NFL Analyst Thinks ‘Sky’s the Limit’ for Underrated Bills WR

Several national pundits who don’t follow the Buffalo Bills closely have suggested that the sky is falling in Western New York when it comes to the team’s receiving corps, that it failed to effectively compensate for the losses of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis and, as a result, struggles throughout the 2024 campaign due to what could be an ineffective aerial attack.

You probably shouldn’t subscribe to this “little chicken” level hysteria.

Buffalo is confident in its pass-catching group even if it looks, on paper, less talented than it did a year ago. Second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid, who starred during his rookie season, is expected to play a larger role given the team’s offseason maneuvers, with new additions in Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes -Scantling and rookie Keon Coleman to round out. a revamped passing game that still has a high “floor” given that it’s led by an otherworldly quarterback in Josh Allen.

Related: WATCH: Khalil Shakir Severs Connection With Legendary Bills WR

Perhaps no player stands to benefit more from the spring departures of Diggs and Davis than third-year contributor Khalil Shakir, a versatile passer who developed a relationship with Allen in the final weeks of the 2023 season. the offense grew after Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator in Week 11, becoming a mainstay on 11 staff snaps; he averaged about three receptions per game over the final seven games of the season, finishing the year with 39 catches for 611 yards and 11 scores.

Shakir, given his demonstrated chemistry with his signal-caller and the absences of Diggs and Davis, projects as one of Buffalo’s top three players; He’s the only wide receiver currently on the team’s roster to catch a pass from Allen in a regular-season game, so it’s not egregious to imagine him being a prime target for their quarterback -back during the passing attack. This sentiment is shared by 33rd team analyst Marcus Mosher; during a recent appearance on One Bills livethe writer spoke about Shakir, describing him as a nationally underrated player who is poised to emerge in the 2024 campaign.

“I’m so glad you asked me that because now I can talk about Khalil Shakir, who might be my favorite under-the-radar player in the NFL,” Mosher said. “I know Bills fans know about Khalil Shakir, but I’m not sure national football fans realize how good Khalil Shakir is and what his ceiling might be in this offense. Every time Buffalo gave him an opportunity to produce over the last two years, he made big plays.

“We saw in the playoff game against the Steelers, the incredible catch, the play he made after the catch. I’m not saying he’s going to be a No. 1 receiver (or) a backup to Stefon Diggs, but I think Khalil Shakir could be a really impactful receiver on a really good offense. I’m really excited to see what it will look like in year three.

Mosher then discussed the use of Shakir; The 24-year-old has primarily been deployed as a slot receiver throughout his professional career, with approximately 68% of his offensive snaps during the 2023 season coming from the slot. That said, the former Boise State Bronco has the size to survive on the outside and has some experience on the spot, logging nearly 600 snaps throughout his four-year college career.

Related: Are we buying Chase Claypool’s Bills OTA hype?

The Bills have flirted with using Shakir as an outside receiver at times, and he hasn’t looked out of place in those instances. Mosher wonders if this will become a more regular phenomenon in the 2024 campaign; if so, the analyst believes Shakir could emerge as a potentially special player.

“And that’s what I’ll be interested in seeing here in year three, how much time does he spend outside?” asked Mosher. “Because for most of his career in Buffalo, he’s been a slot guy, and even coming back to Boise State, he’s been a slot guy. But if you look at his size – he’s about 200 pounds, 6 feet, ran 4.4 – he’s not that different size-wise than Stefon Diggs.

“Again, I’m not suggesting a full-time role on the outside for Khalil Shakir, but can he give Buffalo 15, 20 snaps per game as an outright outside receiver? If the answer is yes, then everything is unlimited for him, because I think he really could be one of the best route-running-slash-YAC receivers in the NFL, capable of playing on the outside, capable of play in the slot machine. – these guys are pretty rare to find.