When the Bills made wide receiver Keon Coleman their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they envisioned him as a starter. But he hasn’t earned that distinction yet.
Coleman is with the second string on the first depth chart released by the Bills this season. The three starters at wide receiver are Mack Hollins, Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel.
That doesn’t mean Coleman won’t be in the starting lineup when the season starts, but at this point the team isn’t listing him as a starter.
Also notable is that K.J. Hamler is listed as the No. 1 punt returner and the No. 1 kickoff returner. Hamler has only returned three punts and two kickoffs in his career, all in 2020 when he was a rookie with the Broncos. But the Bills signed him this offseason and think he can make an impact on special teams.
Preseason depth charts are released by the team, but don’t always match the coaches’ plans for who will be playing when the regular season starts.