#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.
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.
Bills getting Khalil Shakir in Round 5 is a steal in my book. The Deebo comp has been overused, but Shakir can be used in a similar manner–albeit a poor man’s version of Samuel’s all-around game. Get him into a creative offense and he can be a weapon.
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.”
Boise State WR Khalil Shakir talked about how his father being a Falcons fan led to his appreciation of Julio Jones’ game.
There isn’t a single team in the NFL that needs help at the wide receiver position more than the Atlanta Falcons.
Two seasons after fielding a three-headed monster consisting of Julio Jones, Russell Gage and Calvin Ridley, the team enters the 2022 NFL draft with a WR group that didn’t feature a single player with over 500 yards last season. Luckily for Atlanta, this year’s wide receiver class is excellent and the team should be able to land one or two immediate contributors on day two.
One potential option is Boise State’s Khalil Shakir, a versatile and productive wideout with 4.43 speed. Not only did Shakir rack up 208 receptions, 2,878 yards and 20 touchdowns during his college career, the Broncos playmaker grew up watching Julio Jones.
In an interview with Draft Wire’s Jacob Infante, Shakir talked about how his father being a Falcons fan led to his appreciation of Jones’ game.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Boise State wide receiver prospect Khalil Shakir
In a 2022 NFL draft class loaded with talent at the wide receiver position, Boise State’s Khalil Shakir has managed to stand out as one of the best.
Shakir was a constant presence for the Broncos’ offense over the course of his collegiate career, tallying 208 receptions, 2,878 yards and 20 touchdowns in the four seasons he spent there. The 2021 first-team All-Mountain West receiver solidified himself as one of the best receivers in the nation by topping 1,100 yards in his final year with the team.
Draft Wire had the chance to speak exclusively with Shakir about his tenure with Boise State, his Senior Bowl experience, being a role model in the community, and much more.
JI: You had quite an accomplished career at Boise State. What’s your favorite memory of your time in the program?
KS: Yeah, I would say my favorite memory – I wasn’t even on the field, to be honest – it was my freshman year, I was out the last couple of games because I’d been hurt. We played BYU, and it came down to the last damn play on the on the goal line, and like I said, the defense is on the field. I wasn’t even playing the game. I couldn’t even watch; the nerves are going up. Obviously, there’s a big rivalry between us and BYU, and I had my eyes somewhat closed, turned away. You can tell the reaction by the crowd and the cheering, so I had my eyes closed, turned away. And then, the next thing you know, the crowd’s going crazy, and our defense held them off. For me, it’s the moment with my brothers and those guys, smiling and happy that we won that game is probably my favorite memory.
JI: You’re one of the best route runners in this WR class. What goes into developing a such a deep route tree, and disguising route concepts?
KS: I would say just running routes, like, are you trying to master the craft of route running – and I’m far from that – but you try and get as close to perfect when you’re running these routes as possible. It’s really just a feel for the game and understanding the game, and for the most part, for me, it’s just getting out there and getting reps in, running those routes. Depending going into game week, the preparation that goes into it as far as, “Okay, we have these routes in, but what type of defense are they? Are they the type that’s…where I can run this route a certain way, or am I going to have to run it a different way, do I cut out, stem it a different way?” Because they’re going to be ready for it.
Just kind of all the personnel that they got going on, as well, goes into route running, too. You can’t just create this route tree in your head and not change it up depending on your opponents, so it was just the preparation that went into it. It was getting out there, getting live reps, running the routes, getting those reps with my quarterback, depending on the coverage and stuff we’re gonna see, as well, so just things like that.
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
JI: You’ve proven you can line up in the slot, as well as outside. How does your route approach differ depending on how much space you have to work with?
KS: Yeah, I mean, it changes a lot. Like I said, when you’re trying to run these routes, and the alignment and all that within everything, it just depends. Are they a press-man team, so am I gonna have to run my route a certain way? Are they a zone team? If they’re in man, are they playing off coverage? Are they a hard-pressed team? Is he a hard-jam [cornerback]? Or it’s things like that. Everything that you can imagine goes into running routes. You go out there, and you just draw it up on paper, but you don’t have to run everything picture perfect. When it comes to it, you’re gonna have to change up a lot of things when it comes to running those routes to be able to get open in the first place and create that separation.
JI: You’ve been involved with the youth community during your time at Boise State. What does it mean to you to serve as a role model for young fans?
KS: It’s huge. I mean, I remember when I was younger, I had a lot of older people who reached out to me and helped me out and helped my mental game. As far as you know, when you’re a young kid, you’re not really sure what to expect when you get to these moments, so you reach out to your peers, you reach out to people you look up to, and for me, it was “Okay, so I had guys do that for me, so it’s only right that I do the same.” Any chance or opportunity that I get to reach out to the young ones and help them out, whether that’s talking football or talking personal life, I’m there for them. Regardless of who it is, I’m always [there]. If someone has a hand out, I’m more than welcome to help anybody out.
JI: You had the chance to go down to the Senior Bowl a few months ago. What was that experience like?
KS: It was fun. It was a really awesome opportunity that I got to get out and got to have the opportunity to be a part of [it], and I definitely appreciate Jim Nagy and the guys at the Senior Bowl to give me that opportunity to go out there and showcase my talents. It’s a blessing. It was a fun week. [I] got to show scouts not only…they see the football player, but [I] got to show them who I am as a person from a personal standpoint and the type of guy that I am. Like I said, it’s just blessings on blessings. Not many people get that opportunity to go out there and showcase their talents. It was a fun week: awesome week, busy week, but very, very fun.
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
JI: Which wide receivers have you grown up idolizing?
KS: My dad is an Atlanta Falcons fan, so I watched a lot of Julio Jones growing up, just the physical aspect of the game and the way his physical presence [is] able to threaten DBs using his size. I’ve always wanted to adopt that into my game; [I’m] obviously not as not as big as he is, but just playing with that aggressive mentality, the “go up and get the ball” mentality. “It’s mine when it’s in the air” type of stuff. And that’s all that Julio Jones does, so watching him growing up, I take his game and take aspects from his game and put it into my game, but just with my own little twist on it. He’s definitely somebody that I’ve looked up to pretty much my whole football career.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
KS: I hang out with my fiancé a lot; I’m pretty much with her 24/7. We like to bowl. We bowl a lot; we go every week. That’s something that I’ve pretty much gotten really, really, really into. I got my own bowling balls, own bowling bag and all that. So that’s definitely number one on the list when I’m not busy football.
JI: What’s the best you’ve ever bowled?
KS: 235.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
KS: I believe I’m the most versatile player in the draft. I can play slot, I can play ‘X’, I can play ‘Z’, lineup in the backfield and take Wildcat snaps, as well. Not only am I saying that, but [I have] the four years of film to back it up, as well, along with doing that at an elite level. [I’m] a guy that’s going to work, put his head down, work hard, getting the respect of his teammates and just be there for everybody. I’m a team guy. I’m somebody who [wants] everybody on the team to know that they can lean on me whenever they need it, to pick up the phone at 2 a.m. and call me, and I’ll be there for them. That’s just who I am as a person, who I am as a player, and I love the brotherhood aspects of the game, and playing for their brother to my right and to my left.
Boise State WR Khalil Shakir is up next in Unpacking Future Packers, a countdown previewing the 2022 NFL draft for Packers Wire.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers need an infusion of talent at the wide receiver position. They also need to find a dynamic return man to give their return game a much-needed shot in the arm.
A player that could help remedy both those needs is Khalil Shakir. The Boise State wide receiver checks in at No. 11 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
As a freshman in 2018, Shakir scored one rushing and one receiving touchdown while also punts (12) and kickoffs (4) for the Broncos. The following season the four-star recruit enjoyed a breakout season. Shakir hauled in a team-leading 63 receptions for 872 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns. The versatile playmaker scored three rushing touchdowns and passed for another.
In just seven games in 2020, Shakir recorded 52 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns. The California native also rushed for 148 yards on 17 carries.
This past season Shakir posted career highs in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,117) and receiving touchdowns (7).
“Shakir came into the season as the obvious top target in the passing game, but there weren’t many teams that figured out how to stop him,” Ron Counts, the Boise State football beat writer for the Idaho Statesman, said. “There were so many times on third down where everyone in the stadium knew he was getting the ball, but somehow he still came down with it. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was a No. 1 receiver in college, and he capped a super productive career with his best season, posting career highs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He ranks No. 5 all-time at Boise State with 208 career receptions and No. 4 with 2,878 receiving yards, and he’s tied for No. 9 with 20 receiving touchdowns.”
Shakir is a walking highlight reel. Every week Shakir was making plays. Whether it was a circus catch or making people miss in space, Shakir was making plays for the Broncos on a weekly basis.
Shakir is shifty and slippery in the open field. He’s able to cut on a dime and leaves defensive backs grasping at air. According to Pro Football Focus, Shakir averaged six yards after the catch this past season and forced 14 missed tackles. The dynamic playmaker is a true YAC threat.
“He spent much of his high school career as a running back, and despite his impressive 40 time at the Combine, he’s more elusive than fast,” Counts said. “He still has the instincts he developed as a running back. His vision and lateral movement are impeccable, and he’s really powerful in his lower half. He’s only 6-foot, but he’s a solid 196 pounds, and he’s not easy to get on the ground.”
Shakir is an easy accelerator off the line of scrimmage and threatens defensive backs vertically. The Boise State wide receiver is a savvy route runner. He does a good job of changing up his route speed. He has quick feet to set up his routes. He explodes in and out of his breaks to consistently create separation. Shakir has a knack for finding the soft spots in coverages and makes himself available to the quarterback. He keeps working to make himself available to the quarterback when the play breaks down.
“He runs crisp routes,” Counts said. “A lot of the praise he got at the Senior Bowl was about exactly that. Some of that goes back to how powerful he is in his lower half. One scout described him as explosive coming out of his breaks, and former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who was once the head coach at Boise State, said Shakir has “freakish” explosiveness and body control.”
Shakir has velcro-like hands. He catches everything that comes his way. He does a great job of tracking the ball downfield and has outstanding body control. According to PFF, Shakir came down with nine contested catches this past season for the Broncos.
“I didn’t see him drop many passes in the three years that I’ve covered Boise State,” Counts said. “He specialized early in his career in catching short passes, making a guy miss and turning it into a 20-yard gain. Last season, he really showed off his knack for winning 50/50 balls. There were so many passes where he was nowhere near open and still somehow came up with the ball.”
Shakir is a versatile weapon. He can line up on the boundary or in the slot. Boise State utilized him out of the backfield. A creative offensive coordinator will find ways to get him manufactured touches. He’s a dynamic playmaker, capable of picking up chunk plays due to his ability to make defenders miss in space.
Shakir finished his career at Boise State with 24 punt returns and eight kick returns. He averaged 23.8 yards per kick return and 7.5 yards per punt return. This past season, Shakir averaged 12.8 yards per punt return. With his vision and ability to make the first man miss, Shakir could be a dynamic punt returner in the NFL.
“I definitely see Shakir seeing early playing time as a punt or kick returner,” Counts said. “He’s not a stereotypical No. 1 WR in the NFL, so he’s probably going to have to contribute on special teams to make a roster. He has great acceleration and vision and was close to breaking a couple punts last season.”
Fit with the Packers
As it stands right now the Packers have no cornerstone pieces in place at the wide receiver position. Allen Lazard is a solid player and without a doubt the team’s best wide receiver. Not a knock on Lazard, but that’s not good enough for a team that has a Super Bowl window open as Aaron Rodgers approaches is playing the back-nine of his career.
Randall Cobb is a shell of his former self and proved that he could still pop off while playing with Rodgers. Sammy Watkins is a bridge player that hasn’t played in 14 or more games in a season since 2019. The Packers traded up in the third round for Amari Rodgers last season, but did little to inspire confidence during his rookie season.
All Shakir did during his time at Boise State was make plays. He’s a swiss army knife. He puts added stress on the defense when he has the ball in his hands. He can win vertically. He can line up out of the backfield. Matt LaFleur would find ways to get him the ball. With his reliable hands and route running, he’d quickly become a favorite of the reigning MVP. On top of his ability as a wide receiver, Shakir could help liven up Green Bay’s return game.
“The only box Shakir doesn’t check physically is his height, but he more than makes up for that with his instincts and reliability,” Counts said. “You just can’t coach what it took for him to make some of those improbable catches last year. He showed at the Combine that he has elite speed, and he improved his vertical leap by four inches (38.5″) at his pro day. He’s proven he can go out and make a play even though everyone in the stadium knows he’s getting the ball, and he’s versatile. He carried the ball on a lot of jet sweeps and played some wildcat QB at Boise State. He even threw a touchdown pass. He’s also one of the most humble athletes I’ve ever covered, and he seems like a guy you can trust to handle himself the right way on and off the field.”
The Packers need to restock the talent inside the wide receiver cupboard at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. Adding a player like Shakir in the third round would be a great addition to a pantry that’s gone stale.
In the latest three-round mock draft from Draft Wire, the Tennessee Titans address two of their biggest needs, offensive tackle and wide receiver.
With their two picks in the first three rounds, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Titans rolling with Tulsa offensive tackle, Tyler Smith, and Boise State wide receiver, Khalil Shakir.
Here’s what Easterling says about the pick of Smith:
“This offense doesn’t work unless the offensive line is controlling the line of scrimmage, and the Titans could use an upgrade at left guard. Smith played left tackle for the Golden Hurricane, but projects better inside at the next level, and brings the kind of nasty playing style the Titans love up front.”
As we’ve said all along, if the top five wideout in this draft (Drake London, Treylon Burks, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams) are off the board, Tennessee should definitely take an offensive lineman.
Even if one of those five are available, which wasn’t the case in Easterling’s mock, Tennessee could still go offensive lineman at No. 26 overall thanks to needs at both guard and tackle.
Smith was the best offensive lineman left in this mock in that spot, as guys like Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson and Trevor Penning, all of whom are possibilities at No. 26 overall, were off the board. Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann was available as well.
Two receivers who were still around were North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, who was named the Titans’ best-case scenario in the first round by ESPN’s Mel Kiper, and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson.
There’s a lot of fans who won’t be too pleased with the team waiting until the third round to take a wide receiver, but it’s something they should be ready for.
Shakir, who also offers return experience, will operate out of the slot at the next level, and while he does have at least some capability as a deep threat, he’ll be doing the vast majority of his damage in the short-to-intermediate area. He isn’t much of a blocker, either.
To the delight of defenses across the Mountain West, Khalil Shakir has elected not to utilize his extra year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft.
After seeing the field sparingly his freshman year, thanks to Sean Modster and A.J. Richardson, Shakir has been filling the highlight reels and, to steal a basketball term, posterizing defenders with one spectacular play after another. Shakir saved his best work for his senior season, collecting 98 touches for 1,247 yards from scrimmage. He won’t leave with his name all over the Bronco record book, but he definitely made his mark on the program.
Shakir has the ability to create with the ball in his hands. He can return, run screens and sweeps, and can create after the catch. He also displays excellent body control and field awareness in traffic and when trying to make contested catches. After being tagged as “quick but not fast” before the combine, Shakir’s 4.43-second 40-yards dash put that to rest, showing he has more than just “football speed.” Finally, he is a heads-up player who recognizes when a play has broken down and will work to get himself open in an area where the quarterback can get the ball to him.
Weaknesses
At 6’0” and 196 pounds, Shakir doesn’t have the size that some teams are really interested in, and he lacks the frame to put on weight without affecting his mobility. He can be crisper with his routes when he isn’t the primary target and has struggled at times getting off of press coverage.
One of his strengths is his speed, but it is only good speed. He lacks the top end, DeSean Jackson-like wheels to pull away from NFL cornerbacks.
Most out there feel that Khalil Shakir is an early Day Two selection, a third- or fourth-round pick. With his knowledge, ability, and drive, it would not surprise to see him taken early in the third round. Although with a team like the Kansas City Chiefs needing to replace a smaller, shifty, versatile, but not as fast slot receiver, they could also use one of their second-round picks on him.
If the Eagles draft a wide receiver in round one, it would mark the third consecutive draft that such a scenario has taken place, and it could mark the end for the 2020 first-round pick.
Philadelphia yearns for an explosive passing game and there are several receivers on the board that can help elevate Jalen Hurts to the next tier as a passer.
With the draft just around the corner, here’s one wide receiver for the Eagles in each round.
