New Bills WR Samuel is faster than Hill in this key metric

Curtis Samuel. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

New Bills WR Curtis Samuel is faster than Tyreek Hill in this key metric

By Trevor Woods | Last updated 3/14/24

In this day and age of the NFL, speed kills.

The Buffalo Bills have been lacking speed at wideout, but that will change in 2024 with the addition of the electric wideout Curtis Samuel.

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Samuel has elite speed in the first second of his routes. Samuel ranks No. 3 in the "quickest burst" metric at 9.08 mph with just Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Trey Palmer (9.16 mph) and Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown (9.11 mph) ranking above him.

Samuel is so speedy he ranks higher Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, who came in at No. 4 at 9.03 mph.

Curtis Samuel averaged 9.08 mph within the first second of his routes in 2023 (i.e., his "burst"), 3rd-quickest in the NFL (min. 300 routes).

Bills wide receivers averaged a 7.95 mph burst last season, 29th in the NFL (Gabe Davis: 8.25 mph; Stefon Diggs: 7.73 mph).#BillsMafia https://t.co/e43I5ts3Hb pic.twitter.com/QpLyvvGO2G
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 14, 2024

Sure, there are differences between Hill and Samuel. Hill is one of the most prolific receivers in the NFL with 119 receptions for 1,799 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns last season. Samuel had 62 grabs for 613 grabs and four receiving scores.

However, the fact that Samuel ranks among the most speedy in the NFL and has a quicker burst than Hill is exactly what the Bills needed.

Buffalo's wideouts ranked just No. 29 in burst last season, averaging 7.95 mph. That number is bound to go up with Samuel now in the fold and second-year WR Khalil Shakir, who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine, is expected to receive an increased role.

While Stefon Diggs is an All-Pro caliber player and Buffalo's No. 1 receiving option, quarterback Josh Allen now has more options to take the top off opposing defenses. The passing offense is no longer one-dimensional.

Not only is Samuel a dangerous deep threat, but he can have a Deebo Samuel-type role in the Bills offense. Curtis has rushed for 715 yards with seven touchdowns during his seven-year career and will have defenses guessing when he motions in offensive coordinator Joe Brady's offense.

The Bills are still searching for their first Super Bowl title, and they'll be in the thick of things next season. However, time is of the essence with Josh Allen, who turns 28 in May, still in his prime.

Samuel is a step in the right direction for the Bills offense. His presence will make the passing game more versatile.

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