WR Brandon Coleman: Scouting the NFL Draft

Dec 28, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver

(17) celebrates a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankees Stadium. Notre Dame Fighting Irish won the game 29-16. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

As we have talked about before, in addition to national visits, the NFL teams are entitled to local visits from players as well. Brandon Coleman is the player the Jets are going to take a look at this afternoon. Coleman played for Rutgers, a school the Jets have had success with before, with players such as Ray Lucas. Our buddy Jake Steinberg from the Jets Blog tweeted about the Jets’ interest in Coleman:

Rutgers WR Brandon Coleman and FS Jeremy Deering are working out for the #Jets on Thursday. #nyj

— Jake Steinberg (@Steiny31) April 14, 2014

So, it’s scouting time, and Brandon Coleman is the guy in the spotlight.

Here are his statistics from his days at Rutgers:

Receiving & Rushing

He measures at 6’6″, and weighs in at 225 pounds.

At the combine, Coleman ran the 40 yard dash in 4.56 seconds. He led the position with 21 reps in the bench press, and performed the three cone drill in 7.33 seconds.

Take a look at some video on Brandon Coleman here:

PROS: The first thing is the speed burst once he catches the football. When Coleman gets the ball in his hands, he is fast with it. Brandon Coleman gets down the field in a hurry, with a nose for the goal line and the ability put up YAC. He does an excellent job of using his 6’6″ frame to his advantage, and does have long arms that will help him deal with press coverage at the next level. When he uses his hands, they are soft, as shown by a great one-handed catch on the tape.

CONS: Here are his weaknesses from the NFL profile:

Not an elite athlete. Has some buildup — does not accelerate off the jam. Lacks big-time, explosive speed to blow by cornerbacks. Route running needs refinement. Not a confident hands catcher — lets throws into his body and drops balls he shouldn’t. Shows some stiffness through his torso and is linear after the catch — gears down to cut and elusiveness is limited. Marginal special-teams utility.

I would alter it a little and say he is an “inconsistent” hands catcher. Coleman is actually quite good at it when he does it, he just doesn’t do it enough. Body catches never work for the long-term, ask our friend Stephen Hill.

Brandon Coleman does have ability. He could be anywhere from a mid to late round choice, to a UDFA. Geno Smith would benefit from a player like this, so hopefully the Jets do give Coleman a long, hard look.