Florida State Wide Receiver, Keon Coleman, aligns as a prototypical X receiver standing at 6’3 213 lbs. The Louisiana-native started his career at Michigan State where he played two seasons, and was named third team all-big-ten. After his breakout year, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Florida State where he scored 11 touchdowns off of 658 receiving yards. Despite his lack of yardage, Coleman was named to the All-ACC team as a receiver, specialist, and all-purpose player which encouraged him to enter the NFL Draft. At the combine, Coleman stood out due to his measurements and speed during the gauntlet drill; however, he ran a 4.6-second 40 yard dash which was the second slowest amongst all receivers. Coleman is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft due to the his wide-range of possibilities.

From a demeanor standpoint, Coleman is inconsistent. He is capable of bullying defenders in the run game and has shown the ability to lay defensive backs on the ground, but he has also shown a laziness that allows defenders to beat him across his face. He was not asked to crack edge rushers, but Coleman has the frame to be a presence on the perimeter. Teams will want to see his resilience and will test his mental strength in the pre-draft process.

Coleman does a very good job at using his frame and length to position himself at the catch-point. He is great at catching passes outside of his frame and he possesses elite torso flexibility. His ability to contort and adjust to passes gives quarterbacks a lot of room for error and also the ability to put passes where only Coleman can get it. When it comes to his speed, Coleman is a long strider who does a good job getting vertical after the catch and getting downfield on third level throws. Being able to breakdown and cut at the top of routes tends to be harder for tall receivers because they have a difficult time dropping their weight, but Coleman has mobile ankles that allows him to be efficient. With that being said, he naturally over-strides because he is so long. When Coleman is controlled is when he is effective, and learning to control his strides and also his aggression is important. Teams will love that there is a tick for Coleman, and when he learns to consistently harness that in positive ways is when he will be at his best.

There is a difference between being able to make acrobatic catches and contested catches; Coleman is more consistently making acrobatic catches as opposed to contested ones. He is not super strong at the catch point and allows smaller defensive backs to break up passes. When it comes to getting coached up, Coleman has false steps off the line of scrimmage and possesses poor spacial awareness. He does not separate at an elite level and didn’t have to run a nuanced route-tree, but does a nice job at shouldering through contact. Coleman is a projection, but there is a lot of upside.

In the NFL, Coleman is going to benefit from an experienced receiver coach. From day one, it is anticipated that he will be utilized in a very elementary route-tree as a third-level receiver and in a condensed field. If he can become a force in the run game on crack blocks and when digging out safeties, it will be hard to take him off the field. Coleman has the physical talents to be a special player, but it will take a level of consistency that doesn’t appear to be there yet. His physical tools are similar to Mike Williams, but his hands are not as strong yet. Because of football character concerns, I have a day two grade on him, but I anticipate a team falling in love with his ability and taking him in round one. Coleman is an exciting prospect and one that will benefit from being surrounded by a sense of stability.