Bills' WR Khalil Shakir: Leading Receiver is Buffalo's 10th-Ranked Player

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player.

The Buffalo Bills had some of the worst wide receiver play in the NFL in 2025, with underwhelming performances throughout the group. DJ Moore was the big prize of the offseason, but the Bills also return the most consistent performer at the position over the last two seasons.

Khalil Shakir became Buffalo's No. 1 target following Stefon Diggs' departure in the 2024 offseason and responded with back-to-back seasons of 70 catches operating primarily out of the slot. He finished with a team-leading 148 catches for 1,540 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 and 2025 combined.

Shakir set a new career best with 12 catches in the wild-card round against the Jacksonville Jaguars, highlighting his importance in a Joe Brady offense that relies a lot on quick passes and getting playmakers out in open space.

Even if he won't be a top option anymore, as most slot receivers generally are not, Shakir will still be a critical piece for Josh Allen and the passing game in 2026.

Why is Shakir so important?

Another year upcoming of Khalil Shakir being the most underrated Wide Receiver in the NFL#BillsMafia | #GoBills pic.twitter.com/Is8PJfQdpI
— Peter DiBiasi (@DibiasiPeter) June 18, 2026

Shakir is shifty in the open field, with 541 of his 719 yards in 2025 coming after the catch. In an offense whose 9.08% screen pass rate was the eighth-highest in the NFL in 2025, it'll become even more useful with Brady now the head coach.

So many short passes allow Shakir to make the most of them, as his 173 yards receiving on screen passes led the NFL last season, according to Next Gen Stats.

With Moore on the roster, the threat of Shakir turning a short pass into a long gain with his ability to make things happen after the catch should open plenty of opportunities for Moore, Dalton Kincaid and James Cook, among others, in the passing game.

Shakir's background

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) carries the ball against Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) in the second half at NRG Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shakir was born on February 3, 2000 in Murrieta, California and attended Vista Murrieta High School. He came out of high school as a four-star recruit and a top-50 player in the state of California, according to 247Sports, and chose Boise State over schools like Arizona, Arizona State and BYU.

The 26-year-old earned first-team All-Mountain West honors twice, finishing his time with the Broncos with 208 catches for 2,878 yards and 20 touchdowns, all of which rank in the top five in Boise State history.

The Bills selected Shakir in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft at No. 148 overall, and after slowly developing as Diggs was Josh Allen's go-to option on offense, Shakir has become one of the league's best slot receivers.

The rest of the Top 25 so far:

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27
15. TE Dalton Kincaid, June 28
14. G O'Cyrus Torrence, June 29
13. LB Terrel Bernard, July 1
12. C Connor McGovern, June 30
11. LB Greg Rousseau, July 2

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