The NFL is a genuinely nasty business, rife with an alarming number of unsavory human beings both on and off the field. The game itself is brutal enough, with gladiators filling each frame with exhibitions of what happens when the human body is pushed to the absolute limit. Such a grotesque game is still subject to the law of averages. Not every coach can be a Belichick or Lombardi. There aren’t more than a handful of quarterbacks with prospects of donning a gold jacket one day. Every wide receiver isn’t Randy Moss or Calvin Johnson, combining formidable size and speed with generational talent.

Incoming rookie Khalil Shakir has no remarkable individual traits, but the man and football player, as a sum of his abilities, will have a lasting impact on the league for years to come.

Shakir was a 4-star prospect from Murrieta in Southern California. His commitment to Boise State began a relationship that molded him into a well-rounded playmaker for the 2022 NFL Draft Class. His inauspicious freshman season paved the way for him to explode onto the scene in 2019 as one of the most dynamic skill position players in the NCAA. His nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns as a sophomore immediately put Shakir in the Mountain West Conference spotlight. Shakir maintained his prominence with 867 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in a seven-game 2020 season. He was deployed from additional positions in the formation with each game and succeeded as a rusher, receiver, and kick returner. Shakir’s 2021 season was a serious showcase of versatility, with 1,247 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns, garnering an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Although he is seldom the biggest, fastest, quickest, or strongest player on the field. Khalil Shakir is adept at the game of football.

Khalil Shakir Draft Profile

2022 NFL Draft Prediction: Third or fourth round

Khalil Shakir College Statistics

Khalil Shakir Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Watching the tape on Shakir was initially underwhelming. He has a way of getting his production in a rather sleepy way. Boise State’s spread offense did well to move Shakir around the formation to keep the smaller-bodied receiver out of press coverage. Against zone coverage, most of Shakir’s production came by jogging to a soft spot to gather high-percentage targets with room to run after the catch. On the off chance the Broncos faced man-to-man coverage, Shakir does a decent job of gaining separation, but it is certainly not his strength. It was surprising that he ran a 4.43 at the Combine since the explosive speed was hardly apparent on the field. That is, until Shakir has the ball in his hands.

Khalil Shakir is nearly completely unremarkable until he is a ball carrier, where he is as scrappy as they come. His quickness, vision, and contact balance are all well above average. Despite his lack of ideal size, it remains to be seen whether Shakir can break tackles at the NFL level after he blew through the Mountain West.

As a route runner, Shakir is adequate versus zone coverage. He is a knowledgeable player and understands where voids in assignments will occur. He is not as twitchy as he is a subtle wiggler to gain route leverage. There is very little chance an NFL team would use Shakir on the outside primarily since he was not great at getting open against man corners, nor was he consistently good at expanding his catch radius and shielding defenders from the catch point. There were flashes of ability to make contested and spectacular catches, but I wouldn’t say Shakir has the best hands in this class. He has extraordinarily short arms and average leaping ability. Shakir tracks the ball well in the air but often gives away his eyes and hands to the defender prematurely.

Any NFL team that drafts Khalil Shakir will love him. He is a coach’s dream; he is intelligent, humble, and hardworking. His skill set isn’t unique, but it is polished and translates well to a professional offense. I would like to see him get a little more down and dirty as a run blocker. There were many instances where he appeared to be going through the motions, and his man got to the ball carrier untouched. I have very few concerns about Shakir earning playing time quickly with his special teams’ acumen.

Since zone coverage is more prevalent in today’s NFL, Khalil Shakir is a valuable dynasty asset as a slot receiver and occasional gadget play specialist. If he lands some early Day 2 draft capital, he will be a nice bench stash in moderate to deep dynasty leagues. He is worth a go from the late-second round and beyond in rookie drafts and is currently popping up as a popular late dart throw in mixed drafts, appearing as WR94 overall and rookie WR15. As a fantasy asset, I have him as slightly more valuable than his current rate, with plenty of room to grow as one of the more pro-ready receivers in the class. His ceiling isn’t as high as others, but Shakir offers a safe floor with WR3 upside if put in the correct position to succeed.

Player Comp

Nate Burleson

I’m aging myself a bit, but how Burleson handled his business for Nevada into a long and prosperous NFL career keeps flashing for me with Khalil Shakir. Burleson was a solid slot option who was occasionally run out wide as a Z receiver for the Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions. He contributed as an occasional rusher and was a special teams ace, peaking in 2004 with over 200 PPR points. He was drafted at the beginning of the third round in 2003, which is a good spot for Shakir to fall in this year’s NFL Draft. Both are mid-sized, short-armed, quicker-than-fast Swiss Army knives who dominated their college programs’ target share. Burleson is now a well-respected network analyst, and Shakir is also cut from that well-spoken, respectful cloth. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Shakir duplicated Burleson’s 11-year career in the NFL.

Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook

Khalil Shakir might not have received late Day 3 draft capital (fifth-round), but he was gifted with a juicy landing spot. Shakir sits behind Jamison Crowder, who is on a one-year deal, and special teams players like Jake Kumerow and Isaiah McKenzie for snaps. Shakir is a versatile receiver who can play both inside and on the perimeter. He’s a player worth bookmarking for a middle-round pick who could be a starter in the Buffalo offense in 2023.

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