The 2019 NFL Draft came and went and at no point during it did the Buffalo Bills select a wide receiver.

Entering the 2019 offseason, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said his team needs to get better around its quarterback, Josh Allen. When free agency opened, they weren’t shy about doing so.

The Bills added several new wide receivers, offensive linemen and even added to the tight end and running back rooms. In the draft, the same could be said about all of those positions – except wide receiver.

It was a bit of a surprise.

During the pre-draft process, wide receiver names were often linked to the Bills and the team even worked out several, reportedly. But they didn’t pull the trigger on a single one in the draft.

According to Beane, the Bills did what many of us do. They trusted their gut, which came in the form of a draft board.

“We like what we have,” Beane said. “Again, we just follow the board. We set the board up and follow it and just try and draft good football players. There were some times there were some receivers there, just like there were other positions, you’re going, ‘God I like that guy, I think he can help us.’ But I just didn’t want to reach.

“We follow the board. It just didn’t work out to take a receiver.”

After the draft, the Bills did add two undrafted rookie receivers in West Virginia’s David Sills and Iowa’s Nick Easley. Due to numbers, the wide receiver group is always one worth watching during training camp and the preseason. Will anyone step up?

That could be the case, but there’s only one (maybe two) spot up for grabs. The Bills’ top four are likely John Brown, Zay Jones, Cole Beasley and Robert Foster. If Andre Roberts still shows he can be an All-Pro return man like he was last season, the Bills will want him on special teams.

But that sixth and final spot is up for grabs. Along with the undrafted rookies, Da’Mari Scott, Cam Phillips, Isaiah McKenzie, Ray-Ray McCloud and Victor Bolden will battle for that spot, assuming Buffalo keeps six. But there’s one guy who might have the leg up on the competition: Duke Williams.

After going undrafted in 2016 and being cut by the Rams, he went to the CFL. His stud 2018 season in the CFL saw him lead the league with 88 catches for 1,579 yards with 11 touchdowns in 18 games played. But it’s about the physical traits with Williams. He’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds – the big-bodied target the team’s top five receivers don’t have.

“Everything was very positive. This guy is ultra-serious about ball. He feels like, ‘This is my chance to prove myself. I want another opportunity in the NFL.’ Everybody in the CFL was just saying this guy busted his chops and did a great job. He does have an edge. He’s excited about the opportunity to get back in the NFL and show what he can do. He’ll obviously have a good chance,” Beane said in January after signing Williams.

In addition, Williams was once a highly-touted prospect, but off-field issues knocked down his stock a lot.

As usual, “the process” will include a competition for Williams and others on the Bills roster.

“I would just say look, we’re putting a team together and sometimes it’s hard to see, in maybe some of those cases, how that piece fits right now. That will work itself out over time. That’s part of what the competition piece of that is and how that comes into play,” head coach Sean McDermott said following the draft. “We do look forward to getting these players in, not only the first two but also the other guys that could become good pieces for us in time and will add certainly to the competition early on.”

The sixth receiver slot is wide open, but if Williams can get himself open enough during the preseason, he should be the front-runner for the job, sizing up the situation at receiver for the Bills.