Buffalo Bills third-year wide receiver picked as breakout candidate in 2024

As the 2023 season progressed, the Bills Khalil Shakir gradually saw his snap share increase week after week. In the season opener, Shakir had only a ten percent share of the snaps; however, each subsequent week, his snaps increased until Week Eight hitting a then-season-high of 65.2 percent. From that point on, he dipped below 60 percent only twice, and those were the two games that Allen had the fewest pass attempts of the season.

You also saw a significant bump in the number of targets he was receiving. Through the first six games of the 2023 season, Shakir was targeted only five times. From Week Seven on, he received 40 targets, turning in a season total, and a career-high 39 receptions, 611 yards, and two touchdowns. He also had a solid postseason, pulling in 10 receptions on 12 targets for 75 yards, and two more touchdowns.

Shakir is a rising star as the Buffalo Bills gear up for the 2024 season. Fans and analysts are buzzing about his potential for a breakout year, including me, having predicted he would record over 100 receptions during a recent episode of our podcast. It's true though, search bills breakout candidates, and several articles will pop up from various media outlets and experts predicting that Shakir will have a big season.

Dan Pizzuta, an NFL analyst from the 33rd Team, believes Shakir will have a big year. According to Pizzuta, "Shakir has the traits to win outside; he just wasn’t asked to do so during his two NFL seasons. If he can consistently win there, Shakir could emerge as a high-volume target for a Buffalo offense that desperately needs one".

Pro Football Focus agrees, adding "Shakir had a strong Year 2, producing a 76.9 receiving grade and a 2% drop rate. Further, Shakir saw jumps in both yards after the catch per reception and yards per route run." Add to that, no receiver in the league in 2023 had a better catch rate than Shakir, and it's easy to see why so many, me included, believe that Shakir has what it takes to become Josh Allen's number one guy in Buffalo.