Orchard Park, N.Y. — Sanjay Lal still remembers the first time he watched Sammy Watkins.

The Buffalo Bills' wide receiver coach was in Oakland coaching the Raiders' receivers when he happened to watch a Clemson game. A freshman receiver wearing No. 2 stood out like a sore thumb. Lal texted then Raiders receiver Jacoby Ford, a Clemson product.

"You're not the best receiver that's come out of Clemson," Lal told him.

"Just watching a game casually, right then you knew he was going to be something special," Lal said Thursday at Bills OTAs.

Watkins ended up as the national freshman of the year and went on to be the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Watkins flashed the ability to be a special receiver but was overshadowed by fellow rookies Odell Beckham Jr. in New York and Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. Maybe it was the nagging injuries Watkins dealt with or the poor quarterback play, but Watkins wasn't one of the three rookie receivers to hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2014.

"I don't think you can quantify a receiver's worth by yards," Lal said. "That's system-based, or I've seen a lot of teams that are behind the whole year so there's a lot of yards. He has a lot of room to grow and he can be one of the best route runners, because physically there's not really anything Sammy Watkins can't do."

At this point in OTAs, all Watkins can do is study. He's recovering from offseason hip surgery after tearing his labrum late in the season. While he's been on the field, the second-year receiver has mostly been able to take only mental reps. Lal doesn't think he's falling behind, though, and Watkins is already noticing a difference working with his new receivers coach.

"He is great. He is a great coach and so far I haven't even been on the field with him that much but my game has improved with just the little things and the details," Watkins said. "Seeing our receivers right now become true receivers. He is teaching us how to play the game."

Like most rookies, Watkins left a bit to be desired as a route runner in 2014. It was mostly an issue of consistency. Lal is trying to make sure that's not a problem for Watkins or any other receiver going forward.

"Route running is like an art form," Lal said. "A lost art in this league. We liken it to if you were trying out for 'Dancing with the Stars.' Those guys work four, five, eight hours a day on (dancing). Well, we're no different. We're choreographers, dancers whatever you want to call it. There's a choreography to route running."

Lal has been videotaping each route from all angles and breaking it down with his receivers. Is a foot a few inches out of place? Did a receiver drop his shoulders at all during a route? What about his chin? Where are his eyes?

"We'll break down every route to minutia and get it right so they understand what they're doing," Lal said. "Then just keep working it and trying to get it to muscle memory.

"I think they developed appreciation that when you tell them something like, 'Hey, move your foot out six inches on the break point.' And it brings them out of a cut really efficiently, a light goes off that says, 'Oh wow, it is all about geometry, physics, center of gravity, all of that.' They get a new awareness of the science behind it, so there is good appreciation."

Watkins has yet go to take his work onto the field but Lal is excited to see what happens when the Bills come back for training camp. With the addition of Percy Harvin to a wide receiver room that already included Watkins, Robert Woods and Chris Hogan, Lal thinks this group can be a big part of the offense.

"We're going to be feared for our route running and for how violently we play the game," Lal said.

With Rex Ryan and company talking about running a ground-and-pound offense, though, how much can the Bills' receivers expect to get the ball? Ryan has never had a receiver put up big-time production in his offense, but then again, he also hasn't had a receiver that excites him as much as Watkins.

"As long as you win the game, that's the goal," Watkins said. "You can run the ball, pass the ball. When we balance you can do anything. We can run the ball 15 or 30 times and you can throw the ball 20 times a game. Got to take the good with the bad. As long as we are winning, I am fine with that."