BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Another round, another weapon for quarterback Josh Allen.
The Buffalo Bills continue to add to their wide receiver corps, drafting Isaiah Hodgins out of Oregon State in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Hodgins is the 2nd wide receiver to be taken by the Bills this weekend, joining Gabriel Davis out of UCF.
"I feel like it's the perfect team, perfect fit," Hodgins said. "I'm ready to get to work."
Football runs in Isaiah's family. His dad played in the NFL as a fullback, spending time with St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Jets.
"My dad has been preparing me for this moment my whole life," he said. "He's been really telling me it doesn't matter what round you go in. He was an undrafted free agent. I'm super excited to be a part of Bills Mafia and excited to get to work. I'm proud of that and I'm coming in with a chip on my shoulder, humble and hungry, and ready to work every single day."
Hodgins joins a crowded wide receiver room that includes veterans like John Brown and Cole Beasley, and newcomers like Stefon Diggs. With a plethora of talent and competition, Hodgins says it's all about coming in and doing his job.
"I just look at it as a blessing. It's what football's all about, coming in and competing for a spot," he said. "I get to learn from a lot of veterans in that room and compete with a lot of them and I just feel like it's a situation that anybody can ask for to play with the guys that are in that room."
For Hodgins, learning is a big part of improving his game, especially when you get to learn and work alongside someone you've modeled your game after. For Hodgins, that's Diggs.
"I'm ready to pick his brain on everything. He's one of the best route runners in my eyes," Hodgins said. "I used to stay up at night and watch his highlights and routes and release and really prided my game and route running off of him. Now I get to play with him and practice with him everyday so I'm super excited for that."
During his three-year career at Oregon State, Hodgins finished with 176 catches for 2,322 yards, ranking among the school's top 10 in each of those categories. He finished with 20 touchdowns including 13 in his final season.
"I definitely bring a big body receiver who can go up and get that ball. I feel like I've been consistent over the years and I feel like I can step into whatever role the Bills give me and just go excel in that," he said. "Whether they want me to run down special teams, be a red-zone threat, or if they want me to be a no. 3, no. 1 receiver, whatever it is. I'm gonna come in and take on that role and play it 100% to my ability."
