Keon Coleman Impresses Early at Bills Minicamp With More Than Just Physicality

Could this be the season Keon Coleman finally develops into a consistent weapon for the Bills?

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman makes a catch during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

It’s the offseason, so expectations need to be tempered, but once again, Keon Coleman is turning heads. The Buffalo Bills second-round pick in 2024 was the talk of camp in 2025, but his second year left a lot to be desired.

Coleman struggled to find consistency, finishing with 38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns. He did this in 13 games and was a healthy scratch multiple times, suggesting that he didn’t have the trust of the coaching staff.

This led to an offseason of speculation surrounding Coleman, who was rumored to be a trade candidate. New head coach Joe Brady tried to put this notion to bed, saying a big leap was in store for Coleman.

Keon Coleman starting off on the right foot

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman runs after making a catch against the New York Jets. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

While there’s a long way to go before we can say Brady was right, Coleman is at least off to a hot start, according to Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com. Parrino said Coleman made two big plays, and instead of winning with physicality, he was showing off excellent speed and quickness.

”Coleman’s first catch came against second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who is known for his speed. The first-round pick ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.28 seconds) at the 2025 NFL scouting combine. Coleman looked like the speed demon in this matchup on the day. He ran past Hairston and quickly got to the second level before quarterback Josh Allen fired a quick pass for a big gain,” Parrino wrote.

Parrino also recounted a play later in practice, which he dubbed the “play of the day.” Again facing a young cornerback, Coleman ran past rookie Davison Igbinosun and was able to high point a pass from Josh Allen.

This play led to some shoving between the two, but there was no major incident.

Buffalo expected Coleman to develop into a WR1, but that hasn’t happened yet. That said, he still has the skillset to be a problem for opposing teams, if he can remain focused and keep stacking positive days.

Bills have healthy competition at WR

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman scores a touchdown during the third quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Coleman is no longer seen as the potential No. 1 target now that Buffalo has DJ Moore. As I recently wrote, Moore has looked good to start camp and Josh Allen is thrilled to have him as a teammate.

Moore should be the No. 1 receiver, although we shouldn’t sleep on Khalil Shakir. Either way, those will be the top two options.

From there, Coleman will square off with Joshua Palmer and rookie Skyler Bell, who has also impressed during offseason practices. That might not be a list of elite names, but it gives the Bills plenty of players they believe can contribute, and the competition could be exactly what Coleman needs to push him to succeed.