Gabe Davis' talents add depth to Bills' dazzling offense

If the Buffalo Bills want to complete the franchise's first successful Super Bowl run in the next few weeks, few players will be more important than third-year wide receiver Gabe Davis.

He may not be a household name yet, in part because he was the 17th receiver taken in the 2020 draft. Or maybe it's the fact his teammate, Stefon Diggs, is a perennial All-Pro. But ask anyone around the Bills and you quickly learn about Davis' impact.

"Gabe has the mindset of a veteran; no panic," Diggs told me. "All work and consistent effort to be great. And it shows on Sundays. The moment is never too big. Gabe can really roll and he makes plays all over the field."

General manager Brandon Beane, who compiled this roster and drafted Davis, said: "Gabe's a big, reliable target. He's got good hands and he's one of those guys that runs his routes to their precise depth.

"Josh (Allen) knows even under duress that he will be where he's supposed to be. Josh doesn't have to worry about him. Every team has to have guys (like Gabe). … There's a confidence to be able to throw that ball and know that your receiver's gonna be there."

Davis, 23, is probably best known for his performance in last season's division-round game against Kansas City, in which he became the first player to catch four touchdowns in one playoff game. This season, Davis has extended his role as the Bills' deep threat: Among players with at least 50 targets, he leads the league in yards per reception (18.3 yards) and average depth of target (15.2). He's already caught a career-high 38 passes, including this 98-yarder against Pittsburgh in Week 5:

Nobody works with the 6-foot-2 Davis more than Bills wide receivers coach Chad Hall. "He's a guy with unbelievable hands and catch radius because of his length and size," Hall said.

"He makes contested catches because he never uses his body and attacks the ball with his hands and extends. I call him my security blanket. I have so much trust and confidence in him. And you gotta have trust on the 50-50 balls that it's either your ball or nobody's ball, which Josh does."

Davis' talent wasn't in question during the pre-draft process - he caught 72 balls for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019 - but his route tree was limited given the nature of UCF's offense. Beane said the Bills wanted to give Davis a private workout to watch him run a variety of routes, but COVID restrictions ended that plan.

Naturally, the Bills got creative.

"We used our connections down at Central Florida and asked a lot of questions," Beane said. "Everyone you talk to about Gabe says the same things: so dependable, so reliable, ultracompetitive. We got some practice film of him running other routes. We felt he could do it, and we knew meeting with him he was very smart, which helps you play faster."

In the inclement weather of western New York, Beane also knew he needed a big-bodied, physical receiver who would hold up in the cold. According to PFF, in the last three seasons, when the temperature drops below 45 degrees, Davis is one of the league's premier touchdown receivers, along with Diggs.

From Week 10 through the playoffs, when the weather is coldest, Davis' 87.8 overall PFF grade ranks fifth among NFL wide receivers, behind superstars Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, and Deebo Samuel.

"We still needed some size to run a slant and jam it on him third-and-3," Beane said. "The quarterback's gotta know that he's making a play on a contested catch. At some point, you need to have a powerful size guy to be available. Gabe has the ability - mentally and physically - to play multiple spots."

Davis' capacity to line up in multiple spots has helped the Bills' offense dramatically; it ranks second in total offense and fourth in scoring (27.2 PPG).

"We know he's gonna do it exactly right," Hall said. "He can crack the ends, he can go deep, and sometimes we'll use him in the slot."

"Don't let the long strides fool you," Diggs said. "The kid can go. His ability to create separation. His ability to run any route and make explosive plays is special."

As things currently stand, Davis - who put on 17 pounds of muscle entering this season and is now playing at 230 pounds - is only one touchdown away from tying Marques Colston and Tyreek Hill for the most TDs (24) by a Day 3 draft pick through three seasons among players taken since 2006.

Hall, who graduated from the Air Force Academy, used a military reference to describe Davis: "Gabe is a guy you want in your foxhole. He's a guy you can trust. You know he's gonna put it all out on the line. All he wants to do is win and perform for his brothers out there on the field. He's a guy you love and he's tough as shit. He's gonna do everything he can to save your life."

Jordan Schultz is theScore's NFL insider and senior NBA reporter. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.