Bills add Shakir

The Bills added Boise State WR Khalil Shakir in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Shakir was a 4-year player and 3-year starter for the Broncos, capping his career with a 77-1,117-7 line last season. He ranked 10th among 251 WRs with 50+ targets in Pro Football Focus’ receiving grades. Shakir also added 414 yards and 4 TDs on 71 carries across his 4 college seasons. He played both outside the numbers and in the slot for Boise State but projects best inside in the pros. Shakir goes 6’0, 196 pounds with a 2nd percentile wingspan and 1st percentile arm length. He earned an 83rd percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine but doesn’t look like a high-end athlete on tape. Shakir figures to compete for #4 WR duties in Buffalo this season but could take over as QB Josh Allen’s slot receiver as early as 2023. WR Jamison Crowder is on a 1-year deal.

The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia believes WR Khalil Shakir is currently fifth on the Bills' depth chart. He played fewer snaps with QB Josh Allen in the team's second preseason game than both WRs Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty. Shakir is not worth a roster spot in redraft leagues at this point. We're tentatively expecting the Bills' primary 3-WR set to open the season to be Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis out wide, with Harty in the slot.

Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic isn’t confident a full-time WR3 will emerge in Buffalo. WRs Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty, and Trent Sherfield — plus TE Dalton Kincaid — are competing for snaps. “Don’t be surprised if this battle continues into the regular season and the team uses a hot-hand approach with all of them,” Buscaglia concludes. A Round 1 pick, Kincaid brings the most intrigue. The issue? Fantasy drafters are treating him as a fringe starter with a TE13 ADP (FFPC). Shakir made a few big plays last year, then watched the Bills sink $5.2 million guaranteed into Harty. Even Sherfield generated some buzz in OTAs. We’re ultimately talking about deep league fliers, although training camp could push one name into your best ball strategy.

Bills WR Khalil Shakir has had a strong offseason so far and "is going to push hard for prime snaps in the Bills’ three-receiver set," The Buffalo News' Mark Gaughan writes. Shakir played limited snaps as a rookie last year but flashed with 16.1 yards per catch on his 10 grabs. With Isaiah McKenzie gone, we consider Shakir the favorite for the No. 3 WR job heading into training camp, with Deonte Harty providing the primary competition.

Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes that rookie WR Khalil Shakir "has been outstanding this summer, to the point that the Bills are likely trying to find ways to get him involved on game days." Shakir has apparently gone from being viewed as a slot receiver to getting a lot of reps on the outside. Shakir has a shot to hit the regular season as the #4 WR, or at least the backup to Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Perhaps more importantly, the impressive 1st camp makes it easier to like Shakir's long-term upside in dynasty leagues.

The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia writes that WR Khalil Shakir has enjoyed an “excellent” training camp. Buscaglia notes the rookie’s ability to play inside and outside while also pointing out some potential return value. Shakir, a 5th-round pick, will certainly start out buried on Buffalo’s depth chart, but he’s a name to file away in deep formats. Current projections have Josh Allen pegged for the 4th-most pass attempts league-wide.