​The Bills did not use the No. 33 overall pick in 2024 on a role player.Buffalo drafted Keon Coleman to be a difference-maker, a size mismatch in the passing game, and a receiver who could make a big play when it mattered.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTwo seasons in, that version of Coleman has not shown up in flashes but not yet consistently.Coleman was a healthy scratch for four of the final five games in 2025 after being late for a November team meeting, and his production after a Week 1 explosion against Baltimore was not seen again. He finished with 38 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games — And will now need to take the next step at the pro level to become a reliable option in the passing game behind Khalil Shakir and newly acquired DJ Moore.Coleman is being honest in his assessment, calling 2026 his “make or break” season. With his offensive coordinator who “stood on a table” to draft him becoming the head coach, and with QB Josh Allen in his prime, the Bills need him to be right.The receiver’s 2025 season started like a breakout. In the Week 1 win over the Ravens, he went off for eight catches, 112 yards and one touchdown. It looked like the 6-foot-3, 213-pound receiver was ready to become the physical red-zone target Buffalo envisioned.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat was not how things unfolded the rest of the way.The late-season discipline issue compounded the problem. After being scratched for a November game, Coleman sat three more times as a healthy scratch, a situation that made him the subject of offseason trade speculation and even a public acknowledgment from Bills owner Terry Pegula that the coaching staff pushed for the pick. When an owner is answering questions about a second-year receiver, the pressure has officially become public.The Bills did not move on from Coleman, instead they doubled down on him being part of the solution.During mandatory minicamp in June, Brady noted he’s seen an “outstanding offseason” from the third-year receiver, pointing to the physical signs that matter for a big-bodied wideout.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”You feel him coming off the football, you feel the stride, you feel his size,” Joe Brady said. “It’s the consistency and the routine and everything he’s doing, but handling everything like a pro … And a guy like Keon, he’s positioned himself in a great place and just gotta continue to build on that.”For Coleman in 2026, it is about those things: consistency, routine, professionalism. The raw talents have been there, the question is whether they can translate into a reliable weekly role.In an offense that sees limited touches due to spreading the distribution around, maximizing opportunities with efficiency will be key. These might be the first steps toward becoming the player Buffalo thought it was getting.The young receiver is not walking into a guaranteed starting job. The Bills acquired DJ Moore to be the primary outside t