The Bills have been in search of a true #1 wide receiver for years.

If you're going on numbers alone, Stevie Johnson was the last one, eclipsing 1,000+ receiving yards in three-straight seasons from 2010-2012. But Johnson never made a Pro Bowl.

Neither did Lee Evans, who went over 1,000 receiving yards twice (2006, 2008).

You really need to go back to Eric Moulds for the best case for a true #1. Moulds has three of the top five most prolific receiving seasons in Bills history, including the top two years in receiving yards. The three-time Pro Bowler has four of the top ten seasons in receptions in team history, including his 100 catches in 1998 the most ever in a Bills single-season.

What You Need To Know

  • The Bills traded a 1st round pick for Stefon Diggs in March
  • Diggs had 365 receptions for 4,623 yards and 30 TDs in 5 seasons in MIN
  • John Brown and Cole Beasley will benefit from Diggs addition
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I bring this to the table because Stefon Diggs is being brought to the Bills to not only be part of that conversation, but really stand at the top of it.

Diggs comes to Buffalo after five seasons in Minnesota where he tallied 365 receptions for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns. 

That averages out to 73 catches for 924 yards and six TDs per season. If Diggs does just that in his first season with the Bills, that would rank 14th best in team history in receptions in a season, 27th best in receivin yards, and tied for 33rd in TDs. 

Of course expectations are much higher than that.

Diggs is widely believed to be one of the top 10 best WRs in all of football. His route-running is considered by most to be elite. While not the fastest, his precision allows him to get open and in space regularly.

He also is a homerun hitter. Last year Diggs averaged 17.9 YPC, fourth highest in the NFL. That ability to take the top off the defense should work well with Josh Allen, as long as Allen's accuracy deep can improve.

Then you expand to what Diggs can do for everyone else. You'd be hard-pressed to find a top 10 WR in the league that sees a lot of single coverage, so that will greatly benefit John Brown and Cole Beasley. Both players had one of the best seasons of their career in year. Now they both will likely see one-on-one match-ups, which is an advantage for these top-tier route runners. 

The real question will be how does the ball get distributed to everyone? Diggs saw an average of over six targets per game with the Vikings. Yet, he has a history of becoming outspoken if not getting the ball enough. Both Brown and Beasley saw over 100 targets last season, so their number will likely take a good hit in order for Diggs to get there in 2020.

Ultimately the weight will land on the shoulders of Allen and Brian Daboll, who both say they don't believe in forcing the ball to anyone. 

But if your GM ships off a 1st round pick for a WR in a loaded WR draft because he wants a known, proven player who can contribute immediately... that guy needs to always have more on his plate than anyone else.

Of course, it's a great "problem" to have.