Draft grades: Buffalo Bills pick former top 10 prospect who 'fits them like a glove'

It took longer than expected but the Buffalo Bills finally got their wide receiver.

The 2024 NFL Draft tied a record with seven wide receivers selected in the first round. The Bills kept the party going to start the second round at No. 33 overall.

Buffalo will hope Florida State's Keon Coleman, the No. 8 wideout taken, is their No. 1 wide receiver of the future.

The Bills traded down from No. 28 with the Kansas City Chiefs, who took Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, and then traded out of the first round with the Carolina Panthers, who picked South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette.

Coleman, who is 20 years old, had 50 receptions for 658 yards and led the ACC with 11 touchdown catches in 2023. He led Michigan State with 58 catches, 798 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2022.

"He's an above-rim specialist," NFL Network analyst Chase Daniel said. "He's an absolute monster at Mossing people. Probably the best ball skills in this entire draft."

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Daniel added Coleman likely would've been a first-round pick had he not ran a 4.61 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Here is how draft experts graded the pick:

CBS Sports

"X" receiver for WR-needy team. Plays faster than his combine speed but doesn't separate consistently and isn't as good of a contested-catch wideout as his size and highlight-reel would indicate. Young though.

Grade: C-

SB Nation

The Bills were able to trade back and still land a receiver. Sounds good to everyone, right? Coleman is a strong, sure-handed receiver whose game speed is much, much faster than his 40 time and wins downfield on contested catches and after the catch. Buffalo’s offense is undergoing a bit of a schematic shift, going for more YAC and winning in the short to intermediate areas than the downfield offense we know them for, and Coleman fits them like a glove.

Grade: A

Sporting News

Coleman is a big, strong and physical receiver with sound technique still developing his field-stretching and big-play ability. He fits the Bills as an outside No. 1 for Josh Allen after the team traded Stefon Diggs.

Grade: B

Sports Illustrated

Coleman spent two years at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State. With the Seminoles in 2023, the 6'3", 213-pounder caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Grade: B

USA Today

Buffalo gets its receiver, though perhaps not the one many expected. Coleman is adept at winning jump balls but sparked some concern about his ability to create separation. The Bills lack a true go-to target in the post-Stefon Diggs landscape, but Coleman can allow Josh Allen to keep attacking downfield and still take on a sizable role as a rookie.

Grade: B

Bleacher Report

Keon Coleman initially looked like a future top-10 pick after he transferred to Florida State. But things went off the rails, particularly in the second half of the season.

Coleman originally played at Michigan State, where he led the Spartans in receiving during the 2022 campaign (over Jayden Reed, who became a second-round pick and standout NFL rookie). During his first six games with the Seminoles this past season, he caught 29 passes for 418 yards and seven touchdowns, with multiple highlightworthy grabs. Over the final six contests, he had only 21 receptions for 240 yards and four touchdowns.

Granted, quarterback Jordan Travis' season-ending injury late in the year didn't help. Coleman and the Seminoles never got an opportunity to show what they could do on the biggest stage since Travis' injury robbed them of an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Things didn't exactly get better when the 6'3", 213-pound target ran an official 4.61- second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Conversely, he reached the fastest peak speed of any receiver during the combine's gauntlet drill, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Coleman's size, play speed and ability to make spectacular catches keep him among the class' most intriguing wide receiver prospects.

The Buffalo Bills chose not to trade down a third time. Instead, they selected Colemanat No. 33 overall.

For most of the predraft process, Coleman carried a high first-round grade. The aforementioned poor 40 time knocked him down a bit. But his size, verticality and special teams contributions make this an excellent value for a Bills team that had a major need at wide receiver after trading Stefon Diggs and losing Gabe Davis in free agency.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old prospect is the perfect target for Josh Allen's big arm.

Grade: A

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills expert draft grades for 2nd round pick Keon Coleman