Buffalo Bills draft Keon Coleman: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

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Buffalo Bills draft Keon Coleman: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

The Buffalo Bills selected former Florida State receiver Keon Coleman with the No. 33 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound prospect spent two seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State for the 2023 season. He led the Seminoles in receiving with 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns and earned first-team All-ACC honors.

Prior to his move to Tallahassee, he earned honorable mention All-Big 10 honors with the Spartans after leading the team in receiving with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns.

During Thursday night’s first round, the Bills moved back in a deal to acquire picks No. 32 (Round 1), No. 95 (Round 3) and No. 221 (Round 7) from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for picks No. 28 (Round 1), No. 133 (Round 4) and No. 248 (Round 7).

The Bills then traded back once more and out of the first round, acquiring picks No. 33 (Round 2) and No. 141 (Round 5) from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for picks No. 32 (Round 1) and 200 (Round 6).

Buffalo entered Friday with improved draft positioning and 10 total picks over two days. Now they have Coleman, who will be expected to helped replace star receiver Stefon Diggs, whom the Bills traded to Houston this offseason.

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“The Beast” breakdown

Coleman ranked No. 37 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

After putting himself on the NFL radar as a two-sport athlete at Michigan State, he transferred to Tallahassee in 2023 and led the Seminoles in receiving — and the nation in acrobatic “He did what?!” catches. Thanks to his basketball background, Coleman “big brothers” cornerbacks up and down the field using size, strength and athleticism. But what really separates him as a pass catcher is his dominance with the ball in the air. Not only can he overpower defenders at the catch point, but he also makes leaping acrobatic stabs appear routine with his natural body control and extraordinary catch radius.

Why he’s a first-round pick

Despite posting a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Coleman is a gifted athlete that actually played both football and basketball at Michigan State before opting to focus on the gridiron. At Florida State, he earned All-ACC honors as both a receiver and punt returner.

Come back for more analysis of Coleman later.

(Photo: Don Juan Moore / Getty Images)