Bills WR Gabriel Davis: 'Primed for Bigger Role'?
After the way Buffalo Bills receiver Gabriel Davis ended last season, it's no surprise to see his name so highly regarded. His eight-catch, 201-yard, four-touchdown exposition in a 42-36 overtime loss to the Chiefs wasn't just a career game on his part but one of the best playoff performances of all time.
Pro Football Focus came out with an article about seven receivers that could benefit from receiver movement with bigger roles next season, and Davis was one.
PFF noted that Davis will have a most significant role next season due to the fact that two receivers that played more than him last season are no longer on the roster.
Cole Beasley, a 2020 All-Pro second-team member who had 693 yards last season and one touchdown, was released in March, and the Bills didn't re-sign Emmanuel Sanders, who racked up 626 yards and four touchdowns last year.
Davis, a 23-year-old entering his third season, had a solid campaign last year, hauling in 35 catches for 549 yards and six touchdowns. Across two playoff games, he had 10 catches for 242 yards and five touchdowns.
Per the PFF article:
From Week 10 through the playoffs, Davis' 87.8 overall PFF grade ranked fifth among NFL wide receivers, behind only Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson and Deebo Samuel.
Next season, Davis will be the No. 2 receiver behind star Stefon Diggs, and it seems like Davis will be bigger than he was the last time the Bills played.
Per the PFF article:
Davis hasn’t missed a workout since the end of the 2021 season, bulking up from his listed weight of 210 pounds to 227 this offseason (he was around 220 pounds last year), according to his trainer Bert Whigham.
“He’s bigger, faster, stronger,” Whigham said. “He’s put on muscle. People say that’s too big, but he’s 23 years old. He’s just growing into his natural body. You’re going to see a big receiver.”
The Bills are slated to have one of the top rosters in the NFL, headlined by stars such as Diggs, quarterback Josh Allen and newly acquired outside linebacker Von Miller.
With opportunity ample now, Davis will have the platform to distinguish himself as one of the team's top players.
