Tag: Bills wide receiver

Bills rookie WR Khalil Shakir: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs among ‘best in the league’

#Bills rookie WR Khalil Shakir: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs among ‘best in the league’

On the third day of this past weekend’s 2022 NFL Draft, the Bills added a dynamic and diverse talent in Boise State slot receiver Khalil Shakir.

And while he’s excited to compete on the team’s roster, it’s not his first introduction to some of Buffalo and the NFL’s top talent.

As a freshman at Boise State he played against then Wyoming senior and now Bills QB Josh Allen.

Even then, Allen made quite an impression on the young receiver.

“He’s shown he’s one of the best in the league,” Shakir said over video conference. “He can do it all from a quarterback standpoint. I’m excited to get up there, earn his respect first of all, and just make sure I go ahead and leave a good first impression.”

And Allen isn’t the only Bill that has caught Shakir’s attention in the past.

His new teammate, star NFL receiver Stefon Diggs, has been a player whom Shakir has watched and studied from the early stages of his development.

“I’m not even sure how I’ll react the first time I see him,” Skakir added with a laugh. “I’m a guy who studies the game and the league and he’s one of the top guys in the league right now. I’m excited to pick his brain but I have to earn Diggs’ respect and show I belong there.”

Given Shakir’s hungry approach to learning and Diggs willingness to work with the Bills younger receivers during the offseason to help them along in their development, as he did last year with WR Gabriel Davis, it sounds like he will be motivated while having the opportunity to prove himself in Buffalo.

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2022 NFL draft: Khalil Shakir calls Bills ‘match made in heaven’

2022 NFL draft: Khalil Shakir calls Bills ‘match made in heaven’

Prior to the 2022 NFL Draft there was some buzz among analysts and members of the media that the Bills might add a receiver.

On the third day of selections, Buffalo made a move up the board in the fifth round to do just that.

GM Brandon Beane and company traded picks No. 168 and No. 203 to the Chicago Bears, taking WR Khalil Shakir from Boise State at 148th overall. 

“They were one of the first teams that I talked to within zoom meetings and all that,” Shakir said over a video conference. “Kind of doing those pre-draft interviews, and in the back of my head I just couldn’t stop thinking about the talks that I had with the Bills. So, I guess it was a match made in heaven. I’m truly excited to get to work.”

Playing primarily in the slot, the newest member of the Bills offense adds depth and versatility as he can run jet sweeps, end-arounds, as well as screens. He joins a receiver group that has room for him to contribute while growing into a regular part of the offense following the departure of Cole Beasley.

A speedy threat who was clocked at 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, he also was graded the highest of any WR in the 2022 draft class by Pro Football Focus, with a 92.0 career grade 

He even drew comparisons by ESPN’s Matt Miller to San Francisco 49er’s star Deebo Samuel, with Miller calling Shakir “a steal” for the Bills.

A part of the WR’s game that he brings to the team is yards-after-catch, an area the Bills are looking to improve in.

“I can’t even put the words together to show how excited I am to get to work and showcase my talent,” he added. “The work is going to show. I’m gonna work my tail off every single day and make sure the people in the organization know that this pick was a really, really good pick for them.”

In 11 college games as the leading receiver for the Broncos last season, he went for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns on 77 catches while adding 21 carries. He earned first-team All-Mountain West honors in 2020 and 2021 and logged 10 games with 100-plus receiving yards and 414 rushing yards during his collegiate career.

He also averaged 23.8 yards per kick and 7.5 yards per punt as a return man throughout his time with the University. A position he may see playing time at for Buffalo.

“That’s something that I believe I can bring to the table, If that’s what the Bills need me to do,” Shakir said. “I’m not going to sit here and say I want to do this, or I want to do that. I’m going to do whatever the team wants me to do, whatever the organization wants me to do, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. I’m going to do it at an elite level.”

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Instant analysis: Bills dip in the WR pool again with Isaiah Hodgins

With their second pick in the sixth round and No. 207 overall, Buffalo tabbed  6-foot-4, 210-pound Oregon State receiver Isaiah Hodgins.   

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With their second pick in the sixth round at No. 207 overall, the Bufalo Bills tabbed 6-foot-4, 210-pound Oregon State receiver Isaiah Hodgins as their selection. Another big boy out wide for quarterback Josh Allen.

At this juncture of the draft, special teams become a significant part of the equation, and Hodgins will need to impress the coaching staff in that phase of the game to stick in a crowded receiver room since Buffalo already drafted Gabriel Davis in the fourth round of th draft.

Hodgins’ junior season was fantastic, securing 86 receptions for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns. He leaves school with 176 career receptions, which ranked sixth for a career at Oregon State, and his 2,322 receiving yards is good for seventh all-time.

He is an above-average route runner and refined receiver in many respects, but struggles against the press and creating separation on a consistent basis. His 4.61 40-yard dash time is a concern as well.

Hodgins’ balls skills, hands, and body control are outstanding, though. He can make the unbelievable catch and even the contested catches look easy. He uses his size to his advantage near the goal line boxing out defenders and winning with quick slants. That’s something the Bills have lacked in recent years.

So where does he fit with the Bills? Hodgins will need to impress on special teams to solidify a roster spot, as mentioned. This is a crowded group with well-established starters. However, Hodgins is a great value this late in the draft and offers promising traits to make his mark on the roster. With this larger frame and big catch radius, he could develop a nice chemistry with Allen.

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