Massive third-year breakout predicted for promising Bills WR

We’re not necessarily good at cooking, but seen from 30,000 feet, with an obviously talented wide receiver who showed promise in his scheme and with his quarterback in a more advantageous situation to succeed. seems as a recipe for success.

That’s the situation Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir finds himself in entering the 2024 NFL season. The 24-year-old played in limited roles in his two professional seasons, catching 49 passes for 772 yards and three touchdowns, with most of that production coming last year. Previously a consistent and effective complementary piece, Shakir moved into a larger offensive role entering his third NFL season given the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis; with 1,929 receiving yards removed from the receiving corps, it will be a combination of Skair, free agent signee Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman who will be counted on to replace a significant portion of that acreage.

Buffalo, to be sure, gives Shakir a daunting task, but he certainly has the talent to carry the burden; His chemistry with Josh Allen also improved dramatically as last season progressed (culminating in a six-reception, 105-yard outing in a Week 18 win over the Miami Dolphins), suggesting that he and the otherworldly quarterback are ready to take over right. foot entering the 2024 campaign.

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Shakir, on paper, looks ready to break out in his third season, and Marcus Mosher of the 33rd team echoed that sentiment. He identified Skakir as a player to watch in a recent article outlining three wide receivers who could break out during the upcoming campaign.

“For Shakir to take off in 2024, he will need to play more snaps outside of the slot,” Mosher wrote. “According to TruMedia, Shakir ran 257 of his 332 routes (77.4%) from the slot last season. The addition of Curtis Samuel, who also plays in the slot, means the Bills need someone else who can win on the outside If you just look at the measurables, the 6-foot, 190-pound Shakir compares favorably to Diggs as an outside receiver who can win against the press. Most of his career Shakir has yet to show this ability, but the Bills have no choice but to play him on the outside.

“He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and has done a fantastic job creating separation in the slot. Now is the time for his game to evolve. If he can take the next step and become an inside threat and outside, the Bills should do it. I have no problem replacing Diggs’ production.

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Shakir, as Mosher noted, played the majority of his career in the slot, but his positional versatility was one of his most attractive attributes coming out of Boise State. He took 227 snaps wide, 112 in the slot and 27 in the backfield as a junior in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus, with that split increasing to 161 wide, 529 in the slot and 18 in the backfield in 2022. He’s been a slot receiver for much of his recent past, but he has the ability to consistently win on the outside — he’s done it before.

This is where Mosher expects Shakir to take a significant portion of his snaps for Buffalo, even suggesting that Stefon Diggs-style production is possible if the wideout fulfills his promise; Diggs averaged 111 receptions for 1,343 yards in his three seasons with the Bills.

That potential production may be a little too optimistic for Shakir, but given his expanded role, he should easily put together a career year – if he doesn’t, Buffalo’s aerial attack could struggle significantly of growth.