The Buffalo Bills might not need to fret losing Stefon Diggs or the production the franchise traded away earlier this offseason in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans.
Not only did the Bills select former Florida State standout Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid could be an emerging star at the position, but Josh Allen may have already found a favorite target in the early stages of training camp.
One of the Bills’ young receivers could be on the cusp of an expanded role in the offense.
Khalil Shakir’s Stock Rising at Buffalo Bills Training Camp
Even with Diggs at the top of the Buffalo’s receiver depth chart last season, Khalil Shakir still finished fourth among Bills receivers with 39 receptions in 45 targets for 611 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Now that Diggs is primed to potentially become C.J. Stroud’s most explosive weapon in Houston, Shakir has the chance to climb Allen’s target hierarchy.
So far this summer, Shakir is making the most of his opportunities.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, Shakir has been one of the biggest winners of Bills camp.
“Shakir has stood out as a clear “trusted asset” for quarterback Josh Allen,” Ryan Smith writes for Pro Football Focus. “Offensive coordinator Joe Brady also commented on how good Shakir looked last week, and his stock appears to be trending up as the regular season approaches.
“Shakir, who is entering his third year in the league, saw his playing time dramatically increase last year (702 snaps) compared to his rookie season of 2022 (322 snaps). Including the playoffs, he caught an impressive 49-of-56 targets (87.5%) for 686 yards, four touchdowns and only one dropped pass. He finished the year with a 76.7 PFF overall grade, placing 29th out of 128 qualifying wide receivers.”
If Shakir truly has Allen’s trust, and these two can continue to build on their chemistry throughout training camp, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see him become the star quarterback’s favorite target this fall.
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