The Buffalo Bills, who have been perennial Super Bowl contenders the past few years, are going to look very different this season and possibly have different expectations.
After lots of speculation that Stefon Diggs was unhappy with the Buffalo organization, the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was traded to the Houston Texans, and WR2 Gabriel Davis left as a free agent, leaving the Bills with no proven playmakers.
They will be counting on rookies and young players to fill the void, and one of them is Keon Coleman, a wideout Buffalo took in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Former NFL defensive back Louis Riddick told fans not to sleep on Coleman, per NFL on ESPN.
“Do not sleep on this young man,” the former NFL safety said. “Had he run faster at the combine he would have gone much higher, he would have gone in the first round.”
“Do not sleep on this young man, had he run faster at the combine he would have gone much higher, he would have gone in the first round.”@LRiddickESPN has high hopes for Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman 👏 pic.twitter.com/4jjqHSaKiS
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 16, 2024
Coleman played his college ball at Michigan State University as a freshman and sophomore before moving on to Florida State University, where in 2023, he had 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, which could have caused him to drop in the draft, where he was the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall).
Riddick made it clear that Coleman will not be able to single-handedly replace Diggs’ production, especially because Diggs had more than 103 receptions and 1,180 receiving yards in each of his four seasons with Buffalo.
But Riddick also said the Bills will be “fine” moving forward.
They do have Khalil Shakir, a young wide receiver who had 611 receiving yards in 2023, and tight end Dalton Kincaid, who made 73 catches for 673 yards as a rookie last year.
Shakir, Kincaid and Coleman will do their best to help quarterback Josh Allen keep the Bills in contention for another AFC East title.
