Ascending Bills WR Earns Spot on NFL Analyst’s ‘All-Breakout’ Team

There is an age-old quote often attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” » By that definition, one might consider Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir quite lucky.

The 24-year-old made the most of his admittedly limited opportunities throughout his two professional seasons, especially during a 2023 campaign in which he ultimately caught 39 passes for 611 yards. He became an offensive mainstay after Joe Brady took over as a player in Week 11, earning the trust of quarterback Josh Allen and catching 20 passes for 363 yards over the final seven games of the season. . He caught 10 more passes for 75 yards and two scores in the playoffs.

He was one of many players who benefited from Brady’s rise to point guard, a player who consistently stepped up as more was put on his plate and, thus, gained more and more opportunities as the season progressed. The third-year contributor now finds himself with his most advantageous opportunity yet: a chance to enter the 2024 NFL season as the top wide receiver on Buffalo’s depth chart.

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The Bills allowed wide receiver Gabriel Davis to leave in free agency before trading perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, leaving Shakir as the only wide receiver on the Bills roster to catch a pass from Allen during a regular season contest. Buffalo filled in its omissions at receiver this offseason with players like Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and rookie Keon Coleman, but none of those players – at least not initially – are objectively better than Shakir, which means the former Boise State Bronco should have plenty. opportunities to impress throughout the 2024 campaign.

That sentiment was echoed by NFL.com writer Bucky Brooks in a recent article building a hypothetical “All-Breakout” offensive team ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Shakir is one of three wideouts on Brooks’ roster, with the analyst particularly noting his favorable situation.

“The Stefon Diggs trade opened up the WR1 role in the passing game,” Brooks wrote. ” Although the team drafted Keon Coleman with the 33rd overall pick to potentially fill the void, Shakir could take over as the primary receiver after a 2023 campaign that showed his potential as a major threat (39 catches for 611 yards and two scores). With more opportunities in Joe Brady’s scheme, the third-year pro could break the 1,000-yard mark.

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If a Buffalo receiver wants to usurp 1,000 yards during the 2024 campaign, Shakir – thanks to his demonstrated comfort in a Brady scheme and his relationship with Allen – seems the safest bet. It’s also fair to expect the Bills to have a 1,000-yard receiver in the upcoming season, since a Buffalo player has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in all of Allen’s seasons at the head of the offensive, except one.

That said, the Bills should spread the ball around a bit throughout the 2024 season, with Shakir battling for targets like Samuel, Coleman and, perhaps most importantly, second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid. The former Utah Ute should play a particularly important role in his second season – Shakir could be Buffalo’s leader. wide receiverbut Kincaid will likely be Allen’s primary target in the passing game.

Aside from the potentially crowded passing unit, Shakir still projects to run a breakout campaign in 2024 and is therefore an inspired selection on Brooks’ roster.

—Benefit from free bill coverage Buffalo Bills on SI—