Khalil Shakir

Shakir looked like a steal in Round 5 of the 2022 Draft, coming out of Boise State after averaging more than 62 yards per game in three straight seasons. He's neither physically dominant nor lacking, having run a 4.43 40 at 6-0, 196, with mediocre marks for jumps and agility drills at the 2022 Combine. Shakir was the Bills' fourth or fifth WR as a rookie and into his second season, finally getting a bigger opportunity in the second half of 2023 after the Bills got next to nothing from Deonte Harty/Trent Sherfield and had TE Dawson Knox miss a month due to a wrist injury. While he never drew more than six targets in a single game, Shakir hauled in 39 of his 45 chances during the regular season, finishing with 611 yards (13.6 YPT) and two TDs. He then got more snaps in the playoffs with Gabe Davis absent, capitalizing to the tune of 10-75-2 on 12 targets across two games. Now Davis is gone, as is Stefon Diggs, though the Bills brought in Curtis Samuel and second-round pick Keon Coleman to make sure the burden doesn't totally fall on Shakir. That's probably smart, considering enthusiasm over Shakir's massive per-target production in 2023 is largely tempered by his extremely low rate of targets per route run (13.3 percent). The rate figures to rise with Diggs out of the picture, but Samuel, Coleman and (especially) TE Dalton Kincaid also have arguments to be the team target leader. Shakir is much more likely to settle in as a solid second/third WR than he is to truly break out.

Shakir put up a 208-2,878-20 line in four seasons at Boise State and averaged 96.6 YPG his final two years. He then ran a 4.43 40 at 6-0, 196, with solid marks in the other drills, thus looking like a steal as a 2022 fifth-round pick. Shakir nonetheless spent his rookie year at fourth or fifth on the depth chart and finished the regular season with 161 yards, though he went for 3-75-1 in Week 5 when Isaiah McKenzie was injured and later caught five passes for 91 yards in two playoff games. The Bills still have Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis -- plus they spent a first-round pick on TE Dalton Kincaid -- but they let McKenzie walk in free agency and only added two receivers who are arguably best known for their contributions on special teams (Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield). That leaves Shakir with a nice shot to win a top-three role in a high-powered offense, which is all the more appealing after Davis failed to capitalize on his own breakout opportunity last season. There's a scenario where Shakir gets the second most targets on the team ... and another scenario where he spends most of the year on the bench again.

Somehow Shakir lasted all the way until the fifth round of this year's draft where the Bills selected him 148th overall, which could prove to be a steal for the team. However, the Boise State product starts his pro career in a crowded receiver room that features Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis as the clear-cut top duo, with Jamison Crowder, Isaiah McKenzie and Marquez Stevenson also in the mix. Shakir has the ability to emerge as a capable slot option down the road, but his fantasy impact may be limited out of the gate.