Bills Central

2024 NFL Draft mishap glaring with Bills’ WR benching in Week 11

Buffalo Brandon Beane under the microscope again with an update in the Bills' lineup
Khari Demos|
Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Keon Coleman. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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What could be one of Brandon Beane's biggest mistakes as the Buffalo Bills' general manager continues to rear its ugly head.

Due to missing a team meeting, senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirmed that Bills' wideout Keon Coleman would be a healthy scratch in Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It continues a bad trend in what's been an underwhelming first season and a half for the former Florida State and Michigan State WR.

Although hindsight is 20/20, this latest news once again calls into question Beane's decision to select Coleman in the 2024 NFL Draft over Chargers' sophomore Ladd McConkey. Coleman went No. 33 overall in 2024, while McConkey was the ensuing pick at 34.

Coleman's numbers thus far pale in comparison to McConkey's. Entering Week 11, McConkey had 133 career receptions for 1,780 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coleman has posted 61 for 886 yards and seven scores.

MORE: 3 players Buffalo Bills should have drafted instead of Keon Coleman

But deeper metrics also show McConkey has been the better player early on. The Los Angeles receiver has garnered a 111.0 passer rating in his career when targeted, while Coleman has a 91.2 career mark. McConkey has also generated a catch rate of 69.3 percent, compared to Coleman's 57.5 percent.

Ladd McConkey
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (15). | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Of course, the quarterback discussion does not help Coleman's case either. While Justin Herbert is regarded as one of the NFL's best signal callers, Coleman is playing in an offense led by the 2024 NFL MVP and a multi-time All-Pro selection in Josh Allen.

While this benching is discouraging on many levels, one of the worst aspects of it is that the Buffalo receiving corps has looked like a shell of itself in 2025. Coleman was slated to take over as the team's new No. 1 receiver, but with his inconsistency, the rest of the group's deficiencies have shone.

The Bills have had a lot of success with Beane at the helm. But this decision to take Coleman over McConkey is looking like one of his clearest misses yet.

Keon Coleman
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.