Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen was ‘pretty pumped’ for team to draft Keon Coleman
Turns out Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a draftnik. And he got his favorite receiver in the NFL Draft when Buffalo opted for Florida State’s Keon Coleman.
But Allen, probably like the rest of Bills Mafia, had an anxious first round. That’s because the Bills twice traded out of their spot, although they needed a new, elite receiver more than any other position.
Finally, Allen and Buffalo got their main, when the Bills selected Coleman with the 33rd pick of the draft. That was the very first pick of the second round. Allen messaged Coleman to let the receiver know ‘you’re the guy I want. I watched a lot of receivers and I want to play with you.”
Bills GM Brandon Beane said Allen was involved with the draft process. Buffalo was in the market for a receiver after trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Beane said he told Allen he could study game video of all the available receivers. And there were a bunch of guys. Ten receivers were among the first 37 selections of the draft.
Josh Allen studied film of Coleman with Bills coaches
Beane said Allen asked him about receivers as early as the Senior Bowl. Then, he really got serious.
“He’s been in the building the last couple of weeks now that the offseason program’s started,” the Bills GM said in an interview with NFL Radio on SiriusXM. “So we did give him some guys, we said, ‘Hey, sit back with the coaches, y’all watch them together and talk about how you’d use them. I’d like to hear what you see.’
“And he liked a lot of the guys, he really did,” Beane said. “But Keon was one — I know he liked him a lot, too. And Josh and I didn’t speak Thursday (before the first round). Maybe he stopped by that morning. But that next day, Friday morning, he FaceTimed me — actually I was still at home before I headed in here. And he was like, ‘What are you thinking?’ And I said, ‘Well, barring somebody blowing me away, I’m going to take Keon.’ He was pretty pumped.”
It was mutual football love, Coleman said.
“I’ve been saying the same thing. I want to play with the guy that wears number 17,” Coleman told reporters after he was drafted. “I think he’s a great quarterback, one of the best in the league right now and I would love to be catching passes from him. I’m ready for that.”