Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman will be under a little pressure in Year 2 after a rookie campaign that left a lot to be desired.
While still posting 556 yards and four touchdowns, Coleman wasn't the weapon the Bills had envisioned when they drafted him, with injury and poor form being the catalyst for some pointed words from general manager Brandon Beane ahead of the offseason.
Now, with Josh Allen's weapons being deemed as "less than," someone has to step up and become that go-to guy, and for NFL.com's Bucky Brooks, Coleman could become that player.
"Josh Allen’s handpicked WR1 looks poised to make a major leap in his second season," Brooks wrote. "Coleman’s superior size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and superb ball skills should help him take advantage of favorable matchups in the red zone. The sophomore should also see his numbers explode with Allen throwing the ball his way to exploit the coverage tilted in Khalil Shakir’s direction following Shakir's own breakout campaign in 2024.
"As opponents attempt to neutralize the reigning MVP and the NFL’s most potent offense with various coverages designed to eliminate the deep ball, Coleman could shine as the cheat code on the perimeter."
There's no denying that Coleman has the tools to develop into that sort of weapon, but he has to show he can be a more consistent player, and that starts at training camp.
Just 29 receptions last season isn't enough, and in truth, potentially doubling that in 2025 would be a good start for Coleman, while getting near to 800-ish receiving yards, possibly more should be the target.
Yes, Khalil Shakir and Joshua Palmer will get their targets, but Coleman has to show he deserves to get his too, and in doing so, Allen might just have a sneaky good trio to fall back on.
But make no mistake, Coleman, whether it is this season or next, has to develop into the No. 1 option the Bills drafted him to be.
