2025 Bills positional review: Wide receivers

The Buffalo Bills ended their 2025 campaign feeling like an opportunity had been missed. Buffalo put together another strong season, ending the year with 12 wins. However, losses to New England, Miami, and Atlanta doomed the Bills, causing them to drop from the top of the AFC East standings for the first time in five seasons. 

The Bills season, once again, ended heartbreakingly. Buffalo could not finish the job in the AFC Divisional Playoff Round, falling to the Denver Broncos in overtime. 

Buffalo started their offseason with a bang, firing head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons at the helm. Owner Terry Pegula highlighted McDermott’s inability to get the team to the Super Bowl as a primary reason for moving on from arguably the franchise’s second-best coach behind Marv Levy. 

This series of articles will explore each positional group ahead of free agency. This edition will focus on the wide receiver position. 

Season Review

There were criticisms from outsiders regarding Buffalo’s wide receivers ahead of the 2025 season. General Manager Brandon Beane staunchly refuted those critics. 

Unfortunately for Beane, the production of the unit failed to impress this year. 

Khalil Shakir was the only constant in the receiver room. He led the way in the slot for the Bills, acting as Josh Allen’s most reliable passing option. 

Buffalo tried to give Allen some solid options on the boundary, but it did not go according to plan. Joshua Palmer, Buffalo’s biggest offensive free agent pick-up, struggled to see targets and missed a chunk of time due to injury. Elijah Moore was waived midseason. Keon Coleman had issues in multiple aspects of his professional career this year, and he ultimately missed time as a gameday inactive. Tyrell Shavers had some nice moments, but he was largely an afterthought in the grand scheme of things. 

Buffalo ended up adding several players to the receiving room with mixed results. The Bills added Brandin Cooks in late November after his release from New Orleans. Cooks had some nice moments, but never attained a top receiver status that the Bills so sorely needed. Buffalo signed Mecole Hardman and Gabe Davis to help out as well. 

Contracts

• Khalil Shakir--through 2029
• Keon Coleman--through 2027
• Joshua Palmer--through 2027
• Stephen Gosnell--through 2027
• Tyrell Shavers--through 2026
• Curtis Samuel--through 2026
• Mecole Hardman--through 2026

Pending Free Agents

• Gabe Davis
• Brandin Cooks

Important Stats

• Khalil Shakir--72 receptions, 719 yards, 4 touchdowns
• Keon Coleman--38 receptions, 404 yards, 4 touchdowns
• Joshua Palmer--22 receptions, 303 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Tyrell Shavers-15 receptions, 245 yards, 1 touchdown
• Gabe Davis--12 receptions, 129 yards, 1 touchdown
• Brandin Cooks--5 receptions, 114 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Curtis Samuel--7 receptions, 81 yards, 1 touchdown

Big Question

Does Buffalo get serious about upgrading the receiving corps this year? 

When Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs in 2024, they moved on from the most dynamic receiver they had on the roster. Diggs was the unquestionable No. 1 receiver for the Bills. However, Buffalo dealt Diggs to alleviate some of the tension between the two sides. 

Since then, the boundary receivers have left a great deal to be desired. The mantra of “Everybody Eats” was a fun marketing idea, and to some degree, it worked. However, this philosophy could not get the Bills over the hump, as teams forced the Bills to play in a manner that wasn’t ideal. Buffalo leaned on the run game and their tight ends, but they struggled with explosive plays and putting pressure on opposing defenses through the air. In the end, the Bills were forced to rely on Josh Allen playing Hero Ball to get the offense to a competent level. 

To help Allen, the Bills need to provide him with some athletic receivers. The flyers that the team has taken, and they have taken many, have led to a level of mediocrity that isn’t inspiring much confidence. It’s a minor miracle that this team finds the end zone as often as they do. 

Buffalo will need to make some moves, whether in free agency or the draft, to help this unit. They have several veterans who command a pretty penny against the salary cap. The Bills could use the power of wishful thinking and hope these players make a major step forward in being a core member of the offense. However, for the sake of the salary cap, the Bills may look toward the draft.

Draft Status

The Bills will be linked to wide receivers in this year’s draft. After seeing what Moore/Cooks/Coleman/Davis/Hardman/Shavers collectively produced, it might be time to make a big move and get a dominant receiver from college into the fold. 

Ohio State’s Carnell Tate will likely be the top receiver off the board. Could Buffalo make a jump to get him? It’s a long shot, especially since the Bills have needs at several positions. They probably cannot give up the draft capital. 

Thus, they may land on a player such as Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell, or Washington’s Denzel Boston. Concepcion is an explosive receiver, while Brazzell and Boston are big-bodied receivers with great athleticism. 

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 2025 Bills positional review: Wide receivers