After two trade downs and seven wide receivers going off the board, the Buffalo Bills have finally added a young wideout for quarterback Josh Allen. On Friday, with the first pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, Buffalo snagged former Florida State football star and pass-catcher Keon Coleman. The Bills brought on Coleman after the receiver duo of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis departed this offseason.
Bills faithful became anxious with the team after the organization traded down twice in the first round. Owning the 28th selection, the AFC East squad traded with the Kansas City Chiefs before trading with the Carolina Panthers again with the first round’s final pick. Kansas City and Carolina each took wide receivers, a position of need for Buffalo.
Former Florida State Football Pass-Catcher Keon Coleman: College Career
Keon Coleman, a six-foot-four, 210-pound pass catcher from Opelousas Catholic School in Louisiana, committed to Michigan State for the 2021 season. A four-star prospect and three-sport athlete, Coleman starred in high school in both basketball and football. However, he picked Michigan State over Auburn, Kansas, Baylor, Georgia, and Florida State, among others. Coleman played sparingly as a true freshman, registering seven receptions for 50 yards and a score. The lengthy wideout took a massive step forward in 2022, snagging 58 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. He transferred to the Florida State football program for the upcoming season.
Coleman hit the ground running in 2023, his first with the Seminoles, catching nine passes for 122 yards and three scores in a season-opening win against the top-ranked LSU Tigers. The former highly-touted Michigan State prospect finished the 2023 campaign with 50 receptions, 658 yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns, all high marks for a 13-1 FSU squad. Coleman earned first-team All-ACC as a receiver and a specialist, returning 25 punts for a conference-best 300 yards.
Keon Coleman: NFL Draft Profile
Entering the weekend as a projected second-round draft pick per NFL Draft Buzz, Coleman is known for his elite size and ball skills. Coleman also earned high draft marks for his top-end acceleration and ability to make plays after the catch. Given that he played for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State basketball team before transferring to FSU, the multi-versatile athlete posted elite numbers in the broad and vertical jump during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
Alongside the jumps, Coleman placed in the 68th percentile or better among fellow wideouts in the ten-yard split, height, and weight. However, his 4.61 40-yard dash sits near the bottom among his peers. Meanwhile, Coleman also entered the 2024 NFL Draft with questions surrounding his route running. However, signal-callers spotted a 110.0 quarterback rating when targeting Coleman.
Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver Core Following Selection of Coleman
Adonai Mitchell joins the Buffalo Bills as a much-needed addition for quarterback Josh Allen. Alongside Mitchell, the Buffalo added Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel via free agency this offseason after the loss of their top receivers, Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs. Hollins had 18 catches for 251 yards last season with the Atlanta Falcons. However, he caught a career-best 57 passes in 2022. Meanwhile, Samuel spent the past three seasons with the Washington Commanders, registering 1,296 receiving yards.
The Bills also house Khalil Shakir as a receiver. Shakir posted 39 receptions and 611 yards with the team last season and enters the 2024 campaign as the top returner among pass-catchers.
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