Gabe Davis

Davis was the subject of endless debate last summer after throwing up 201 yards and four touchdowns in a playoff loss to Kansas City at the end of the previous season. He's always been efficient with his targets, making an argument for more looks, but he only got halfway there in 2022 as Stefon Diggs continued his dominance of the Buffalo passing game. Davis had receiving lines of 4-88-1 and 3-171-2 within the first five weeks, yet finished at a modest 48-836-7 on 93 targets in 15 games. While a fourth-year breakout can't entirely be ruled out given that he's still the No. 2 receiver in a prolific offense and has shown plenty of big-play ability, it's harder to get excited about Davis this time around after he failed to build on the fast start last year.

Davis spent the bulk of his first two seasons working as one of the league's better No. 4 receivers. Then, he got a chance for more in the final four weeks last season, catching 16 of 32 targets for 207 yards and three TDs while Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley dealt with injuries. Promising, but nothing compared to what happened next — Davis caught eight passes for 201 yards and four TDs in the playoff loss to Kansas City. And so, debates began, with pessimists noting that Davis has usually been targeted on a low percentage of his routes, hinting he's not the best at getting open. Optimists, on the other hand, will note that his lack of volume has been dictated by circumstances, with the Bills deploying a crew of veteran wideouts led by target-hog Stefon Diggs. Draft capital might be another knock, though Davis arguably never should've lasted until Round 4 in the first place, having entered the 2020 Draft as a 20- year-old after tallying 2,056 yards and 19 TDs his final two seasons at UCF. He backed that production with a decent 40 time (4.54) for a big wideout (210), and quickly became a red-zone threat as Buffalo's No. 4 WR. The team now appears ready to put more on Davis' plate, having moved on from Beasley and Sanders with only injury-prone slot man Jamison Crowder signed as a veteran replacement.

A 2020 fourth-round pick, Davis had a strong rookie year with 17.1 YPC (4th among 60-target WR) and 9.7 YPT (10th). He also scored seven touchdowns on only 62 targets and had three catches of 40-plus yards. At 6-2, 210, Davis has good size, but below average speed (4.54 40), and his other athletic metrics were similarly average. But college and pro production trump the “underwear olympics,” and Davis has earned the trust of rising star quarterback Josh Allen. Keep in mind Buffalo will again have a crowded receiving corps — target magnet Stefon Diggs is the clear No. 1, Cole Beasley is still around for slot work and the team signed Emmanuel Sanders to replace the departed John Brown. Davis has upside if someone were to get hurt, but otherwise his target ceiling is limited.

The Bills have big plans for Davis, though 2020 should prove to be a year of transition and learning the ropes in the NFL. Nevertheless, the fourth-round pick out of UCF was mega productive for the Knights in 2019, with 72 catches for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. The production was worthy of All-AAC honors and put him on the NFL's radar screen. Can he break through and challenge Cole Beasley and John Brown for targets? Time will tell.