Ex-Patriots WR 'can carve out opportunity' in Bills' preseason opener vs. Giants

If the Buffalo Bills weren't thinking about keeping a sixth wide receiver on their 53-man roster, they definitely are now.

While former second-round draft pick Elijah Moore appears to have made the case for the WR5 role, there are two players who are making a convincing argument for the Bills to dedicate a sixth roster spot to the position.

In addition to Tyrell Shavers, who has two years of Bills' practice squad experience under his belt, newcomer Kristian Wilkerson has attracted plenty of attention during training camp. Taking advantage of additional reps due to injuries to other players at the position, Wilkerson has played himself into a roster competition.

"Wilk's done a great job," said offensive coordinator Joe Brady. "He's a guy that's been given more opportunities and he's made the most of it."

Jan 2, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson (17) reacts after his touchdown during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

With Buffalo opening its three-game preseason schedule on Saturday, August 9, the 28-year-old Wilkerson is certainly one to watch. In fact, Sports Illustrated senior writer Conor Orr included the Bills' 6-foot-1 pass-catcher on his "10 Things to Watch in Week 1 of NFL Preseason" list.

Wilkerson holds the No. 3 slot on the Preseason Week 1 Top 10 in between Seattle Seahawks' rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe at No. 2 and the Tennessee Titans' offensive line depth at No. 4.

"The Bills’ recent addition was highlighted by GM Brandon Beane following a recent training camp interview. I’m not going to use this as a platform to criticize Buffalo’s receiving corps, but I’m going to recognize that the team—similar to the Chiefs—is allowing Josh Allen to more organically groom those around him.

With Khalil Shakir out, the bottom of this roster is going to become more critical than ever in terms of formulating that fourth and fifth receiver spot. And if you think that doesn’t matter, consider how balanced the target share was for the technical 'WR2' of Buffalo’s offense behind Shakir. Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel were all in that mid-40 to mid-50 target range. Amari Cooper joined the fold and notched another 30 targets. I think there’s a difference between having a barren wide receiver room and a wide receiver room in which one can carve out an opportunity. Buffalo is the latter." — Conor Orr

Wilkerson's first NFL action came in 2020 with the New England Patriots when he played two offensive snaps against the New York Jets in a Week 9 win.

Wilkerson, who has three career touchdown receptions, has only made nine NFL regular season appearances over four years, but that may change in a hurry if he's able to carry his training camp success into preseason game action.

The Bills and the Giants will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. NFL Network will carry the action live.

Aug 11, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson (17) makes a catch against New York Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson (33) during the first half of a preseason game at Gillette Stadium | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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