Aside from Dalton Kincaid receiving a lot of hype heading into the 2024 season with the Bills, wide receiver Khalil Shakir has had expectations put on him as well to step up in the receiving game. The absence of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis opens up the door of opportunity for Shakir to evolve into the Bills’ go-to guy in the offense. While Kincaid has a higher ceiling as a pass catcher, Shakir is quicker than Kincaid and can get open sooner than Kincaid.
Shakir was quiet in the first half of the season last year, but slowly started to become more involved each week under Joe Brady. From Week 8 and on, Shakir was averaging four targets a game and had two games over 100 receiving yards against the Jets (115) and the Dolphins (105). With Buffalo figuring out that they had a solid run game with James Cook, Shakir didn’t see the endzone as much, finishing the season with just two touchdowns.
One thing we have seen in the Bills training camp is that this offense is going to include every weapon possible. That could impact Shakir’s production. However, he is the only true receiver that is returning to Buffalo from last year so he has an advantage compared to the new guys. The only other receiver that has some experience with Brady's offense is Samuel back in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers.
Shakir more than likely won’t be the Bills true number one receiver in the offense, but he has the chance to lead the team in targets in multiple games. He has been somewhat quiet so far throughout training camp. We have been hearing about Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and a lot of Dalton Kincaid. A quiet Shakir can be a dangerous weapon for this offense if he is utilized correctly.