Bills select Keon Coleman with 33rd overall pick: Instant grade and analysis

Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft officially kicked off with the Buffalo Bills making their first pick of this year's draft. The reason it is the first pick is that the Bills made two separate trades towards the end of the first round as they moved from 28 to 32 in a swap of picks with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Then when they were on the clock for the final pick of the first round, they agreed to a trade with the Carolina Panthers that moved them one spot back but out of the first round complete and into the second round. This gave the Bills time to listen to trade offers but they ultimately decided to stay at this pick and address their biggest need at wide receiver.

The Bills lost both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason and it will now be Keon Coleman who is stepping into what could be a big role right from the start. The former Michigan State and Florida State wide receiver has great size at 6’4” and 210 pounds which should allow him to bully some cornerbacks at the NFL level.

Coleman played two seasons in Michigan State in 2021 and 2022 with his best season being in 2022 with 58 receptions, 798 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns. He would transfer to Florida State before 2023 and had similar stats with 50 receptions, 658 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns.

The concern with Coleman though is that he has average speed that doesn’t allow him to create much separation. While Josh Allen has a powerful arm, he has never been overly accurate with his throws and while Coleman can win some of those 50/50 balls, it might be tough for Allen to even get the ball to that point.

Instant grade for the Buffalo Bills selection of Keon Coleman: B-

The reason the selection got the grade it did was because I took into account the additional draft capital the Bills acquired along the way. The two trades helped the Bills turn a fourth into a third round pick and a sixth-round pick into a fifth.

The biggest question for Coleman is how he fits in this offense and what he can bring. Being the first wide receiver selection, the expectation is that he is the answer to replace Stefon Diggs but he feels like more of a replacement for Gabe Davis. He can be an effective run blocker on the edge and can make some plays down the field.

He will need time to develop and that is time the Bills don't have. It is only one pick and it will be interesting to see how else the team addresses the position between now and the start of the 2024 season. If this is the only move though, it is a big concern for the offense.