Gabriel Davis is a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He grew up in Sanford, Florida, where he shined as a receiver for Seminole highschool. After earning Class 8A All-State honors, he committed to the University of Central Florida. Davis started as a freshman, gobbling up 29 catches for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns. From then on, he was the team’s go-to target. He led the team’s pass catchers in nearly every box-score category. After an impressive sophomore season, he returned to compile over 70 receptions and 1200 receiving yards for 12 touchdowns. He closed his final collegiate season with a 31.5-percent target share, 3 games of at least 150 receiving yards, and 5 games of two or more touchdowns.
Gabriel Davis entered the 2019 NFL Combine with impressive college stats. He displayed a desirable level of age-adjusted production, breaking out before age 20. His athletic profile, while not as eye-opening, was adequate for his size .His frame combined with a 77.5-inch wingspan and 91/4-inch hands laid the blueprint for a solid analytical profile. Standing at 6-2, running a 4.54 second 40 time equates to acceptable size-adjusted speed. The glaring hole was his burst and agility, rendering him a liability in the open field. He fell to the fourth round of the draft, where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 22nd pick.
Davis was immediately utilized, earning a 71.6-percent snap share with 454 routes run. Next gen stats favored the deep threat, with a hearty 15.4 average target distance, 17.1 yards per reception with only 3 drops, and 16 deep balls. He had a knack for creating space downfield, but struggled to make plays in the open field, generating 122 yards after catch. Following a mundane rookie season, Emmanuel Sanders joined the crowd, plummeting Davis to a 49.3-percent snap share. With a crowded core, he couldn’t crack a significant share of air yards and his next gen stats. Despite his snaps being nearly halved, his receiving volume stayed on par with his rookie season. He went on a scorching scoring streak, finding paydirt 9 tims in his last 7 games. In Buffalo’s heartbreaking playoff loss to Kansas City, he put the world in disbelief as he caught 8 passes for 201 yards and 4 scores. He’ll look to improve on his WR58 fantasy ranking and overcome a late round ADP in 2022 with Stefon Diggs still under contract
