Bills' wide receiver could be X-factor in Super Bowl chase

Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Keon Coleman is going into his second season in the NFL, where he hopes to be better than his rookie year.

CBS Sports writer Zachary Pereles listed Coleman as a potential player that could make the difference between the Bills making and missing the Super Bowl.

"Coleman is a 50/50 ball winner to his core. He's not a speedster or a route technician -- or at least he wasn't last year," Pereles wrote.

"He generated the lowest average yards of separation of any player who got 45+ targets last year, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The problem is he also caught under 51% of his targets last year, failing to win the jump balls he was brought in to win. Don't believe me? Coleman himself called his rookie year "trash" (though I would classify it as a raw prospect going through rookie growing pains)."

Keon Coleman pulls in a pass during position drills during day three of Buffalo Bills training camp. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coleman, 22, caught 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie year with the Bills, so there's room for growth for the second-year pro.

The Bills drafted Coleman as a replacement for Stefon Diggs when he was traded to the Houston Texans, so there's a need for him to perform well within the offense. Coleman doesn't need to produce like Diggs did for quarterback Josh Allen, but he needs to be better than he was a year ago.

"Coleman doesn't have to be a star. But he does have to be better than he was in Year 1, someone who can truly add a big, physical, ball-winning aspect to this passing attack. If he can, [Joshua] Palmer slots into that third role role, with [Khalil] Shakir a busy, reliable slot target," Pereles wrote.

"James Cook and the tight ends can eat, too. With Allen under center and a plethora of backs and elusive receivers, this is already a well-versed offense. Coleman, who caught just one of four targets for 12 yards against the Chiefs [in the AFC Championship], could be the factor that puts Buffalo over the top."

Coleman and the Bills have one more preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium.

Keon Coleman pulls in a pass during day six of Buffalo Bills training camp. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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