Bills' GM touts seventh-round WR's ability, reveals 'how he makes this roster'

Being that he was the lone wide receiver taken by the Buffalo Bills at the NFL Draft, Maryland's Kaden Prather will be a topic of discussion as the team moves through its offseason program.

The Bills essentially took a flyer on the 6-foot-3 boundary receiver who ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, using their final selection, No. 240 overall, on Prather.

With the WR5 spot seemingly up for grabs, the seventh-rounder's odds to make the Bills' 53-man roster are better than they would be in a different year. Although it's an uphill climb, Buffalo brass took Prather's roster potential into consideration while they were on the clock in Round 7.

"Really down there, you're going, alright, how does this player make the team? And you're looking at various positions. And at that point, you're looking at a lot of guys with similar grades. Where do you want to go?" said general manager Brandon Beane.

The Bills opted to go with what may have been the best combination of size and speed at that point in the draft. While appearing on One Bills Live to recap the team's draft haul, Beane highlighted the idea that positive feedback from a private workout helped Buffalo settle on Prather.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Maryland wideout Kaden Prather (WO36) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“He's big, long, fast, and you feel like some of his stuff will translate to, maybe he could make it as that last guy as a special teamer," said Beane.

It's worth mentioning that the Bills found cornerback Dane Jackson and reserve linebacker Baylon Spector in Round 7 during Beane's tenure, so it's far from a throwaway pick: In fact, the first-ever Bills' receiver to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons was a seventh-round pick in 2008 (Stevie Johnson).

With Tyrell Shavers returning along with KJ Hamler and Jalen Virgil, there should be a fierce competition at the bottom of the WR depth chart. In addition to the aforementioned three, Prather will be going up against low-risk, potentially high-reward free-agent additions Laviska Shenault and Elijah Moore, a former second-round pick who was signed on Wednesday.

"It won't be an easy battle in the receiver room. It won't. If he can prove on fourth down and prove a vertical enough guy, a bigger, fast type specimen, then that's how he makes this roster," said Beane.

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