Buffalo Bills' WR Draft 'Bust' Finding Success in New Role

It's no secret that Keon Coleman hasn't lived up to expectations after being drafted 33rd overall back in 2024.

The Buffalo Bills were in need of a new number one wide receiver after trading DJ Moore, and Coleman appeared to be an intruiging weapon on the boundary with solid contested catch ability.

Issues on and off the field have hindered Coleman's development, but the third-year receiver's strong start to his 2026 campaign illustrates he's finally settling into a dependable role within the offense.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) celebrates a first down against Detroit Lions during the first half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Unfair Eexpectations

It wouldn't be easy replacing Stefon Diggs, the man responsible for the greatest four-year stretch of any WR in franchise history. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro, expecting a rookie to immediately fill his shoes was unfair from the beginning.

Coleman suffered a wrist sprain in November of his rookie season, causing him to miss four games. As a rookie, he recorded 29 receptions, 556 yards and four touchdowns.

His sophomore season saw him miss opening drives and even entire games for tardiness to team meetings and other off-field immaturity issues. While his number of receptions increased from 29 to 38, is yards per reception drastically fell from 19.2 to 10.6, leading to only 404 yards in his second season.

While it may have been unfair to expect him to replace Diggs, Coleman wasn't showing enough consistency to prove he was even a top three wide receiver on the roster.

New Year, New Role

Buffalo finally decided to trade for an experienced WR1 this offseason, adding DJ Moore to the offense. Now, between Moore and a healthy Dalton Kincaid, Coleman can slot into a supporting role in the offense.

Coleman has already logged 217 receiving yards and a touchdown, setting a pace to shatter his previous season-highs. The advanced metrics illustrate just how consequential his production has been for the Bills.

According to Ryan Pagnetti, Coleman had the third-highest EPA per target entering Week 4's Monday Night Football matchup. His +1.13 EPA per target trails only Tyquan Thornton (+1.29) and Jakobi Meyers (+1.17).

With Coleman's 16 targets and 14 catches, he has the volume to be one of the leaders in total EPA among WRs, ranking ninth among 77 that qualify. His +18.2 total EPA currently ranks him ahead of players like Ja'Marr Chase (+14.4), Justin Jefferson (+13.2) and Garrett Wilson (+11.5).

Bills reporter Sal Capaccio found that Coleman also ranks second to Nico Collins with a +27.2% catch rate over expected.

Season-long expectations

At this point, the Bills recognize that Coleman isn't a wide receiver one, but they aren't relying on him to fill that role given the current personnel at both WR and TE.

Instead, he'll be a guy that Josh Allen can now rely on to move the chains (considering he's already accounted for 10 first downs this year), and someone who can step up mid-game if there's an injury, like Joe Brady mentioned in his press conference on Monday.

He's currently on pace for 60 receptions, 922 receiving yards, and four touchdowns, which would be by far the best year of his young career. Aside from the raw numbers, the previously cited advanced metrics show that Coleman is actually adding more value to the team by excelling as a role player rather than struggling as a top receiving option.

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