The Bills faced a wave of questions at wide receiver after trading Stefon Diggs in April. Their hope is Keon Coleman can be one of the answers.
Coleman was selected out of Florida State in the second round of April's draft, landing in Buffalo as someone who could quickly rise up the depth chart. While inconsistent production with the Seminoles pushed Coleman out of the first round, his size and raw skills gave him one of the highest ceilings of any receiver in the draft. Can he reach it?
Coleman was a significant factor in the Bills' passing game in his NFL debut, and he has the chance to keep rising up the depth chart with no clear No. 1 receiver on the roster.
Here's what you need to know about Coleman, his eccentric personality and his family connection to an NFL star.
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Who is Keon Coleman?
Coleman was the No. 33 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, coming off the board at the top of the second round.
Briefly a basketball player at Michigan State, Coleman broke through on the football field in 2022 with 798 yards and transferred to Florida State after the season. His stock soared after posting 122 yards and three touchdowns against LSU in the Seminoles' season opener, but Coleman had a hard time sustaining that production. He finished the year with 658 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Coleman's tools still excited NFL teams. He certainly has NFL size at 6-4 and 210 lbs, and his ball skills are undeniable. A lack of elite speed and inconsistent production in college made Coleman a risk, but in the second round, the Bills saw it as a risk very much worth taking.
So far, the results are promising. Coleman led the Bills with five targets in Week 1 and hauled in four of them for 51 yards. In a group of wide receivers with no clear No. 1 option, the second-rounder is already looking like he will be part of Josh Allen's circle of trust this season.
Coleman also brings an infectious personality to the Bills. He went viral more than a few times for hilarious soundbites during the offseason, including when a clip of him talking about his golf game during a pre-draft meeting went viral.
Keon Coleman’s NFL Combine interview with the #Bills:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 3, 2024
Question: What do you do outside football?
Coleman: Chill at the house. Golf.
“You golf?
Coleman: “I'm Tiger WishHeCould. I'm not Tiger Woods.”
This guy is the best 😂😂😂
(via @BuffaloBills)
pic.twitter.com/RPp8rzTD0m
The Bills liked what they saw on and off the field, and they're hoping Coleman can emerge as a cornerstone of their offense as Allen looks for a long-term No. 1 receiver.
MORE: Josh Allen downplays hand injury ahead of 'TNF'
Keon Coleman jersey number
The NFL began allowing players to wear No. 0 in 2023, and Coleman took full advantage of the opportunity in a tribute to his Michigan State jersey number.
Twenty-two players wore No. 0 in 2023, including five wide receivers: Calvin Ridley, Marvin Jones, Braxton Berrios, Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell. Twenty-five players suited up in No. 0 in Week 1 this season, including rookies Terrion Arnold, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mike Sainristill in addition to Coleman.
Is Keon Coleman related to CeeDee Lamb?
Coleman revealed he found out during the pre-draft process that he is a distant cousin of Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb.
"His grandfather and my great-grandmother, they're first cousins. We just found it out," Coleman said after the draft. Coleman added that he's trained "a few different times" with Lamb but said getting together was difficult because of how busy both players are.
While Coleman and Lamb aren't first cousins, they clearly both got some good genes. Lamb has emerged as one of the NFL's best (and one of the highest-paid) receivers, exploding for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. That's a tough act for Coleman to follow, but the rookie is off to a solid start with 51 yards on four catches in a Week 1 win.
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Keon Coleman college stats
| Season | School | Games | Rec. | Yards | TD | Y/R |
| 2021 | Michigan State | 10 | 7 | 50 | 1 | 7.1 |
| 2022 | Michigan State | 12 | 58 | 798 | 7 | 13.8 |
| 2023 | Florida State | 12 | 50 | 658 | 11 | 13.2 |
| Career | 34 | 115 | 1,506 | 19 | 13.1 |
Coleman had a limited role in his freshman season at Michigan State but broke out with 798 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.
The rising junior transferred over to Florida State, where he started red-hot but struggled to maintain that production on his way to 658 yards. Coleman still hauled in 11 touchdowns with the Seminoles, flashing his NFL-caliber size.
Bills WR depth chart
| WR | Player |
| 1 | Khalil Shakir |
| 2 | Keon Coleman |
| 3 | Mack Hollins |
| 4 | Curtis Samuel |
| 5 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling |
The Bills' wide receiver room is still a work in progress after losing Diggs and Gabe Davis, but Khalil Shakir and Coleman appear to be at the top right now.
Coleman led the Bills in targets with five in Week 1, while Shakir built on his strong finish to 2023 with 42 yards and a touchdown on three catches.
Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling each earned two targets in the win, with Hollins hauling in a touchdown. Much like the Chiefs' receiving room last season, any Bills pass-catcher who emerges could quickly ascend through the depth chart and become one of Allen's top targets with no clear No. 1 option on the roster.
