Amid the endless debate about whether the Buffalo Bills have done enough at wide receiver this offseason, a key point is seemingly forgotten.
General manager Brandon Beane did draft one.
In part because of Beane’s radio rant about the position just a couple of days after the draft ended, it has become easy to forget that the team did use a pick on Maryland’s 6-foot-3½, 204-pound Kaden Prather, albeit a seventh-rounder.
As the No. 240 overall pick, Prather had a long wait on draft weekend. It ended favorably, though, when the 716 area code showed up on his phone last month.
“By the time the seventh round came, I didn’t know where my head was, but once (the Bills) called me, I was just grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “Being around Josh Allen and just the whole Bills organization – Buffalo bleeds football. It’s a family environment. This whole process has been nothing but great.”
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Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp (copy)
Bills rookie wide receiver Kaden Prather played his final two college seasons at Maryland before being selected in the seventh round. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Prather totaled 162 catches, 1,966 yards and 12 touchdowns in 48 college games, spending his first two seasons at West Virginia before he transferred to his home state, attending Maryland the past two years. In 2023, he ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 15.9 yards per catch, earning an honorable mention on the All-Big Ten team.
So often in college, players transfer for more playing time. Prather’s decision was a bit different. He was playing a lot at West Virginia. He appeared in 23 games in two years, and as a sophomore he had 52 catches for 501 yards. He was on the rise. Nevertheless, he felt like he’d be better off in his pursuit of the NFL at Maryland – a decision that ultimately paid off when the Bills came calling.
Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry conducted a pre-draft workout with Prather, and the team came away impressed with his work habits and attention to detail.
“He’s a big, straight-line, fast guy,” Beane said. “He’s got some things to work on, which is why he’s available (in the seventh round). We also think that one of his ways to compete to make the roster could be to help on special teams.”
That sounds good to Prather, who knows he’ll need to do everything the coaches ask of him to make the cut.
Corner? Nickel? Safety? Special teams? Jordan Hancock embraces playing multiple positions for Bills
Once rookie minicamp rolled around earlier this month, Hancock was not only comfortable with playing both safety and nickel, but also comfortable in waiting to learn what his exact role will be in Buffalo.
“When you get to this level, the little details become most important,” he said. “I’m just trying to be a sponge. All the other guys in the room, they’re all my big brothers. I’m going to ask as many questions as I can. When it’s my time, wherever coach needs me, whether it’s special teams, I’ll be ready.”
Prather, 22, has NFL size, and he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. That included a 1.53-second 10-yard split to go with a 30-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot, 6-inch broad jump. He’s got the size and speed to create an advantage downfield, and the Bills could use another vertical threat.
Prather also believes in his route-running and his ability to pick up yards after the catch. One big issue: drops. He had some ball-focus issues at West Virginia and Maryland, but the physical tools are there.
“He’s good,” said Maxwell Hairston, the Bills’ first-round rookie cornerback. “He’s a guy with a big body, knows how to use his body, good catch radius.”
Hairston and Prather matched up a couple different times during minicamp earlier this month, and the receiver held his own.
“It’s been different,” Prather said of getting his feet wet in the NFL. “You see the difference in college and this being your job. A lot of things are in your hands. ‘Be here at this time. Be here at that time.’ It’s a great learning experience, man. I’m a learner. I love learning.”
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