After trading down twice, including out of the first round entirely, the Buffalo Bills used their first pick (33rd overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft to select former Florida State WR Keon Coleman.
Coleman fills a major need for the Bills at wide receiver after they traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans earlier this month. Before the Diggs trade, they were already thin at the position, with Gabe Davis departing for Jacksonville in free agency.
According to Bills GM Brandon Beane, Josh Allen was not only involved in the pre-draft process, but he was also a big advocate for Coleman.
Josh Allen Raved About Keon Coleman Before the Draft
After the NFL Draft, Beane confirmed with reporters that Allen was a huge fan of Coleman’s when discussing the wide receiver targets in the class.
“Josh liked a lot of them,” Beane said. “Keon, he definitely had an affinity for. The size, the basketball background.”
Beane said that Allen also commended Coleman’s big catch radius and being able to reel in passes that might be behind the talented former Florida State receiver.
Josh Allen had "an affinity for" WR Keon Coleman pic.twitter.com/wT8qdeKYm9
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 29, 2024
On Tuesday, Beane expanded on Allen’s involvement in the pre-draft process, even saying that he obsessives over mock drafts like the most passionate NFL fans do.
Josh Allen is DIALED IN through the draft process..
"He does love the process and I swear he does 200 mock drafts 😂😂
I love that he loves it and we'd be stupid not to listen to his thoughts on things"
Brandon Beane #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vXsC6x3lVK
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 30, 2024
Coleman is a big-body receiver at 6’4″ and initially committed to play football and basketball with Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans. After deciding to focus on the gridiron, Coleman transferred to the Seminoles, catching 11 touchdowns and 658 yards during his final season.
While replacing Diggs and Davis will not be easy, Allen certainly seems excited for the 20-year-old receiver to arrive in Buffalo, and the feeling is mutual.
“I’m just a big fan of him. He likes to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, and as a quarterback, it’s like having a guy from Space Jam; he can do everything,” Coleman told News 4 Buffalo.
Here's Keon Coleman saying that having a QB like Josh Allen is "like having a guy from Space Jam."#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/0WVcfCd2K7
— Sara Holland (@SaraaHolland) April 27, 2024
Coleman also admitted that Allen reached out to him after Day 1 of the draft, informing the young receiver that he hand-selected him.
“He texted me the day of and was like, ‘You’re the guy I want. I watched a lot of receivers and I want to play with you,'” Coleman said in an interview.
Coleman’s Scouting Report
Coming out of college, Coleman did not have the same receiving volume as the other top receivers in this draft class. During his time at Michigan State and Florida State, he experienced unstable QB play but still put up decent numbers.
In Coleman’s scouting report, Pro Football Network NFL Draft Analyst Ian Cummings referred to him as a lab-built athlete with excellent size, length, frame density, and compact mass. Cummings agrees with Beane and Allen that Coleman’s big-catch radius is what makes him a promising prospect.
“Coleman’s most marketable phase of play is his catching ability,” Cummings wrote. “He can naturally box-out and outreach defenders at the catch point and expand beyond his pure size with extraordinary catch-point instincts…”
Bills’ WR Depth Chart
It’s great that Allen and Coleman’s relationship is off to an extremely friendly start, but they will need to prove it on the field together this fall.
Coleman will have plenty of opportunity after the Bills were left a little thin following the departure of Davis in free agency and trading Diggs to the Houston Texans.
Coleman is projected to start at receiver during his rookie season. The Bills also brought in Curtis Samuel in free agency, who caught 62 balls for 613 yards and four touchdowns last season with the Washington Commanders.
KEEP READING: Buffalo Bills Final NFL Draft Grades 2024
Khalil Shakir, who the Bills drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, will likely receive a slightly increased workload, too. Last season, he caught 39 passes for 611 yards and two touchdowns.
Behind Coleman, Samuel, and Shakir are projects like Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers, and Bryan Thompson. They also signed Mack Hollins, who is coming off of a down year with the Atlanta Falcons.