The 2014 NFL draft was a memorable one for the Buffalo Bills but Pro Football Focus thinks the team could have done better.
PFF constructed a redo of the first round of that year’s draft. The Bills’ pick during a fun draft changed.
That year, Buffalo moved up to No. 4 overall and took wide receiver Sammy Watkins. In PFF’s redo, the Bills take a wideout but a different one.
Instead of moving up from ninth-overall to take Watkins, PFF has Buffalo selecting Brandin Cooks at that spot.
Looking at the current NFL, that makes sense. Watkins was talented but has not played in the NFL since 2014 with the Baltimore Ravens.
Watkins does still have respect from PFF as their 2014 redo has him still as a first-round selection but down at No. 22 via the Philadelphia Eagles.
By comparison, Cooks is still playing and Watkins is not. The change makes sense.
Cooks currently is on the New Orleans Saints roster, the same team that picked him at No. 22 overall in 2014. Cooks has bounced around the league, but has sustained success more than Watkins. He did most notably with the Los Angeles Rams between 2018-2019.
PFF’s breakdown on the Bills’ redo can be found below:
This pick was traded twice on draft night, first to the Browns so the Bills could move up to select Sammy Watkins and then again to the Vikings, who picked Anthony Barr.
With Buffalo sticking here at No. 9 in a redraft, Cooks is the pick. He has crossed 1,000 receiving yards in six of his 11 NFL seasons and owns an 84.3 career PFF receiving grade.