Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson could have a long road ahead in trying to make the team’s final roster this summer.
The veteran comes to the team with some recent success in the NFL and is expected to compete for a roster spot. But one insider believes that Wilkerson is starting at the bottom of the depth chart as training camp approaches, making him a long shot to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
Bills Leaning Into New Approach
As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, the Bills found great success last season with what they called an “everybody eats” approach. The team parted ways with top receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and instead brought in a group of veteran pass-catchers to spread around the targets, leading to one of the best offenses in the NFL.
The Bills are sticking with that approach for 2025, adding new talent with veterans Elijah Moore, Joshua Palmer, and Lavishka Shenault.
But Wilkerson, who signed with the Bills in May, may not be close to joining the group. Buscaglia put him at No. 13 on the depth chart just a few weeks before the start of training camp, not even putting him among the bubble candidates to make the roster.
“Other bubble types like Jalen Virgil (coverage units), Tyrell Shavers (coverage units) and K.J. Hamler (returner) would likely need to have a standout camp on offense and special teams to make the roster,” Buscaglia wrote, offering no prediction on how Wilkerson could make the roster.
Buscaglia previously noted that Wilkerson saw a bit of success with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, making an impact in limited chances.
âThe 28-year-old receiver spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders where he appeared in three games and totaled three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown,â the team noted. âWilkerson first entered the NFL in 2020 with the Titans as an undrafted free agent. He played collegiately at Southeast Missouri State (2015-19). He will wear No. 82 for the Bills.â
Josh Allen Happy With Team’s Offseason Additions
The Bills could have a very familiar set of receivers at the top of the depth chart, with returning stars Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel expected to lead the group. Bills quarterback Josh Allen said he’s happy with the group of pass-catchers the team has assembled.
“I love who we’ve got in there with Khalil [Shakir] and Keon [Coleman],” Allen said. “Bringing in a guy like Josh Palmer, having Curtis [Samuel], signing Elijah Moore. Then you throw in our other weapons at the tight end position and the running back position, there’s a lot of variability with our group and I’m very excited to continue to work with our guys.”
As Allen noted, the Bills have gotten some big contributions from other targets like tight end Dalton Kincaid and running backs James Cook and Ty Johnson. The team is expected to continue its “everybody eats” approach for the coming season, with targets spread around more evenly among the group.
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