Bills WR Keon Coleman named realistic NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate

CBS Sports has named Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman as one of eight players to watch in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year race.

Oct 14, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Keon Coleman (4) celebrates after catching a pass over Syracuse Orange defensive back Jason Simmons Jr. (6) (not pictured) during the first quarter at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Keon Coleman’s already decorated resume is growing longer by the day.

His college athletics production stretches across several universities and sports. He’s a renowned artist and financial savings savant. He’s even a talented comic and generally good guy.

There seemingly isn’t anything that the 21-year-old cannot do, and if one outlet is to be believed, he could soon add another prestigious honor to his resume.

CBS Sports writer Chris Trapasso recently wrote an article ranking the eight most likely NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2024 NFL season, with the Buffalo Bills' rookie wide receiver slotting in at eighth on the list. While the writer notes that Buffalo’s revamped receiving corps is a bit crowded, Coleman’s situation is simply too advantageous to overlook.

“While I wasn't high on Coleman during the pre-draft process, I can't ignore who will be throwing him the football,” Trapoasso wrote. “Allen is as aggressive as any passer in football with otherworldly arm talent. Coleman better be ready for back-shoulder rockets in his direction, particularly in the red zone. Because of his size, athletic ability, and Allen's brilliance, Coleman will be able to make an impact as a rookie in Buffalo. There'll just be too many targets toward his teammates for him to garner serious Rookie of the Year hype.”

Related: Bills fade into crowded AFC field in 2024 NFL roster rankings

Trapasso feels that seven players—four of whom are wide receivers—have more realistic paths to NFL Rookie of the Year honors than Coleman, which isn’t all that bad considering that the former Florida State Seminole was a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, with seven wideouts going off the board in front of him.

Coleman, as Trapasso notes, will have to fight for targets in a new-look Bills’ receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason. The team figures to lean on the rookie, third-year contributor Khalil Shakir, and the recently-signed Curtis Samuel to fill the 241 targets vacated by Diggs and Davis, with sophomore tight end Dalton Kincaid also projecting to have a prominent role in the aerial attack. 

Keon Coleman one-handed😮‍💨

pic.twitter.com/hIekSuvdjo

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 14, 2023

And while the competition will be steep, Coleman certainly has the talent necessary to carve out a significant role in the receiving corps. He caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns in Tallahassee last season, serving as a big-bodied target who, while perhaps a bit unrefined, showed that he has the tools necessary to be the focal point of a passing game. 

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has stated that the team will give Coleman the opportunity to play as its X wide receiver immediately, with the rookie already making a positive impact on quarterback Josh Allen. If the two can translate their budding rapport into live-game action, NFL Rookie of the Year honors could reasonably be in Coleman’s future.