Bills Tabbed to Add ‘Absolute Nightmare’ Wide Receiver in Passing Game Fix
The Buffalo Bills entered the season with Super Bowl expectations. Instead, after 10 games they find themselves at 7-3, 1 1/2 games behind the surprising New England Patriots in the AFC East, occupying the No. 5 seed in the conference just two games above the out-of-the-playoffs zone.
What’s going on?
The reasons for Buffalo’s underperformance are complex and varied, but one aspect of their game stands out as particularly lacking — the passing attack.
How the Bills have been sluggish through the air despite quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP and a probable future Hall of Famer is a bit of a puzzle. But the fact remains, the Bills rank only ninth in yards through the air (2,398) and 10th in aerial touchdowns (18). Not terrible, but not obviously Super Bowl caliber either.
Bills Receivers Lagging Behind NFL
By contrast, the Patriots, behind sophomore quarterback Drake Maye—the 2024 No. 3 overall draft pick—have thrown for the second-most yards (2,685) and fifth-most touchdowns (20).
No Bills receiver has caught more than 454 yards worth of passes. That would be fourth-year wide receiver Khalil Shakir, but his total places him only 49th among all NFL receivers.
With the trade deadline having passed on November 4, there isn’t much the Bills can do to upgrade their receiver corps in any serious way.
But according to a new mock draft published by
Aggies Wide Receiver to Bills at No. 26
According to CBS draft analyst Michael Renner, the Bills would select Texas A&M wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion, a junior who arrived this year through the transfer portal from North Carolina State — and who is the current SEC leader in touchdown catches with eight.
“Concepcion is the separator the Bills offense has been missing,” Renner wrote in his mock draft summary. “He’d add a vertical element as well as the ability to be their go-to guy on third downs. He’s caught 47 passes for 787 yards and eight scores this year.”
‘Nightmare’ After Catch
Concepcion possesses neither exceptional size nor out-of-the ordinary speed, at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, clocked at a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“Absolute nightmare after the catch — has that slippery quality where the first defender rarely brings him down and consistently turns 5-yard catches into 15-yard gains,” the
Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network ranks Concepcion No. 36 overall on his NFL Draft Big Board, but “among WR prospects, Concepcion ranks 6th at the position, trailing prospects like Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate.”
In Renner’s mock draft, Tyson goes at No. 4 to the New Orleans Saints, and Tate to the Washington Commanders at No. 7. Renner sees Lemon hanging around until No. 28 when he goes to the New York Jets with their second pick of the first round.
Eagles Add Undersized Offensive Lineman Dealing With an Injury in Waiver Claim
In an exceedingly rare move, the Philadelphia Eagles are claiming undrafted rookie OL Willie Lampkin IV from the Los Angeles Rams. Lampkin was waived with injury designation, making his claim a surprising — and uncommon — choice.
Lampkin was trending towards making the roster in Los Angeles after putting together a fantastic training camp. The Rams’ staff had nothing but positive things to say about him, and they likely would brought him back once he’d recovered from his injury. Now, however, they won’t get the chance, as the Eagles made sure to scoop him up as soon as he became available.
In a corresponding move, the Eagles waived 2024 fifth-round pick G Trevor Keegan.
Willie Lampkin IV was a College Star
Lampkin’s list of accolades in college is a long one. He played left guard and left tackle for Coastal Carolina, making second-team All-Sun Belt two years in a row. After transferring to North Carolina, he played guard exclusively, making third-team All-ACC his first season in Chapel Hill.
His last year of college football was his best. Lampkin was named first-team All-ACC, first-team All-America, and won the Jacobs Blocking trophy as the best offensive lineman in the ACC. By every metric, Lampkin was an elite college player.
The reason Lampkin wasn’t drafted is purely because of his size. This isn’t some “arbitrary benchmark,” either — Lampkin was the smallest offensive lineman in Senior Bowl history. His size is such an outlier that it immediately prevents him from playing guard or tackle in the the NFL. His only chance was to move to center.
Even still, I was a huge fan of Lampkin pre-draft. I had him graded as a fourth-round prospect at center. The way he moves, uses masterful hand fighting techniques to control his assignment, and maximizes his leverage is true pro-level stuff. The Eagles got a good one.
The Philadelphia Eagles Needed More Interior Offensive Line Depth
In recent seasons, the Eagles have become known for their incredible depth along the offensive line. Eagles GM Howie Roseman, in particular, developed a reputation for getting ahead of future problems and loading up on quality players in the trenches to have them at the ready when called upon.
Due to some roster turnover in recent seasons, however, that depth has waned. Starting left guard Landon Dickerson dealt with a leg injury in camp, though it’s not expected to be a long-term issue. Still, the Eagles lack proven talent behind their three starters on the interior — Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, and RG Tyler Steen.
To that end, Lampkin is a great add. He’s likely limited to playing center in the NFL, but he has plenty of experience at guard if needed in an emergency. He can continue to develop in time, and his ceiling is massive. Already one of the most technically skilled offensive linemen to enter the league this year, there’s a possibility he could start in future seasons.
