Bills WR named one of NFL’s ‘most underrated’ wide receivers for 2024 season

Although some fans and experts question the immediate viability of the Buffalo Bills’ revamped receiving corps, there are legitimate reasons to be optimistic. The team compensated for the offseason departures of Gabriel Davis and perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs by adding several high-profile receivers, including free agent Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman. Buffalo is also hoping to replace some of the production in-house, hoping that pass catchers who were with the team last season move into larger roles in the absence of Davis and Diggs.

One player who appears to benefit greatly from offseason maneuvering at the wide receiver position is third-year contributor Khalil Shakir, who played a spot role in his first two seasons. He has caught 49 passes for 772 yards in his professional career, with most of that production (39 receptions for 611 yards) coming last season. He particularly impressed throughout the 2023 campaign, earning the trust of signal-caller Josh Allen as he became a mainstay on 11-man sets; he became one of his quarterback’s favored targets, scoring at least four goals in five of the final nine games of the season (including the playoffs).

He’s made the most of every opportunity he’s been given as a professional, and now he may be getting his best chance yet. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine took note of Shakir’s past impact and current opportunity, identifying the wide receiver as the NFL’s third-most underrated wide receiver entering the 2024 campaign in a recent piece for the outlet.

“The 2022 fifth-round pick was an ascendant player in his second year in the league,” Ballentine wrote. “After Joe Brady took over as the Bills’ offensive coordinator in Week 11, he caught 20 passes for 363 yards in seven games. Shakir’s rise coincided with Diggs’ decline in production, signaling a confidence in Shakir that should only grow as Josh Allen moves forward without his top two targets. Throwing the ball to Shakir was already a steal for the quarterback. Allen had a 133.6 passer rating while targeting Shakir.

“The Bills offense will look a lot different in 2024. Josh Allen will have to lead the passing attack without an elite No. 1 wide receiver. Shakir may not fill that role completely, but he will show everyone that the Bills passing attack will be just fine.

As Ballentine alludes, Shakir probably won’t take over the No. 1 role “completely” — instead it appears the Bills will take an egalitarian approach to aerial production, spreading the ball among Shakir, Samuel, Coleman and the linebackers. Dalton Kincaid, the 1-year-old tight end. There likely won’t be a player who significantly outpaces his peers in targets or receptions; That said, given his demonstrated rapport with Allen and his comfort in an offense called Joe Brady, one could reasonably expect a significant increase in searches for Shakir during the 2024 campaign.

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