.
His biggest weakness is his route running. If drafted by the Buffalo Bills, Austin Watkins would have a front-row seat to a clinic on every game day. Honestly, who could help him develop as a route runner as well as Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley? They’re both outstanding locker room guys who didn’t shy away from bringing Gabriel Davis along. This is a receiving UNIT. Not a group of individualistic players, and I think Austin’s dog mentality will mesh well with McDermott, Josh Allen, and the mentality and culture of the Buffalo Bills organization.
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