Second-Year WR Has Struggled In 5 of 6 Games This Season
When the Buffalo Bills drafted wide receiver Keon Coleman 33rd overall out of Florida State two seasons ago, many expected him to develop into the team’s WR1 and its top deep threat.
But six games into his second season, fans are seemingly still waiting on Coleman to take over games and dominate opposing defensive backs.
Though he did an excellent performance in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens—he finished with eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown—he hasn’t had more than four catches or 45 yards in any game since.
Coleman was a contested-catch machine in college, and given his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, many expected him to establish himself as a true jump-ball specialist. And his failure to develop into a top receiving threat has caught the attention of several analysts, including ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky and Andrew Hawkins.
During a recent episode of “NFL Live,” Orlovsky and Hawkins debated what’s been missing from Coleman’s game.
Orlovsky pointed out the second-year wideout needs to take a step forward, and Buffalo needs to get the ball in his hands more so he can start racking up the yards after catch.
“I don’t think he’s, right now, a guy you can just put out there by himself and just go ‘beat coverage’ really versus any corner,” Orlovsky stated. “I just don’t believe he’s that guy yet. I think he’s got to be utilized a little but like they do (Khalil) Shakir.
“I really think he should become like — at least right now, and specifically early in games — just get him the ball in space, like a bubble guy, an RPO guy, ball in space guy. He’s not whooping people.”
Hawkins acknowledged that getting Coleman the ball in space and letting him slash apart defenses isn’t how the Bills are using him, and he suggested the team start using Coleman’s size and speed to take the top off the defense.
“That is not his game,” Hawkins said. “…Instinctually, when you are confident in that, he has to know at this level, you are a catch and get vertical [kind of guy]. You leave the side-to-side stuff to Shakir, but at this level, you’re dangerous when you catch and get vertical with speed at your size — then those big plays will happen.
“He’s going to have to develop more of a bag, more of a package in his routes and the way he makes things look like that, makes that look like this. … It can’t just be run straight and I’ll back-shoulder you and you go up and get it — that’s going to wear out. NFL DBs, at some point, aren’t going to let that continue on, this is not the college level.”