Why David Sills Could be a Hidden Gem in the 2019 NFL Draft

The 2019 NFL Draft doesn’t seem to have an elite receiver prospect. Hollywood Brown has breakneck speed, but isn’t necessarily refined. D.K. Metcalf is an athletic wonder, but had underwhelming college production. N’Keal Harry is the definition of a boom or bust prospect. One guy who isn’t being talked about enough as a Buffalo Bills prospect is West Virginia wide receiver David Sills.

Sills is a 6-foot-3,210 pound ball catcher who a tremendous Senior Bowl, which raised his stock, but he’s still seen as a mid-Day 2 pick by most pundits. He doesn’t have outstanding speed or hands, but has a plethora of strengths as well. He gets great separation off the line, and due to his size and athleticism is able to make catches that other receivers wouldn’t even have a chance at.

Sills also brings a red-zone threat that the Bills have been lacking for years. They hoped that Kelvin Benjamin would become that threat, but he turned into a bust. Likewise, Andre Holmes never truly became a factor in the Buffalo offense, and because of that, Zay Jones was forced into the role. Safe to say, he’s not known for his physicality and jump ball ability. That’s where Sills comes in. Plugging him into the Bills offense would immediately give Josh Allen another intriguing option, particularly inside the 20-yard line. He’s also a good fit for an Allen-led offense due to his smarts and blocking ability. In an offense with an athletic quarterback who isn’t afraid to leave the pocket, having receivers who are willing to block and understand how to get open are crucial.

It’s also incredibly hard to ignore the sheer production Sills was able to put up as a Mountaineer. The former high school quarterback was Will Grier’s favorite target during his final two seasons, and amassed a Big 12 leading 15 touchdowns during the 2018 season. Some of his numbers may have been inflated due to having Grier as his QB, but he also split his targets with fellow standout receiver Gary Jennings and was still able to put up huge numbers. Of the 126 catches Sills totaled from 2017-18, 85 went for either a first down or a touchdown, which attests to his incredible 15.2 yards per catch average. He’s not a great yards after the catch guy, but his ability to get quick separation and his good footwork off the line allows him to get open easily.

Sills is a guy who is likely to get overlooked in the draft due to the fact that his ceiling is a bit lower than guys like Brown, Metcalf and Harry, but the Bills need sure production from their receivers. It’s possible that Sills will be available in Round 3 or even Round 4, meaning Buffalo wouldn’t have to put a huge investment into a guy who could slide in behind Jones and Robert Foster as the number three receiver as a rookie.