Excitement Is Building For One Buffalo Bills Draft Pick
This week, NHL superstar Connor McDavid played in teammate Zach Hyman’s celebrity golf tournament in California. There was some hockey talk, but McDavid and Hyman have another shared interest: the Buffalo Bills.
A teenage McDavid became a Bills fan when he lived with a family in Erie, Pennsylvania, during his amateur career. During the golf tournament, McDavid talked about one particular rookie, Keon Coleman, who is getting a lot of attention around the league.
Wide Receiver Jobs Wide Open With The Bills
"I'm not Gabe, I'm not Stef, I'm just Keon," said Bills 6-foot-4 rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, talking about former Buffalo wideouts Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs. Coleman is the Bills' second-round pick out of Florida State and joined a team with receiver jobs up for grabs over the next six weeks.
Coleman is not just fighting for a spot on the team but for the number-one receiver job, and praise for his potential is not just high; it's sky-high.
“Scouts [and] executives tell me he’s got Keenan Allen and Mike Evans type of ability,” Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said. “This is a 6-foot-4 punt returner, short area quickness. People criticize him for running a 4.60 [second 40-yard dash], he ran over 20 miles per hour in the gauntlet at the combine, that’s the fastest time over the last two years.
Coleman started his college career at Michigan State, playing basketball and football, before transferring to Florida State. Scouts and front office executives say he is a "freak athlete" who makes the spectacular look ordinary.
Schultz said, "I think he's going to be an instant day-one big-time contributor for Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense."
It's not just Connor McDavid; NFL analyst Bucky Brooks named Coleman his longshot pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Josh Allen Is Excited To Play With Coleman
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has some work to do in camp this year. He will have just one receiver from last year’s team on the roster. That could make the beginning of the year bumpy for the Bills.
Allen is tasked with establishing a hierarchy during training camp, but he is approaching this challenge with optimism. He is also thrilled to work with Keon Coleman, which is a positive sign for the Bills.
"I think his play style [is] what we needed in our offense," Allen said. "Talking with our offensive coordinator [Joe Brady], our quarterbacks coach [Ronald Curry], [general manager] Brandon Beane and, obviously, coach [Sean] McDermott, a guy that's a big-bodied guy and can go win on a back-shoulder fade and not afraid to be a physical wide receiver.
The Bills don’t have a number one option. Still, they brought in a bunch of veteran wide receivers in the offseason: Curtis Samuel from the Commanders, Marquez Valdes-Scantling from the Chiefs, Mack Hollins from Atlanta and Chase Claypool front the Miami Dolphins.
Brandon Aiyuk To Buffalo?
It looks like the San Francisco 49ers' situation with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is ending. Aiyuk has asked to be traded, and ESPN is reporting that Buffalo could be his next destination.
The Bills don't have enough cap space to take his $14.125 million contract this season, but they could make it work with minimal moves.
"Rookie Keon Coleman is still an unknown, and at this time, Buffalo looks likely to try and build its 2024 offense around second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid and third-year running back James Cook while their wide receiver situation sorts itself out," ESPN reports. "Adding Aiyuk would leave the Bills with less to sort out."
Read More NFL News From Stadium Rant Here: NFL News
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS:
Order your favorite whiskey or spirit for the big game right to your doorstep and use code STADIUMRANT10 for a 10% discount at Caskers
Use code STADIUMRANT20 for a 20% discount at Bulletproof Coffee, SwingJuice and Performix.
If you love to shotgun beers, use code STADIUMRANT10 at Wild Man Drinking Company.
MORE FROM STADIUM RANT:
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
Comments