The Buffalo Bills have been searching for their WR2, or just a second option, for the better part of two years now. They tried the Gabe Davis experiment, but that only lasted for a few games last season. Now this year, it’s been mostly rookie TE Dalton Kincaid with second-year WR Khalil Shakir mixed in. But, can one of them solidify that position?
The Bills drafted Dalton Kincaid in the first round knowing that he would be a bonified slot WR with Dawson Knox lining up at TE. But since Dawson Knox has missed most of the year, that plan hasn’t worked out quite as they hoped. So, what did they do? Moved Kincaid to TE full time and sprinkled in some Khalil Shakir in the slot. And that has really worked out great. In the last month, Shakir has totaled 198 yards and one TD on eight receptions.
Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid has truly been a superstar in the making. Totaling 495 yards and two TDs on 61 receptions, including a 10-reception game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Judging by his target share, you’d guess Kincaid is the second option behind Stefon Diggs. And you would probably be right. For the last month or so, Kincaid has been the player Josh Allen would go to, even more than Stefon Diggs in some games. But that’s not a bad thing.
You want somebody to go to when defenses take Diggs out of the game, and Kincaid has stepped up to be that person. In 2024, when Kincaid has a full year under his belt, it’s very likely he becomes a dominant threat in the Bills offense AND solidifies that WR2 role.
Khalil Shakir
Shakir shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Although he has a tougher challenge to get to there than Kincaid does. Shakir is often overlooked in the WR room, and when we see the Knox/Kincaid duo on the field, he’s almost always the WR that is on the bench. But, when he steps on the field, he’s always making plays with the ball. Shakir’s best game this season came against the Jets. He saw four passes go his way, and caught three of them for 115 yards and one TD. But he’s been getting looks for most of the season, ever since Knox went on IR. In the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he saw six passes and caught all of them for 92 yards. Shakir is a player to keep an eye on in the future, especially if Gabe Davis leaves in free agency. He should be seeing a lot more targets in the future, even as the third option.
Overview
The Buffalo Bills have a good problem facing them on offense. And that’s where the ball is going to go every game. With Stefon Diggs, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir, and Dawson Knox all signed through the next few years, they have most of their pass catchers in the building already. Even if they go after a WR2 in this upcoming draft, those four options for Josh Allen are very solid.
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