Record-breaking rookie season predicted for Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman

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

If he begins his professional career as an analyst projecting that he will, he might be on track to earn a jacket in a slightly different shade of yellow.

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

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“Although Coleman enters the league as a second-round pick, he will have plenty of opportunities to establish himself as the Buffalo Bills’ No. 1 receiver,” Moton wrote. “The Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, which frees up more than 150 targets in the air attack.

“. . . As a rookie last season, tight end Dalton Kincaid caught 73 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Allen could look to him a lot more in the passing game, although 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 regularly win battles for contested catches and position himself to snatch passes out of the air in the end zone. . . The big, big man could see a peak in his production with high target volume and a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback who has a big arm.

The Bills rightfully have 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 unprecedented for a Buffalo in his first year. Sammy Watkins currently ranks as the most productive rookie in Bills history, catching 65 passes for 982 yards during the 2014 NFL season. Lee Evans has the most touchdown receptions among rookies in Buffalo history, catching nine during the 2004 campaign.

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Coleman would shatter those records if Moton’s projection comes true, becoming the most objectively dominant rookie pass catcher Western New York has ever seen. This would be one of the most impressive seasons ever by a Bills player, overall, as 10 scores would move Coleman into second place all-time for 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 touchdowns of any rookie. His 1,016 projected receiving yards are second only to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (1,511).

While this is an admittedly optimistic projection for Coleman, it is not necessarily unrealistic, as he projects as an X receiver in an offense led by a former All-Pro quarterback. He and Josh Allen are already developing a relationship within OTAs; if the two established strong chemistry in September, the league should be on notice.