The Buffalo Bills have a ton of uncertainty at wide receiver — it’s what happens when you go 2 seasons with the NFL’s best quarterback and don’t produce a 1,000-yard pass catcher.
That’s why training camp will be so important for the Bills to figure out the pecking order for the wide receivers with a new WR1 in place after trading with the Chicago Bears for D.J. Moore.
Beyond that, though, there are a lot of things to figure out — most notably how they establish depth on the 53-man roster.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia believes that roster won’t include veteran wide receiver and 3-time Super Bowl champion Mecole Hardman.
In Buscaglia’s roster model, the Bills keep 5 wide receivers: Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, and rookie Skyler Bell.
“Hardman is one to monitor for his punt-returning skills, though he would need to vastly outshine other options for a onesie role,” Buscaglia wrote on July 28. “Hardman is also hurt by rookie Skyler Bell having a real chance to earn the same role, and by the fact that Bell is a mid-round pick the team is high on. At some point later in the season, they could get Tyrell Shavers back from his torn ACL, which would be a good way to keep six receivers while initially having only five.”
Mecole Hardman’s Legendary Super Bowl Moment
Hardman won 2 Super Bowls in his 1st 4 NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, then returned in 2023 to win another Super Bowl after spending a half-season with the New York Jets. He famously caught a game-winning, walk-off touchdown from Patrick Mahomes in an overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
In 2025, Hardman was used almost exclusively on special teams for the Bills but caught a touchdown pass from Josh Allen in an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.
In 7 seasons, Hardman has 178 receptions for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns.
‘Overlooked’ Rookie Bills WR Might Have Big Role
Bell has the door open to carve out his own role and do so on a team that seems like it’s just 1 or 2 decent wide receivers from being Super Bowl contenders.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Bell at the top of his list of overlooked NFL rookies creating training camp buzz just weeks out from the start of training camp.
“Plenty of eyes will be on the growing connection between Allen and Moore in training camp, but don’t be surprised if Skyler Bell steals some of the attention,” Knox wrote on July 8. “The fourth-round pick out of UConn is an explosive (4.4-second 40-yard dash) playmaker who can move around the formation and create big plays after the catch. Bell racked up 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns this past season, and his skill set will make him a terrific addition to Joe Brady’s offense … he can fill a valuable role as a contributor who can get open quickly and make plays in space.”
Bell, 6-foot and 190 pounds, had 69 receptions for 755 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2 seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to UConn.
In 2025, Bell had a breakout season and was named a Unanimous All-American after racking up 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. In 2 seasons with the Huskies, Bell had 151 receptions for 2,138 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Depending on how things play out in training camp, the better option might be to keep Hardman and Bell and cut Coleman, who has been a constant disappointment since the Bills drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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