Record-breaking rookie season projected for Bills WR Keon Coleman

One outlet expects Buffalo Bills rookie Keon Coleman to shatter several franchise records in a dominant rookie campaign.

Nov 11, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Keon Coleman (4) celebrates a touchdown score against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman made quite the impression on the Buffalo faithful at his introductory press conference when he joked about his chic winter coat, a puffy yellow jacket that he found on sale at Macy’s.

If he starts his professional career as one analyst projects that he will, he could be well on his way to earning a jacket in a slightly different shade of yellow.

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton recently wrote an article listing his statistical projections for the top wide receivers selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, predicting that Coleman will put up superb numbers in his rookie campaign. The writer projects the Buffalo Bills’ wideout to catch 80 passes for 1,016 yards and ten touchdowns in his debut season, cementing himself as one of the league’s premier young pass catchers as he shatters several franchise records.

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“Though Coleman enters the league as a second-round pick, he will have plenty of opportunities to establish himself as the Buffalo Bills' No. 1 wide receiver,” Moton wrote. “The Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, which frees up about 150-plus targets in the aerial attack.

“. . . As a rookie last season, tight end Dalton Kincaid hauled in 73 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Allen may look to him a lot more in the passing game, though Coleman could lead the team in targets as the top receiver on the depth chart. Coleman is a 6'4", 215-pound possession receiver who can routinely win battles for contested catches and position himself to pluck passes out of the air in the end zone . . . The big-bodied wideout could see a spike in his production with a high target volume and a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback who has a big arm.”

The Bills have justifiably high aspirations for Coleman, as he projects as the centerpiece of a revamped receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason; that said, this level of production is unheard of for a Buffalo wideout in their first year. Sammy Watkins currently ranks as the most productive rookie wideout in Bills’ history, catching 65 passes for 982 yards in the 2014 NFL season. Lee Evans has the most touchdown receptions among rookies in Buffalo history, catching nine in the 2004 campaign.

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Coleman would shatter these records if Moton’s projection comes to fruition, becoming the most objectively dominant rookie pass-catcher Western New York has ever seen. It would be one of the most impressive seasons ever constructed by a Bills wideout, in general, as 10 scores would allow Coleman to rank second all-time in receiving touchdowns by a Buffalo receiver in a single year (tied with Stefon Diggs, Stevie Johnson, Eric Moulds, Andre Reed, Bob Chandler, and Elbert Dubenion).

Moton expects Coleman to finish the 2024 season with the most receiving touchdowns of any rookie wideout. His projected 1,016 receiving yards is second to only Arizona Cardinals pass-catcher Marvin Harrison Jr. (1,511).

Though it’s an admittedly optimistic projection for Coleman, it’s not necessarily unrealistic, as he projects as the X wide receiver in an offense helmed by a former All-Pro quarterback. He and Josh Allen are already developing a rapport at OTAs; if the two have established a strong chemistry come September, the league should be on notice.