Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen Reveals Favorite First-Round WRs in 2024 Draft

The Buffalo Bills are widely expected to take a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft. Quarterback Josh Allen only added fuel to that fire on Wednesday.

If you’ve read a mock draft this season, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the Buffalo Bills take a receiver with the 28th overall pick.

While the overwhelming consensus may be more groupthink than an accurate reflection of Buffalo’s board – a brief reminder that at least eight of their top 20 defenders (by total snaps) are free agents and/or have signed elsewhere – a receiver is a very real possibility.

Drama, if you’re willing to call it that, has continued with receiver Stefon Diggs, whose cryptic tweets have set off smoke alarms. Bills Mafia will wait to see if there’s fire, but is also worried about replacing the hole boundary receiver Gabe Davis left on his way to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Nov 25, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Xavier Legette

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Despite signing receivers Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins, there are still vacant targets and room for another high-level talent in the receiver room. Given this class’ surplus at receiver, Buffalo will have ample options should they target one in the first round.

On “The QB Room” podcast, Bills quarterback Josh Allen joined former teammate Kyle Allen and discussed his preferred receivers in this year’s class.

“The top three guys, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all three pretty great prospects,” Allen said. “Then you get to that kinda second-ish tier, if you will, of Brian Thomas, Adonai Mitchell, I think Keon Coleman, Troy Franklin, Xavier Worthy are all there, Xavier Legette.”

Allen made a point out of making sure to watch the incoming receiver class, and his list may provide some clues as to what he and his team are thinking. Each of those second-tier targets, except Worthy, profiles as X receivers, largely in the mold of Davis. While some after more fluid athleticism, natural separation skills, or better after-the-catch efforts, they would presumably slide into his spot on the depth chart.

Other early-round names like Georgia’s Ladd McConkey and Washington’s combination of Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, weren’t named. None of them fit that aforementioned archetype. 

“I’ll tell you what. To watch these guys at the combine, some big, tall, heavy, fast dudes,” Allen said. “It was pretty impressive to watch.”

Perhaps it's a true preference, a smoke screen, or something in between, but Allen could use a capable X receiver, and the class has no shortage of them. With his measurables and aggressiveness, it would make sense for him to have a thing for the physical freaks of this year’s NFL Draft.

Allen won’t be the one making the call, but he certainly has input into what the offense is looking for from its newcomers. Don’t be surprised if one of those names ends up in Western New York.