BOISE, Idaho — Former Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir is turning heads in his first training camp with the Buffalo Bills, even earning praise from head coach Sean McDermott and Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen.
The Buffalo Bills selected Shakir in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the No. 148 overall pick. Buffalo traded its No. 168 and No. 203 overall picks to the Chicago Bears to move to select the Boise State standout, and it seems the move is paying dividends this summer.
In a team period during Thursday's Bills' practice, Allen shows his trust in the rookie wideout, throwing off his back foot for a 45-yard touchdown to Shakir. Donning No. 10 in white, Shakir adjusts to the underthrown ball to score in the corner of the end zone:
According to ESPN's Buffalo Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg, Allen emphasized the training camp hype around Shakir Thursday, saying, "I'm really excited about him. I really am."
In a July 28 interview with One Bills Live, Allen said Shakir and the Bills second-round pick - running back James Cook out of Georgia - "are going to be some prominent pass catchers for us.
"We drafted them and wanted them to be here because of who they are and what they've done and what they can do for us," Allen said.
The former Bronco etched his name in Boise State football history with a career-year during the Broncos' 2021 campaign. Shakir's 77 receptions and 1,117 receiving yards last fall were both career-highs at Boise State, earning him a spot on the All-Mountain West First Team.
Dan Fetes, a sports anchor and reporter with ABC's 13WHAM, featured Shakir and the rookie's relationship with Bills' star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Shakir called Diggs "the big bro that pushes you so hard, I don't know if he likes me or not."
As for the man in charge, Fetes said Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott named Shakir in his list of three-to-four players who have stood out to him at camp so far by making plays.
Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News included the Boise State alum on his projected 53-man roster as one of seven wide receivers to stick with the Bills for the regular season.
The Bills kick off the NFL Preseason on Saturday, Aug. 13 with a 2 p.m. MT home matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on the NFL Network.
On Thursday, NFL football returns with the 2022 Hall of Fame Game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars at 6 p.m. MT.
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