Hypothetical Bills-49ers Trade Sees Buffalo and San Francisco Swap Player for Pick

An analyst has offered up a bold prediction that sees the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers make a deal.

Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady (right) speaks with general manager Brandon Beane during training camp at St. John Fisher University. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We are nearing the start of the regular season and one analyst is linking the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills in a bold trade prediction.

That analyst is Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, and his bold prediction sees the Bills unload second-round draft bust Keon Coleman to the 49ers in exchange for a conditional 2027 fifth-round pick.

While the 49ers could certainly use some help in their wide receivers room, we're not sure the Bills would make this trade, even with how disappointing Coleman has been.

Why 49ers would make this trade

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks to the locker room during halftime against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following the season-ending injury to Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers were left with Mike Evans and De'Zhaun Stribling. Since then, San Francisco has added Deebo Samuel for some help.

However, there are still multiple concerns with that trio.

Evans has had issues staying healthy in recent years and things don't figure to get any better at the age of 33. Meanwhile, Stribling is unproven as a rookie, and Samuel hasn't looked like the same receiver since he posted a career-high 1,405 yards in 2021 and he's now crossed the threshold of 30 years old, so decline is a legitimate concern at this point.

Safe to say, the 49ers could use more depth, and while Coleman is not guaranteed to be adequate, even in that role, he is still better than most of San Fran's current depth options, and he's still only 23 years old, so there's hope he can turn his career around and become a long-term solution.

Why Bills shouldn't make this trade

Bills general manager Brandon Beane looks on during day six of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Thursday, August 5, 2026 in Pittsford. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 49ers and Bills have a common problem, and that is a lack of reliable weapons in the wide receivers room.

Beyond DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir, the Bills have Coleman, who has been woefully disappointing, Joshua Palmer, who looks like a free-agent bust, and rookie Skyler Bell, who is unproven.

After having arguably the worst wide receivers room in the NFL last season, the Bills might find themselves back in the same boat once again in 2026 if either Moore or Shakir get hurt. If anything, the Bills should be adding to this room, not subtracting from it.

The return is another issue here. It simply isn't worth trading depth at an already problematic position for a conditional fifth-rounder. At that price, it's more worth it to keep Coleman than trade him.

What happened to Keon Coleman?

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) warms up before a pre-season game against the Carolina Panthers at the New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What hasn't happened to Keon Coleman.

The Florida State product showed promise during his rookie year, when he finished with 29 catches for 556 yards and four scores in 13 games.

But he took a step back in yardage in 2025 with 404 yards and four scores on 38 catches in 13 games. Drops have also been an issue, with Coleman muffing seven catches over two campaigns.

Then, there's the off-the-field stuff, as Coleman has been benched on multiple occasions over two seasons due to disciplinary reasons, like being late for meetings.

Not all hope is lost for Coleman, who is still just 23 years old. But, at the very least, hope is fading fast, and many Bills fans are already done with him.

And, pretty soon, the Bills might be done with him, also.

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