The Buffalo Bills' best wide receiver plays out of the slot. There's where Khalil Shakir does so much of his brilliant work.
And last season, the Bills were OK with that. They took on an "everyone eats" mindset, and it nearly got them to the Super Bowl.
But to get over that Kansas City Chiefs hump in the AFC postseason, the Bills likely need an outside star to emerge.
And the likeliest candidate is Keon Coleman. ESPN's Ben Solak calls the second-year receiver the Bills' X-factor for 2025.
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"Coleman is the player they really need to emerge on the outside," Solak writes. "He is not an elite separator, but succeeds as a ball winner. That's the sort of player who needs time to develop trust and chemistry with his quarterback, as Allen must be willing to throw to Coleman even when he's covered. In Year 1, the relationship was not yet there. But if Coleman can become a Tee Higgins-esque receiver over the middle of the field and in the low red zone, he'll introduce a new, physical facet that the Bills missed at times last year. Perhaps then this offense can finally get over the hump."
Coleman is a fan favorite. He's got a goofy personality. And he clearly has impressive physical gifts.
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The Bills chose him with the first choice of the 2024 second round. As a rookie, he finished with 29 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns, showing off some explosiveness but lacking consistency.
Buffalo added wideouts Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore this offseason, so they can produce some, as well.
But the biggest upside in the Bills' passing game would come from Coleman reaching his ceiling.
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