Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out some highlights of #Bills rookie minicamp right here:
The Buffalo Bills welcomed their 2022 set of rookies to the field for the first time, officially.
All eight Bills selections from the NFL draft, undrafted rookie signees, and tryout players were all in Orchard Park over the weekend working out.
Check out some of the video highlights of the event from the team and local media outlets below:
One thing to love about each of the #Bills’ 8 2002 NFL draft picks:
The Buffalo Bills have eight new rookies joining the team. More new faces will follow, but that’s the number of players the Bills selected at the 2022 NFL draft.
From the first one joining the Bills to the late last one, there are things to like about each and every one of them.
With that, here is one thing to love for each member of the Bills’ 2022 draft class:
5 most competitive position groups on #Bills’ offseason roster:
The Buffalo Bills will continue to add to their roster even with the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft. However, we have a really good feel for where things stand.
Some positions are pretty set in stone. We know who, pending injury, will be starting at some spots come opening day. Think… quarterback.
Others have some layers of uncertainty.
With that, here are the five most competitive position groups on the Bills:
PFF: #Bills got steal in Khalil Shakir at 2022 NFL draft:
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw1j59gmjw5gdj player_id=none image=https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
In their fifth-round pick at the 2022 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills got a steal according to Pro Football Focus.
With that selection, the Bills nabbed wide receiver Khalil Shakir. Projected by some as a potential Day 2 pick, getting Shakir required a trade up of 20 spots by Buffalo, but PFF says it was worth it.
Here’s how the football analytics outlet came to their “steal” conclusion:
BUFFALO BILLS: WR KHALIL SHAKIR (148TH OVERALL)
Shakir is likely a slot-only player at the next level with his oddly short arms, measuring in at just over 29 inches. Still, he has elite body control, stout collegiate production and a feel for finding soft spots, all making him a promising NFL player. Shakir posted a PFF grade above 86.0 in three straight seasons from 2019 through 2021 with the Broncos. He saw more than 305 targets in his career and generated a 111.9 passer rating on those reps with 42 broken tackles and 2.80 yards per route run.
While Shakir could likely lineup in the slot for the Bills, it’s unlikely Buffalo will only peg him into one role. He can do too much to only do that.
The Bills love their versatile players. Shakir profiles more like Isaiah McKenzie than a traditional inside receiver, who plays in the slot plenty but also moves around the offense, including taking handoffs.
During his final year at Boise State, Shakir had 77 catches for 1,117 yards and seven scores. He also took 21 caries for 130 additional yards.
All things considered, PFF’s praise is appreciated, but Shakir could prove to be even more than they give him credit for. Especially so with quarterback Josh Allen slinging him the ball now in Buffalo.
[lawrence-related id=100697,100694,100689]
2022 NFL draft: Grades for all eight #Bills picks:
The 2022 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror. Now comes time for the incredibly, unrealistic job of handing out marks to teams for their picks without ever seeing them hit the first.
Anyways, we’ll jump right into it. Here’s how Bills Wire graded all eight selections made by Buffalo at the draft:
Which WR did he idolize growing up? Which draft analyst loved him ahead of Day 3? That and more, 9 things to know about #Bills fifth-round pick Khalil Shakir:
The Buffalo Bills jumped back up the Day 3 board at the 2022 NFL draft to select Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir in the fifth round.
Any time a team moves up to take a player like the Bills did with Shakir, there’s always an added layer of interest. Let alone trading up 20 slots.
With that, here are nine things to know about Shakir:
8 takeaways from #Bills’ 2022 NFL draft:
The 2022 NFL draft is done and dusted. The Buffalo Bills ended making numerous moves of different types when things were all said and done.
Jumping right into it, here are eight takeaways from the work the Bills did at the draft:
#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.
#BillsMafia… y’all gon get everything I got and more. Let’s Work
— Deucehttps://t.co/jKesTJL1mn
(@king_khalil2) April 30, 2022
[lawrence-related id=100361,100358,100537]
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.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 30, 2022
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.”
[lawrence-related id=100534,100519,100518]
Here is the entire #Bills 2022 NFL draft class:
The 2022 NFL draft is officially in the history book.
In total, the Buffalo Bills ended up making eight picks.
Let’s jump right into it, here’s the full rundown on the Bills selections at the draft:
