Why Lions Should Gamble on Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman

The Detroit Lions are quite familiar with patiently waiting for a wide receiver to mature and develop.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman was completely thrown under the bus by owner Terry Pegula, during a season-ending media session alongside President Brandon Beane.

When asked about the struggles of the receivers room, Pegula cut off Beane as he was about to respond to a reporters question.

"The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon Coleman. I'm not saying Brandon wouldn't have drafted him, but he wasn't his next choice," said Pegula. "That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. He's taken, for some reason, heat over it, and not saying a word about it. I'm here to tell you the true story."

Coleman, 22, secured 38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. At times during the 2025 season, the former Michigan State Spartans and Florida Seminoles wideout was benched.

He reportedly was late to meetings and ended up being a healthy scratch.

"I made the pick," Beane explained. "Terry's point was that we might have had a different order of personnel versus coaching, and I went that way. But ultimately, I'm not turning a pick for a player that I don't think we can succeed with. So don't misunderstand that."

Beane later added, "Keon Coleman is a young player that has been here two years, has two years left on his deal. It's up to us to work with him and develop him. His issues have not been on the field. They've just been maturity things that he owns. I give him credit. He doesn't make excuses, which I appreciate."

With the Bills all but giving up on Coleman, general manager Brad Holmes has an opportunity to trade a late-round draft pick for the talented wideout.

In the pre-draft process, Coleman was praised for his size and ball skills. Draft analyst Lance Zierlein explained, "The former star basketball player has a rebounder’s blend of extension and timing to give jump-ball defenders the blues. He’s big and strong with soft hands, but he can play with a little more aggression in claiming his deep-ball space and getting after it as a run blocker. Coleman might lack the athletic traits to be a well-rounded WR2. Instead, keep an eye on him as a big slot receiver who can be a red-zone specialist."

Coleman's trade value is at a low point, so it should not cost a team a Day 1 or Day 2 pick to land his services.

Jameson Williams, who the Lions invested a first-round draft pick in, also had similar challenges early in his NFL career.

Head coach Dan Campbell remained patient as the former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout matured and improved his game.

Early in his career, Williams was suspended for violating league gambling rules, and also faced a two-game suspension in 2024 for a violation of the Performance Enhancing Substances policy.

A receivers room featuring Coleman, Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Isaac TeSlaa has the potential to be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Any additional weapons for quarterback Jared Goff should be highly considered.

Being part of an organization that values players and treats them with respect could be just what Coleman needs to continue the climb of meeting his potential.

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