Justin Shorter, a former Buffalo Bills wide receiver, has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and joined the team’s practice squad. Shorter was a fifth-round pick by the Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he also visited One Bills Drive as part of the team’s official top-30 visit schedule that spring.
Unfortunately, Shorter’s potential and opportunity did not align during his time with the Bills. Shorter did not make the Buffalo Bills’ initial 53-man roster and was not signed to the practice squad.
Perhaps it was a numbers game that ended Shorter’s prospects with the Bills in 2024. Their active roster only has five wide receivers, and Sean Murphy scouted him this summer for a genuine shot at the sixth receiver position.
Shorter did not stick out in his second training camp with the Bills, a letdown given the promise the 6’4″, 224-pound former Florida Gators receiver brought to One Bills Drive. Finally, Shorter has yet to live up to his pre-draft reputation as a big-bodied player with the necessary background to flourish in the NFL.
When asked about Justin Shorter’s failure to make the squad, general manager Brandon Beane responded:
Shorter’s best performance with the Bills came during preseason action, when he caught six catches on 11 targets for 66 yards and one touchdown. During the 2024 preseason, Shorter caught two passes on four targets for 15 yards. Shorter has yet to record any regular-season or postseason statistics.
Shorter will wear a “88” jersey for the Raiders and attempt to make the move to tight end. Shorter carries the size component, and if he can add enough of the appropriate type of weight, he has the potential to make some noise as a tight end.
Shorter had nowhere to go but up after starting his professional career on season-long Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury as a rookie and failing to make Buffalo’s practice squad in year two. Given Shorter’s inability to find his foothold in college, perhaps the writing was on the wall all along.
Many people have compared Justin Shorter to D.K. Metcalf, so perhaps he will thrive on his new opportunity with the Raiders.
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