2016 NFL Draft Profile: WR Corey Coleman

In this 2016 NFL Draft profile, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of wide receiver Corey Coleman out of Baylor University.

Coleman is Baylor’s all-time record holder for touchdowns with 33 receiving touchdowns. During his final junior season, he scored 20 touchdowns which is a tremendous achievement. During his three seasons at Baylor he started a total of 35 career games and made 28 starts overall. He is a freakish athlete and is very explosive. With the way he plays, he reminds many of current NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. with his unique skill-set.

In this year’s draft, Coleman is considered to be the best deep threat receiver. He is a bit overrated on the outside, but with his talent he would be best placed as a slot receiver. If he becomes a slot receiver in the NFL, then his talents at the next level will be utilized properly.

Feb 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman watches from the sidelines as he sits out the workout drills during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

STRENGTHS

Many teams are struggling in finding a deep ball threat and Coleman could be that answer. He is a big time deep threat that many franchises would appreciate very much, especially when wanting to throw opponents off guard by going deep for huge yardage. He is arguably the best vertical threat in this year’s draft.

He has excellent speed that he can literally burst out of nowhere and get right past covering defenders. Off the line he is a very explosive player that can be a problem for man-on-man coverage. He has the ability to create separation which is very important. For just being 5 foot 10 inches tall he is a very physical player for his size and will be an elite player down the road. He is mostly featured on slant, hitches, screens and go-route pass plays.

More from The Jet Press

NFL franchises will look to see if you are versatile and are able to move all over the field.

Coleman is that person as he is willing to line up anywhere on the field to help his team out.

He is able to accelerate quickly off the line before cornerbacks are able to establish themselves in coverage. He is also a big game-changer when it comes to being a kickoff returner. Many of the games last season he would establish good field positioning just because of his mobility.

WEAKNESSES

Coleman has some problems that might turn teams away from selecting him. Coleman drops too many passes and he also has inconsistent hands. He is very limited in his route tree which will not work in the NFL. He has a tendency of catching the ball with his body instead of with his hands. His size might be a big problem because he lacks the height compared to others at his position.

Coleman is not creative after the catch, he should make more defenders miss after a reception with his speed. After the catch he is not known for gaining big yards. Many receivers are very good in blocking defenders but with Coleman he is a very weak blocker. He needs to do a better job finding openings in zone coverage. He is very bothered by the press coverage, not many corners pressed him in college at the line of scrimmage due to his explosiveness.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

More jets: Coffee with the New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick must act now

DRAFT DAY PREDICTION

Coleman will likely be drafted late in the 1st round or very early in the 2nd round (27th-36th pick) in this year’s draft. Coleman seems like he has the potential to be a very good player but he will need to fix some areas of his game in order to be a successful wide receiver in the NFL. If he is able to fix his problems, then he shouldn’t have any issues in taking his game to the next level with good coaching and development.