NFL Mock Draft: Bills Pick Controversial Florida State WR Keon Coleman
The Buffalo Bills are widely expected to lose boundary receiver Gabe Davis to free agency in the coming months, making matters worse for an offense that struggled to find a perimeter presence opposite superstar receiver Stefon Diggs.
Without the cash to spend big on a receiver in free agency, the 2024 NFL Draft has become the destination for Buffalo to find a receiver.
However, given the nature of the draft class and the archetype Davis filled – that of a high-variance vertical threat – LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. has become the most popular candidate for the 28th pick. Per NFL Mock Draft Database, Thomas has been the subject of 14.7 percent of the Bills’ first-round selections. In its first post-Super Bowl mock draft, The Ringer went in a different direction.
![Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Keon Coleman (4) rushes with the ball for a touchdown breaking the tackle from Florida Gators linebacker Scooby Williams (17) during the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MjA0NDE2OTIzNzgwMjYxNjY0/usatsi_21974853_168403188_lowres.jpg)
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Keon Coleman (4) rushes with the ball for a touchdown breaking the tackle from Florida Gators linebacker Scooby Williams (17) during the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
At No. 28, Benjamin Solak has Buffalo taking Florida State Seminoles receiver Keon Coleman.
While Coleman has similarities to Thomas, the latter has been a riser during the draft process. The same cannot be said for Coleman, who entered the season destined to be a lottery selection, only to lose steam and fall toward the turn of Day 1 to Day 2.
Coleman, after transferring from Michigan State, didn’t play in an offense that best weaponized him, and his production suffered. His production profile is filled with red flags that data-based analysts will be terrified of.
Coleman, like Thomas, is a vertical threat thanks to his combination of size and speed. However, inconsistent route running, after-the-catch skills, and blocking have made many less confident in the 6-4 frame he provides.
That didn’t stop Solak from pairing his potential with the talents of quarterback Josh Allen.
“Even if Stefon Diggs were perfectly content in Buffalo, the Bills would still need a WR2 opposite Diggs and slot WR Khalil Shakir,” Solak wrote. “But given that Diggs is notably not content, the Bills really need to add to their outside WR room. Coleman is a big swing – he moves differently for a 6-4, 215-pound player, and his catch radius and playmaking are high-end WR1 stuff.
“He ran hot and cold at Florida State, but with Josh Allen throwing him the ball, could develop into a star.”
Should Coleman find his way to Western New York, he’d be expected to provide more than Davis did. Davis caught 45 of his 81 targets for 746 yards and seven scores in 2023.
A high catch percentage may never be in the cards given the difficulty of his targets, but converting more intermediate throws into secure completions and taking advantage of underneath windows better could turn him into the ancillary target Buffalo has so desperately needed.
