Joe Brady Reveals What He Must See from Potential Bills' WR Picks at NFL Combine

The Buffalo Bills are likely to select a wide receiver at some point in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"I think we're going to take every draft pick this year and make them all receiver," said Bills' general manager Brandon Beane, jokingly, earlier this month during a radio interview on WGR.

Beane was responding to the two show hosts' criticism of his handling of the wide receiver position after trading away Stefon Diggs. Nonetheless, the general manager is admittedly looking to upgrade the Bills' receiving corps this season, and the draft can provide an opportunity to do so.

While the fan base has clamored for a large, physical WR1 who can stretch the field, Bills' brass doesn't appear ready to discount any prospects based upon "type."

"[Head coach] Joe [Brady] and I are in lockstep on this. We just want to find good players separate of the scheme," said Beane at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Joe Brady on NFL Combine WR evaluations

There are 46 expected wide receiver participants looking to impress teams in Indianapolis.

The comprehensive NFL Combine experience, which includes everything from measurements to testing to interviews, will give the Bills' first-year head coach a genuine opportunity to identify his preferred prospects.

"The biggest thing about wide receiver play is no two receivers are the exact same, so I think understanding their type of skill sets and seeing what those kind of look like in specific drills," said Brady. "There's some guys that are naturally quicker. I hope to see that quickness in some of the drills. Some guys are straight line speed that they might struggle in a shuttle drill or what not. But, to me, I like the combine to really understand the personality, what makes them tick."

What Joe Brady's looking for

Commitment to the game is high of the list of traits that Brady values. The first-year head coach appears more concerned with player interviews and game film as opposed to combine workout performance.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir after catching a pass gets an additional 10-yards on the play during second half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I just want football players who love ball," said Brady. "I'm trying to get an opportunity to just kind of connect with them, understand that look, you can test really well, and I hope those guys do that, but you are what you put on tape as well. And I'm going to take that way more into consideration."