The Buffalo Bills selected wide receiver Keon Coleman with the first pick of the second round of this year’s NFL draft, and the 20-year-old has quickly become a fan favorite before even stepping foot on the field.
It seems as if the Bills became enamored with the standout wide receiver during the pre-draft process, culminating in their selection of him atop the second round.
A video of of Coleman’s pre-draft interview with Buffalo was shared online, and he had the whole room laughing with a joke in which he mocked his own golf skills.
“Chill at the house, golf. Bowl a little bit,” said Coleman when talking about some of his hobbies.
“I ain’t no—I’m Tiger WishHeCould, I’m not Tiger Woods. I wish I could putt and do all that. Them boys out there shooting five-under, I ain’t doing all that. … But I’m going to go have fun. It’s controlled chaos. You’re frustrated but you can’t get mad, pull a muscle in your back trying to hit the ball. So it forces me stay calm and just swing, just have some fun.”
Keon Coleman’s NFL Combine interview with the #Bills:
Question: What do you do outside football?
Coleman: Chill at the house. Golf.
“You golf?
Coleman: “I’m Tiger WishHeCould. I’m not Tiger Woods.”
Footage of Coleman’s comical personality has already won over fans after he informed reporters about a deal on puffer jackets at Macy’s and explained the optimal time to shop for fall and winter attire.
The Bills were clearly impressed with Coleman after vetting him ahead of the draft, and he figures to play a key role as a rookie in an offense that just parted ways with Stefon Diggs this offseason.
In the 2024 NFL draft, there were 257 players selected.
Some are going to become solid role players. Others will make a Pro Bowl or two. Then there are the select stars who become perennial Pro Bowlers and even see some All-Pro teams. Finally, a couple will be fitted for gold jackets in Canton.
Unfortunately, there’s the opposite reality as well. For every star, there will be 20 players who don’t make an impact. Of those, many will be late-round fliers. But a few will come from the first few rounds, players expected to make a difference only to fade into football oblivion.
So which of the AFC picks surrounded by hype could be cautionary tales in the coming years? It’s time to take a hard look at not only the player but the team and situation, along with potential pitfalls out of their control.
5. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Why he’ll be a bust: To be clear, Maye has a very good chance of succeeding. He has all the tools. This is more about the situation around him, and the pressure on Maye because of the past few years under Bill Belichick.
Maye is going to a team with a first-year, defensive-minded head coach in Jerod Mayo. He’s also entering a roster which doesn’t have a proven, star weapon on the outside. It’s a big ask of Maye, although it’s not impossible. Want proof? Look at C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.
4. Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Why he’ll be a bust: Coleman is a massive receiver. At the combine, the Florida State product checked in at 6'3"and 213 pounds. With the Seminoles in 2023, he was the top receiver for a team which almost made the College Football Playoff.
The problems, though, are evident. He struggled to separate against college corners, largely because of his 4.6 speed. And his contested catch rate was 33% last season despite a size advantage on almost every snap. For the Bills, this is a gamble on measurables and Josh Allen. Fair enough, but the bust potential is there.
3. Amarius Mims, OT, Cincinnati Bengals
Mims started only eight games in college.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Why he’ll be a bust: Mims might be the biggest wild card in this class. On tape, he’s an absolute monster in both the run and pass game, dominating edge defenders with considerable ease. Also, at 6'8"and 340 pounds, the size is unquestionable.
However, Mims started only eight games in college, and injuries were a consistent concern, too. The Bengals are banking on him finally staying healthy and reaching his potential, which is becoming an All-Pro talent. For Cincinnati, which has struggled to field a quality offensive line in front of Joe Burrow, it’s an understandable risk.
2. T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Tennessee Titans
Why he’ll be a bust: Sweat is powerful as a defensive tackle who can get up the field and destroy blockers at times. The problem? He wasn’t always that guy. At Texas, Sweat played in 51 games and totaled just 17.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Additionally, there are questions about Sweat away from the field. In early April, he was arrested on suspicion of DWI. Tennessee took a chance on him anyway as a second-round pick despite some believing he shouldn’t come off the board until Day 3. It’s a risky move at a position that wasn’t a huge need, considering Tennessee already has Jeffrey Simmons inside.
1. Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Why he’ll be a bust: Nix has a few things going against him. First, the Broncos are terrible around him. One could argue they have the worst roster in the NFL, including a leaky offensive line and a weapons group that has Courtland Sutton and not much else.
But the problems aren’t only about the supporting cast. Denver is also taking a chance on a kid who struggled mightily at Auburn, leading to his transfer. When playing within a pro-style offense with the Tigers for three seasons, Nix completed less than 60 percent of his attempts. Finally, he’s 24 years old. Has he already hit his ceiling?
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is a beloved figure in at least three cities. He is beloved in Buffalo, where he has played his entire three-year NFL career, and he is beloved in Cincinnati, which helped nurse him back to health after his terrifying cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
However, Pittsburgh knew him first. He was born in nearby McKees Rocks, played his high school football at Pittsburgh Central Catholic and played collegiately for Pittsburgh.
On Saturday, hosting a celebrity basketball game to benefit his Chasing M's Foundation, Hamlin delivered his hometown a moment to remember. With time running out, he nailed a vicious stepback three-pointer to win the game 120-117 for his Blue team.
WOW..
Damar Hamlin just hit a game-winning, ankle-breaking three at his celebrity game.. pic.twitter.com/POSRMuTm55
— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) June 9, 2024
Participants in Hamlin's game included retired Panthers football legend Aaron Donald, ex-Pittsburgh basketball All-American DeJuan Blair, and a slew of other Pittsburgh- and Bills-adjacent figures.
In a game also featuring a professional in Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson, it was Hamlin who made the biggest play,
While Frank Gore Jr. was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he will still have a great chance to make a roster for the fall. He'll even have the chance to play for one of his father's former teams after getting signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.
Will Hall coached Gore Jr. for his four college seasons at Southern Mississippi from 2020 to 2023. During his spring media availability with the rest of the Sun Belt coaches, Hall spoke to G5 Football Daily about what Gore Jr. can add to his new team.
"He's super-duper high football IQ. He's a guy that grew up Frank Gore Sr.'s son, which is basically like growing up a coach's son," Hall noted of his former Super Back. "He really understands the whole realm of playing running back. Everything. All the nuances that go with it. So he brings that to the table. He catches the ball well out of the backfield. He's a willing pass blocker, especially for his size. He has a unique ability to make the first guy miss. Extremely hard worker that's willing to play special teams...I know he's going to give everything he has to make that club."
In four seasons under Hall at Southern Miss, Gore Jr. totaled 30 touchdowns from scrimmage while also throwing seven. He rushed for 4022 yards on 759 carries.
Buffalo's rookie minicamp is scheduled to begin on May 10. Frank Gore Sr. played one season for Buffalo in 2019.
