How Bills WR Keon Coleman compares statistically to other rookie WRs entering Week 8

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is doing a pretty good job.

He’s proven that time and time again in his eight years at the helm of the organization, and the night-one tango he pulled off at the NFL Draft last April was just recent evidence of that attitude. The veteran manager entered the first day of the 2024 draft with the 28th overall pick and a dire need for wide receiver; With his team having a plethora of talented options available as the clock ticked down, Beane instead opted to trade the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, who used the selection on Texas speedster Xavier Worthy.

The move sparked ridicule from parts of the Buffalo faithful; Why on earth would the Bills, who have been defeated by the Chiefs in three of the last four postseasons, allow their rival to acquire a potentially dynamic offensive weapon? Beane didn’t look at the deal from that perspective, it wasn’t necessarily important to him WHO offered to trade for the 28th overall pick, but instead prioritized the value he received. He ultimately went outright in the first round before selecting his own signature pass-catcher in the second round, securing Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman with the 33rd overall pick.

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Widely viewed as a raw pass-catcher with high demands but plenty of wiggle room in the pre-draft process, Buffalo has moved Coleman into a major role through the first seven games of his rookie season, as he played at a high 272 of the Bills’ offensive snaps (66%). He has caught 16 of 27 targets for 326 yards and two scores and is the team’s leading receiver at this point in the season.

And despite being the eighth wideout receiver in this year’s draft, he was one of the most productive rookie wideouts in the first few weeks of the 2024 season. Although he is on par sixth among newbies in goals and sits with eighth He currently ranks first in receptions third in receiving yards, behind only Jacksonville Jaguars pass catcher Brian Thomas Jr. (512) and New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers (427); Both Thomas and Nabers were first-round picks.

His reception rate of 59.3% is good tenth Among rookie receivers with at least 10 targets, he ranks ahead of Worthy, Chicago Bears wideout Rome Odunze and fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in his most impressive performance First Among freshmen with at least 10 targets in average yards per reception of 20.4 and average yards after catch per reception of 10.3, these stats show his big-play ability.

In comparison, Worthy – the player many believe the Bills “gave up” in favor of Coleman – is currently tied with the Buffalo rookie in targets (27) and has fewer receptions (15) and receiving yards (198). . He ranks ninth among first-year wideouts in catches and eighth in receiving yards. His 13.5-yard reception average is good for fifth among freshmen with at least 10 targets.

It’s still too early to make a definitive statement about which receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft will ultimately prove to be the best in their class, since they’ve all only played a handful of games. However, Coleman – who is still very much adjusting to the professional level and refining his own game – has been productive and promising so far, leaving fans optimistic about his immediate and long-term future at Orchard Park.

All stats and rankings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

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