Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman found himself at the center of one of the big draft stories last offseason, with the franchise picking him over Xavier Worthy, a move that many are still scratching their heads at.
And now, after a so-so rookie season that yielded just 556 yards and four touchdowns, Keon comes into Year 2 with a little pressure to take things up a notch.
But will he?
The Bills signed Joshua Palmer in free agency, but Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper walked out the door, leaving Khalil Shakir, Palmer, Curtis Samuel, and Keon as Josh Allen's go-to guys. We can chuck in Elijah Moore too, but he is likely a depth piece at this stage.
In Joe Brady's offense, the "everybody eats" mantra fueled their success last year, and now, as Coleman embarks on his second season, ESPN thinks he should be set for a big improvement in 2025.
"The big-bodied, contested-catch expert from Florida State was exactly that for the Bills in his rookie season -- a big-play ball winner who saw 39 of his 57 targets against man coverage," ESPN writes. "Though he typically wins with physicality, Coleman showed enough wiggle in his routes and surprising shiftiness after the catch such that there's an exciting profile in there. He'll get a bigger route tree and more opportunities in Year 2, and he should continue earning quarterback Josh Allen's trust."
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman
© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Often, we expect rookies, especially ones drafted high, to be bona fide starters who produce from Day 1, but that isn't always the case, and for Coleman, he did deal with some injuries that kept him out of four regular-season games.
That isn't ideal, but now he has the chance to have another full offseason with Allen and the offense, in a bid to become the receiver the franchise wanted him to be.
You could say there is a little bit of pressure on Coleman as a second-round pick (Bills' first pick in the draft) to show something substantial on the field.
There were glimpses of it, but nothing more. Now in Year 2, if Keon is to take the leap Buffalo wants him to, there will need to be more than just glimpses.
We want fireworks. And he's more than capable of doing it.