Keon Coleman: Stud or Dud?

This offseason for Bills fans has been quite the emotional rollercoaster, from losing iconic veterans like Jordan Poyer and Leonard Floyd to players who’ve left their mark on the roster like Gabe Davis and Tre’Davious White. However, the biggest hitter in this already brutal pulping was the trading of our number one wide receiver, Stefon Diggs. With him gone, disparity began to grow in fans for the wide receiver locker room, with only Khalil Shakir and newly joined Curtis Samuel to show for it. No surprise that the Buffalo Bills headed into the NFL Draft scouting for receivers. After an excruciating 1st round that resulted in the Bills trading out with Kansas City and Carolina, in exchange for the first pick of the 2nd round. With this selection, the Buffalo Bills would attempt to fill a WR locker room that was looking for life after it had almost all of its roster removed. In the end, the Bills selected the WR from the Florida State Seminoles, the most energetic player to come from the draft in the past few years: Keon Coleman.

Immediately after Coleman was drafted, you would think he came from a circus by the way he acted in his press conference. He went on about the right time for Thanksgiving deals and even asked for the cookies immediately after the interview concluded! However, we won’t just go over his character, as we’ll cover his performance in his two former colleges: Florida State and Michigan State. On top of this, we’ll hear the perspective of a student here at Ken West on her opinion of the young receiver, and what could be to come.

Michigan State

Keon Coleman had played for two years with the Michigan State Spartans, with one year being pretty promising, and the other being quite forgettable. His first year as a freshman started in 2021, and only amounted to 50 yards throughout the whole season in 10 games, 7 total catches, and one touchdown. Overall, this guy sounded like a complete bust. However, it was his first year, and he still had room to grow and improve. And to only say that Coleman improved the following year would be an understatement. In 2022, he went from 50 total yards for the year to 798 yards out of 58 catches and 7 touchdowns throughout 12 games this time. On top of that, he averaged 13.8 yards per catch and 66.5 yards per game. In a year, Coleman went from mediocre at best, to serviceable and reliable. This would be his last season in Michigan, however, as he would move across the country into the hot, beachy lands of Florida.

Florida State and Draft

After his freshman and sophomore years in Michigan, Keon Coleman traveled to Florida State to play his junior year of football with the Florida State Seminoles. This time, Coleman accumulated 658 yards in 50 catches across another 12 games, and an average of 13.2 yards per catch. While these numbers seem like a fall, he increased his touchdown game, going from 7 touchdown receptions to 11 this year. At this point, the NFL Draft was coming up, and the Bills were desperate for wide receivers. With the 28th pick in the Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brian Thomas Jr. already selected in the previous rounds, the Buffalo Bills decided to trade their pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the 32nd overall pick. This allowed the Chiefs to draft the WR with the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history, Xavier Worthy. Many people freaked out over this, comparing the situation to the Bills trading the pick to the Chiefs that would allow them to draft Patrick Mahomes, and others weren’t too worried. After that whole fiasco, the Bills then decided to completely exit the first round of the Draft by trading their pick from the Chiefs to the Panthers for the first pick of the second round. It was here where the Bills selected Keon Coleman. Many people, including myself, had never heard his name. Now after seeing him behind a microphone and on the field, he’s taken over my mind. 

Overall, the new wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills donning the number 0 has the makings of a star, as long as he puts the work in. However, playing with an elite quarterback like Josh Allen should help his career. A Kenmore West student Millie Palmeri had this to say about him, “In my opinion, Keon Coleman is an incredibly talented athlete with immense potential. I believe that with the right guidance and opportunities, he could become a standout player in football.”  She mentions how Coleman can be great with the right guidance. And with Josh Allen at the helm, he could be our new WR1. Millie, like many others, cannot wait to see the man in action this coming season. If worst comes to worst and he turns out to be a bust, at least he’ll be entertaining to listen to!