Though some fans and pundits question the immediate viability of the Buffalo Bills’ revamped receiving corps, there are justifiable reasons for optimism. The team supplemented the offseason departures of Gabriel Davis and perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs by adding several high-ceiling wideouts, namely free agent signee Curtis Samuel and trait-sy rookie Keon Coleman. Buffalo also hopes to replace some of the departed production internally, expecting pass catchers who were with the team last season to ascend into more prominent roles in the absence of Davis and Diggs.
One player who figures to greatly benefit from the offseason maneuvers at wide receiver is third-year contributor Khalil Shakir, who has flashed in spot duty throughout his first two seasons. He’s caught 49 passes for 772 yards throughout his professional career, with the bulk of that production (39 receptions for 611 yards) coming last season. He particularly impressed down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, earning the trust of signal-caller Josh Allen as he became a mainstay on 11-personnel sets; he became one of his quarterback’s go-to targets, notching at least four targets in five of the final nine games of the season (including playoffs).
He’s made the most of every opportunity he’s been afforded as a professional, and he’s perhaps now receiving his most advantageous chance yet. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has taken note of Shakir’s past impact and current opportunity, identifying the pass catcher as the third-most underrated wide receiver in the NFL entering the 2024 campaign in a recent article for the outlet.
“The 2022 fifth-round pick was an ascending player in his second year in the league,” Ballentine wrote. “After Joe Brady took over the role of offensive coordinator for the Bills in Week 11, he snagged 20 passes for 363 yards in seven games. Shakir’s rise in the offense coincided with Diggs’ decline in production, signaling a trust in Shakir that should only grow as Josh Allen moves on without his top two targets. Throwing the ball to Shakir was already good business for the quarterback. Allen had a 133.6 passer rating when targeting Shakir.
“The Bills offense will look a lot different in 2024. Josh Allen will have to carry the passing attack without an elite No. 1 wide receiver. Shakir might not completely take that role, but he’ll show everyone that the Bills passing attack will be just fine.”
As Ballentine alludes to, Shakir likely won’t “completely” take the No. 1 wideout role—it instead looks as though the Bills will take an egalitarian approach to aerial production, spreading the ball out amongst Shakir, Samuel, Coleman, and second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid. There likely won’t be a player who significantly outpaces his peers with regard to targets or receptions; that said, given his demonstrated rapport with Allen and comfort in a Joe Brady-called offense, one could reasonably expect a significant uptick in looks for Shakir in the 2024 campaign.
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