The Buffalo Bills entered the 2024 NFL season with huge question marks at wide receiver. After trading an unhappy Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans and allowing Gabe Davis to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills were left to wonder how quarterback Josh Allen would respond in his first year without a star wideout since the 2019 season. In that year, Allen played effectively at times, but it was clear that he needed help, which is why the team went out and acquired Diggs in the first place.
All Allen did this past season was win the league’s Most Valuable Player award while elevating his supporting cast all season. Buffalo didn’t have a legitimate star receiver — even after acquiring an excellent veteran in Amari Cooper during a midseason trade — yet Allen was efficient and the Bills’ passing game ranked ninth in yards and seventh in touchdowns despite ranking only 26th in pass attempts.
Some people mocked the “everybody eats” mantra pushed throughout training camp, but the Bills lived that all season long. Does that mean Buffalo should run it back with the same wideouts as they had last season?
In today’s edition of our State of the Bills’ roster series, we discuss the wide receivers room.
Keon Coleman
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; second year of four-year rookie contract worth $10,074,298 ($2,289,604 cap hit; $7,808,812 dead-cap charge if released or traded; .83% of total team cap)
Age: 21 (22 on 5/17/2025)
Playing Time: 13 games (12 starts), 598 offensive snaps (54.98% of team total)
Key Statistics: 57 targets, 29 receptions, 556 yards, 4 receiving TDs, 1 carry, 9 rushing yards
Buffalo’s top draft choice in the 2024 NFL Draft had some solid moments but, overall, it was an underwhelming start to Coleman’s career. Through the Bills’ first nine games, Coleman was actually on pace for a solid rookie season. He had 22 catches for 417 yards and three scores, which put him on pace for 42/788/6 for the year.
Then, in Buffalo’s Week 9 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he was absolutely leveled by former Bills safety Jordan Poyer. That drew a personal foul penalty and also sidelined Coleman for four games with a wrist issue. Upon his return, Coleman caught just 10 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown over Buffalo’s final seven games, including their three playoff contests.
General manager Brandon Beane said that he wished Coleman had finished the year stronger, which isn’t what you want to hear the general manager of a club say about his most recent top draft choice. The Bills need Coleman to take a big leap in year two.
Amari Cooper
Contract Status for 2025: Unsigned; UFA
Age: 30 (31 on 6/18/2025)
Playing Time: (With Buffalo) 8 games (4 starts), 239 offensive snaps (21.97% of team total)
Key Statistics: (With Buffalo) 32 targets, 20 receptions, 297 receiving yards, 2 TDs
The Bills took their big swing for offensive help in the middle of the season, acquiring Cooper and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick. Cooper had some big moments — he scored a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans to give the Bills the lead, and he made some big grabs in the regular-season matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs — but he was mainly a big-name decoy.
Whether due to his fit in the offense or not knowing enough of the playbook, he was consistently out-snapped by Mack Hollins. Cooper also missed two games with a wrist injury of his own.
While I would love to see what Cooper could do with Josh Allen if given a whole offseason program to learn the playbook and to gel with his quarterback, I believe his price range is likely to prevent the Bills from re-signing him, and that’s not a terrible thing. I’d allow Cooper to test his market while leaving the door open for a longer-term engagement if the financials are right.
K.J. Hamler
Contract Status for 2025: Signed reserve/future contract worth $1.108 million overall ($1.108 million cap hit, $0 dead cap, .4% of total team cap)
Age: 25 (26 on 7/8/2025)
Playing Time: N/A
Key Statistics: N/A
Buffalo signed the veteran wideout last offseason as a way to supplement an overhauled receiver group. The Bills wanted to add some speed, and Hamler certainly has it. However, he did not make the roster out of training camp and re-signed with the practice squad after final cuts were made.
In the preseason, Hamler had five receptions for 29 yards, three rushing attempts for 21 yards and a touchdown, two kickoff returns for 21 yards, and one punt return for 15 yards. He’s good insurance given that it will be his second full year in the offensive system, but the Bills and their fans shouldn’t expect anything from the former second-round pick.
Mack Hollins
Contract Status for 2025: Unsigned; UFA
Age: 31 (32 on 9/16/2025)
Playing Time: 17 games (13 starts), 721 offensive snaps (66.27% of team total), 100 special teams snaps (22.42% of team total), 2 defensive snaps (.18% of team total)
Key Statistics: 50 targets, 31 receptions, 378 receiving yards, 5 TDs, 1 tackle, 1 fumble recovery
If you had told me in the preseason that the receiver to lead the Bills in snaps for the 2024 season would be Hollins, I’d have thought that something went very, very wrong. After all, Hollins is but a journeyman whose greatest NFL impact really has been on special teams throughout his career.
However, Hollins quickly emerged as a reliable target for Josh Allen, and his infectious personality was a welcome breath of fresh air after having dealt with “diva things” in the wide receiver room in the seasons immediately preceding this one. While Hollins is on the wrong side of 30, he’s also in incredible physical shape, is tremendously useful on special teams, and is a great fit schematically and personally for this group.
Unless he wants to try to make more money somewhere else, I can’t see the Bills and Hollins parting ways this spring. Look for him to come back on a reasonable two-year deal after the first wave of free agency dies down.
Curtis Samuel
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; second year of three-year contract worth $24 million overall ($9.065 million cap hit; $12.085 million dead-cap hit if cut or traded; 3.25% of total team cap)
Age: 28 (29 on 8/11/2025)
Playing Time: 15 games (2 starts), 378 offensive snaps (38.74% of team total)
Key Statistics: 46 targets, 31 receptions, 253 receiving yards, 1 TD, 5 rushes, 14 rushing yards
Samuel suffered a turf toe injury over the summer, and his season never really recovered from there. While his signing was heralded as providing the Bills with a versatile, speedy weapon who could create separation against man coverage, the Bills instead had a player who made little impact while losing out on snaps to a journeyman in Hollins, a rookie in Coleman, and a midseason trade acquisition in Cooper.
Samuel’s cap hit is 10th on the current iteration of the 2025 Bills, and given that dead-cap number, it’s unlikely that the Bills will release him. Buffalo could designate Samuel a post-June 1 release, thereby freeing up around $400,000 on the 2025 cap while pushing a dead-cap hit of $3.45 million to the 2026 season.
However, the best course of action is likely to hope that a healthier Samuel can use his year in the system to be closer to the player who averaged 63/635/4 in his final two years with the Washington Commanders than the afterthought he was last season.
Khalil Shakir
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; final year of rookie contract plus new four-year, $60.2 million extension that keeps him with the club through the 2029 season ($3,300,987 cap hit; $20,098,787 dead-cap hit if cut; 1.18% of total team cap)
Age: 25 (26 on 2/3/2026)
Playing Time: 15 games (9 starts), 586 offensive snaps (53.86% of team total), 4 special teams snaps (.9% of team total)
Key Statistics: 100 targets, 76 receptions, 821 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 1 fumble, 2 carries, 4 rushing yards
Buffalo’s top receiver elevated his game in 2024, serving as Josh Allen’s go-to man in difficult situations. Shakir is a great route runner who is outstanding after the catch — the first man to contact him rarely takes him down.
The Bills rightly rewarded him with a four-year contract extension at what appears to be a good rate for both the team and Shakir. While he possibly could have earned more money elsewhere, it was nice to see the team reward one of their own early. His stats aren’t elite, but Shakir’s play within Buffalo’s offense is and he’s a player who is rapidly ascending.
Shakir is a versatile player who is reliable out of the slot and capable of doing damage on the outside, as well. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady uses him in some orbit motions, as well, which allows Shakir to see matchups against linebackers, safeties, and lesser corners on the inside of teams’ defenses.
He’s also a slippery punt returner, as he took over that gig in the playoffs and was very effective. Shakir returned three punts and averaged 12 yards per return, tops in the NFL during the postseason. That’s not a role I’d like to see him have full-time, but it’s nice to know he can do it in a pinch. This was a home-run of a draft choice, and the best is yet to come for the Boise State product.
Tyrell Shavers
Contract Status for 2025: Signed two-year reserve/future contract worth $2.042 million overall ($963,500 cap hit; $7,000 dead-cap hit if cut or traded; .35% of total team cap)
Age: 25 (26 on 8/18/2025)
Playing Time: 3 games, 32 offensive snaps (2.94% of team total), 10 special teams snaps (2.24% of team total)
Key Statistics: 1 target, 1 reception, 69 receiving yards, 1 TD
Shavers earned some buzz in camp after public praise came from the coaching staff and quarterback Josh Allen. In the preseason, he caught four passes on seven targets for 28 yards; he was then released and signed to the team’s practice squad.
It took until the regular-season finale for Shavers to see his first NFL target, and he turned a screen pass from Mitchell Trubisky into a 69-yard score for his first target, catch, and touchdown on the same play. Shavers is another good insurance policy who really shouldn’t be counted on to be more than that entering the 2025 season.
Jalen Virgil
Contract Status for 2025: Signed reserve/future contract worth $1,034,500 overall ($1,034,500 cap hit; $4,500 dead-cap hit if cut or traded; .37% of total team cap)
Age: 26 (27 on 7/13/2025)
Playing Time: 7 games, 83 special teams snaps (18.61% of team total), 37 offensive snaps (3.4% of team total)
Key Statistics: 2 tackles
Virgil was a big “get” in the offseason as a practice squad player, and when he was asked to fill in due to injury at wideout, he proved himself to be an outstanding perimeter blocker. While that might not be the primary function of an NFL wide receiver, it’s certainly an important secondary characteristic, and Virgil combined with Mack Hollins to give the Bills two great blockers on the outside.
Virgil was not targeted in the passing game, and he’s likely not going to make the team next season — unless the Bills somehow can’t come to an agreement with Hollins, in which case Virgil will likely fill that role on the 53-man roster. I expect that he’ll be on the practice squad once again next season unless a larger opportunity opens elsewhere.
Buffalo finds themselves in a much better position than they were entering last season. Shakir emerged as a legitimate option, Hollins fit into the offensive philosophy seamlessly, and Coleman showed flashes of ability that can be built upon entering next season.
Two of those three are under contract, and like I said above, I can’t see a reason why Hollins won’t want to return to the Bills. I also can’t see a reason why Buffalo’s decision-makers wouldn’t want to retain him.
Banking on a bounce-back from Samuel is a risky gamble given his cap number, but the structure of his contract makes it difficult to release him. Unless the team really wants him gone, I expect that he’ll be back once again. Jalen Virgil has a good shot at playing meaningful football next year, and Tyrell Shavers showed that he might be able to contribute in a pinch, as well.
However, even with all that good, there are things that the Bills need. This receiver group struggles to separate against man coverage, and part of the reason teams can play so tightly to the wideouts is because Buffalo lacks a legitimate deep threat. This is no different than last season, so it is a bit frustrating that the team still has the same need at the position one year after overhauling it.
The Bills have met with some wideouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, and I fully expect them to take one this April. While I don’t believe they’ll select a receiver in Round 1, there are a few I would consider. Ohio State’s Emeka Egkuba is my ideal, but it’s unlikely that he’s on the board at No. 30 and I don’t like the idea of using assets to move up to choose a wideout. Buffalo could wait on other players, like TCU’s Savion Williams, Miami’s Xavier Restrepo, Texas’ Isaiah Bond, or Maryland’s Tai Felton, and be just fine. Maybe there’s a deep sleeper you really like in the class (I know our old friend Chris Trapasso likes Florida wideout Elijah Badger, for example).
The Bills don’t need to reach for a wideout, but they do need to look for one with a particular set of skills. Traits that would make Buffalo’s offense a nightmare for defenses like those that the Bills face regularly.
If the Bills re-sign Hollins and draft a wideout who can create both vertical and horizontal separation against man coverage, they’ll be in good shape moving forward.