Is the 2023 Bills Receiving Corps the Most Solid in the Josh Allen Era?

With the addition of Dalton Kincaid, Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield this offseason, the 2023 Buffalo Bills receiving corps is the deepest and most dangerous it has ever been during the Josh Allen era.

This upcoming season’s group of receivers, tight ends and running backs will feature some familiar go-to veterans including Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Dawson Knox.  It will also see the return and hopefully steady improvement of second-year players, Khalil Shakir and James Cook.

But the most significant difference for the Bills receiving room are the offseason additions of Dalton Kincaid, Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield.  These three pass catchers cement the 2023 Buffalo Bills receiving corps as the team’s deepest in the Josh Allen era.

The drafting of Dalton Kincaid provides, hopefully, the return of a reliable go-to slot receiver that the Bills have been missing since Cole Beasley left after the 2021 season. The main slot receiver for the Bills in ‘22 was Isaiah McKenzie and he proved to not be the answer catching only 42 passes for 423 yards.

If Kincaid can provide the slot play that the Bills coaching staff hopes he can, it should loosen the coverage on other receivers, such as Gabriel Davis, who’s production in 2022 staggered as a result of the Bills not having Cole Beasley in the slot.

Consider new Bills receiver, Deonte Harty, “Isaiah McKenzie 2.0.” Harty has more of a downfield presence than McKenzie and when healthy, has better speed as well. A fan favorite in Buffalo, Isaiah McKenzie was inconsistent last season. When he was utilized as a “gadget” player, running jet-sweeps and quick passes, McKenzie was at his best. However, when McKenzie was asked to be a stable force in the offense, he let the Bills down.

The most obvious proof that the 2023 Bills receivers room is the strongest it’s been in the Allen-era is the fact that Trent Sherfield will have the equivalent spot on the depth chart as Jake Kumerow. In Sherfield, the Bills have a solid handed receiver who’s also known for his great blocking skills and was overshadowed in Miami by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle last season.   

The sixth receiver slot on the Bills depth chart will most likely go to rookie, Justin Shorter.  Shorter is a physical specimen who’ll likely see the majority of his time on the special teams but so far in training camp, the Bills coaches say he’s done a good job of learning the offense.

With Ken Dorsey having a season as the Bills Offensive Coordinator under his belt and a receiver and tight end room stacked to the gills with talent; expect the 2023 Buffalo Bills offense to hum like they never have before.