Further thoughts & tape on Brandon Coleman

Oh, for a 6-6 receiver this weekend.

The Seahawks #1 need right now is a big target for Russell Wilson.

Consistency, speed, competitiveness. He’s throwing to a solid group.

But he hasn’t got someone who can be a mismatch in the redzone and generally dominate with height and speed. A possession receiver-plus, so to speak.

I am convinced Brandon Coleman is a great option for the Seahawks with their first round pick this year.

Sometimes we have to look beyond the numbers or even the tape. What is a player capable of? What can he become?

Rutgers have barely had a functioning passing game for two years. Mediocre would be a compliment.

If Coleman played for Florida State I truly believe he’d be seen in a totally different light. Give him a Heisman winner at quarterback and a power house unbeaten supporting cast and he’d be flying.

I don’t think we realise how difficult it is to make technical improvements at receiver when the guy throwing you the ball just isn’t good enough.

He has to take some of the blame too, I appreciate that. Does he do a good enough job high pointing the football? No. Although in fairness a lot of the throws he gets aren’t catchable anyway.

It’s not like there’s tape of 10-15 throws you can say — he should’ve high pointed that. It’s more like 3-4 because they just don’t attempt all that many deep shots.

If he can learn this skill, the sky really is the limit for Coleman.

He has a size/speed combo that reminds me a ton of Josh Gordon. I’ve used that comparison before. Just look at Gordon after a year learning the ropes. He was the most productive wide out in the NFL playing in Cleveland. Cleveland.

It was reassuring to see Dan Pompei report last week that an unnamed National Scout viewed Coleman as a late first rounder.

That’s exactly how I see it.

Physically he’s a top ten pick. Yet because of the offensive struggles at Rutgers and the lack of development, he’s more of a late first rounder.

In that range you can’t expect to draft the complete package. If you want a great player, you have to take a shot.

Whoever you take in the late first is going to be somewhat flawed. And that’s why guys like Coleman and Kelvin Benjamin will go in the 20’s or 30’s and why Mike Evans and Sammy Watkins are top-15 locks.

The game against Notre Dame at the top of this page is a fantastic review of the situation.

Rutgers started the game by throwing away from Coleman — their best offensive weapon. Work that one out.

The below average Gary Nova had been replaced under center by the possibly even worse Chas Dodd (who completed 10/28 throwing and had three picks).

You have to wait six snaps into the video before Coleman gets his first target — a 51-yard downfield bomb. He’s beats the cornerback down the sideline with pure speed, creates separation and hauls in the catch.

That’s what I’m talking about. There aren’t many 6-6 receivers who can do that.

On his next snap he runs a perfect route to the corner of the end zone, beating a pair of defensive backs, and scoring the touchdown. The ball is thrown behind Coleman, but he adjusts to make the grab.

That’s the potential I’m talking about. That’s the positive side of his game. A reason to believe in him, even as a first round pick. You know he can do it.

And yet people turn off. Why? After those two catches, he didn’t register on the stat sheet again.

Draftnik types generally want to buy into production when it comes to receivers. They’ll overrate players with major stats. They’ll look beyond players who don’t have the right numbers.

The thing is, I come back to the offense and the quarterback situation again.

Look at the play at 1:58. Coleman isn’t even into his route before Dodd — without pressure — throws it his way. He’s not ready for that football, he’s still running the damn route. The quarterback deserves that pick. That throw was never on.

At 2:29 Coleman should’ve had another touchdown — but it’s yet another terrible throw. He beats the corner and has position. The ball is thrown just as Coleman reaches the end zone so if you throw that out in front of him it’s an easy six.

Dodd throws it behind the receiver, almost like a back shoulder throw, and nearly gets picked again.

That is insanely poor quarterback play.

At 3:21 they try a gimmick play and let the running back throw it. Can he do any worse? Yes, yes he can. He throws it behind Coleman (again) and it’s picked off. Just awful.

At 3:31 we see the big area for improvement. That’s a pass Coleman can high point and do a better job challenging for. It’s at a good height, and if he leaps up and reaches out he can make a difficult play. He doesn’t and it’s incomplete instead.

At 3:45 he beats the corner and is pulled back in a blatant pass interference call. Better to give up yards than a touchdown, but it’s another example of a 6-6 man looking more agile and athletic than a Notre Dame corner half his size.

It’s this kind of play that makes me say — OK — we need to work on the high pointing. He can do better there. But my god I have to get the chance to work with a player who has this size, movement, control and flat out deep speed.

Put his ability to get open in this video alongside the highlight reel plays we’ve seen him make — running away from defensive backs for 80-yard scores and looking potentially like one of the best playmakers to enter the NFL in recent memory.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he can be big time with a good quarterback and offense.

And I implore you to see past the lack of stats and buy into the upside. Because this guy has it in spades.

43 Comments

  1. Nolan

    I’d love to add Coleman in 1st! Hopefully with the 32nd pick

  2. Don

    Hi Rob,

    I am glad you included the second highlight tape, that first one made me start doubting Coleman.

    I agree with you, Coleman is our guy. Unfortunately, he is Carolina’s, New orleans, New England’s and San Francisco’s guy also. Seattle has to trade UP to get him. Just 10 spots is all it would take.

    Coleman has the hands to catch the ball at the high point, look at the catch at the 2:30 mark.

    You have to score points to win the game. The Hawks can’t depend on winning every game 3-0.

    I also like Allen Robinson, 6’3″, runs great after the catch. He would be my second choice of who would be available in the 30’s.

  3. AlaskaHawk

    Nice smooth runner with good hands – he would be a great choice!

  4. Jeff M.

    What if we had a powerful, physical, aggressive 6’3″ wideout with proven jump ball skills already on the roster and ready to go?

    ….that’s right, it’s time for Richard Sherman to play both ways!

    πŸ™‚

    • OakHarborHawk

      I’d love to see them throw Sherman in on red zone offense the next two games. If nothing else he would be one hell of a distraction for the opposing defense. Just make sure you’re not throwing him anything that would get him killed.

    • Rob Staton

      Go get em Richard!

  5. Ben

    I like either Coleman or Benjamin. I keep flip-flopping between the two. Benjamin has a bit more size, though not much, has a bit more polish (and though this doesn’t matter a whole bunch, he’s a little younger). But Coleman has a little more long speed and better focus. We just need someone on the outside with that size and speed. Either could be great, just the threat is what we need.

  6. Jordan

    Hey Rob,

    Long time reader, first time poster. I absolutely love and appreciate all your work for our fan base and strongly value your opinions. I agree that we desperately need size at the wr position but am not completely sold on Coleman. Obviously he has a lot of upside but he also strikes me as somebody who could take a year plus to develop into a productive nfl receiver due to his inconsistency. As we all know, PCJS draft for upside but also for value. Do you think that the upside of Coleman significantly outweighs the value and also substantial upside of somebody like Martavis Bryant or L’Damian Washington in the later rounds? Obviously they’re slightly different styles of receiver and those two would be more in the vein of a Sidney Rice type player than Coleman’s BMW but they both have great size and they seem faster on tape. I just feel it would take significantly less of an investment to acquire either of them and then we would be able to draft a more surefire contributor in the 1st. To clarify, I’d be all for Coleman if we could get him in the 2nd or 3rd. I just don’t see the value in rd. 1

    • Rob Staton

      It’s something they’d have to weigh up because they do like impact. I think Coleman could be a 500-600-yard receiver as a rookie but in year two, could be ready for a big jump. And really, I think they’ll struggle to find a genuine #1 who can do it immediately without moving up for Evans. As we saw with Golden Tate, it can pay dividends long term. And I think Coleman can be even better than Tate if he’s given time.

      • Jordan

        Have you done any scouting on either of the guys I mentioned? I’d love to hear your take on them.

        • Rob Staton

          We’ve discussed both players during the year.

          I think Bryant is a relatively limited player. Has nice size but I wouldn’t want to take him any higher than probably the fourth round. Washington is tall but incredibly skinny. He’s flashed a little as a 5th year senior but for me has to get bigger. He’s a borderline draftable prospect, maybe a late rounder.

          • AlaskaHawk

            Also there is Davante Adams, Fresno State. You have some footage of him with Carr throwing the ball. One of the signs that a receiver has good hands is when they one hand a catch. He’s got good hands.

            • Rob Staton

              I’m very ‘meh’ on Adams. I’m going to spend a while on him over the next few weeks, but my initial impression was mid round talent.

              • AlaskaHawk

                Fair enough, then we should be able to scoop Adams up in the 4-5th round.

  7. AndrewP

    Rob- Two question/comment type things…

    1) You’ve mentioned many times that Coleman has some developing to do, and I wonder: Might the ‘win now’ Hawks be looking for someone to contribute ASAP with their 1st RDr?

    2) Jared Stanger of FieldGulls said he thought Coleman would fall bc of attitude issues that would show through in the interview process… Can you comment on anything you heard about these kinds of issues from his time at Rutgrers?

    Thx

    • Rob Staton

      1 — Very possible. But I think if they’re looking for a big wide out they’ll struggle to find an immediate impact guy in the 29-32 range. They’d have to move up for someone like Mike Evans.

      2 — I have never seen any evidence of attitude problems with Coleman and have no idea what Jared Stanger is talking about there if he made that reference.

  8. Stuart

    Exactly what Don said.

  9. Connor

    For me Kelvin Benjamin is the number 1 option. Usually receivers who have some bad drops and mental lapses I’m not touching. But in this case it might be just enough for possibly the best receiver in the draft to fall to the Seahawks.

    After watching all of Benjamin’s cut ups he fits the bill perfectly for the big physical playmaking WR the Seahawks are looking for. He can get behind the defense or go up and high point the ball. at 6-5 235 he is arguably the most physically gifted receiver in the draft. He also has shown the ability to utilize his body and make catches with tight man to man coverage. He is a 3rd down and red zone threat, exactly what this team needs.

    Yes, he is immature and has some growing up to do, kinda like Golden Tate I think he will learn what it takes to be a true pro over time. Only difference is I think Benjamin has true number 1 physical freak WR potential.

    Coleman would be my backup option if Benjamin is off the board which there is a good chance that is the case.

  10. KyleT

    What game tape makes you think Coleman is a possession receiver? You have to make one contested catch that leaves you with the “how did he catch that?” thought. Coleman’s ceiling is maybe Sidney Rice with enough years in the league. I’m not convinced that’s the type of receiver we need.

    • Rob Staton

      He’s 6-6, 220lbs with amazing reach. That’s why I think he can be a possession receiver. Sidney Rice is more of an athletic type — very agile, makes acrobatic grabs. Coleman has ideal size to develop into a brilliant possession receiver.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        He has that size most definitely.

        No matter whom we pick, we all will have to understand that they will be much better by the time they hit the field for us in the fall. WRs, even good ones, usually take an entire NFL season and 2 training camps before they really hit their stride.

        Coleman has a long ways to go IMO. He does have some unique gifts. His size and length is amazing. You can’t coach that. He also has a very unique ability to hit an extra gear as he approaches corners on a go route. Honestly, it reminds me of Darryl Turner, a speedster WR we had in the early 80’s. Both were long striders and taller. Both really had that unique ‘it’ to fly by corners and get completely free by the time the ball arrives. Coleman has that and likewise that can’t be coached.

        Russell throws a sexy deep ball. Coleman, more than any WR in this entire draft is a fly pattern dream.

        Coleman looks awkward catching the ball. It’s been notable, and I’ve mentioned it last year — he has shown difficulty tracking the ball and that’s still evident this year. In particular the balls coming straight at him (curls/slants) tend to eat him up. He looks like an outfielder trying to field a pop fly in the sun.

        He doesn’t possess good agility and suddenness out of his breaks. This is not unlike a lot of college WRs. It is something that can improve, but I tend to think it won’t. Coleman is a long strider and his feet aren’t particularly fast. He also doesn’t display significant flexibility. I don’t see him able to chop his feet or drop his center of gravity well enough to be a good route runner on curls/out patterns. So as a result, he’s going to look covered for the entire route and he’s conceding his height advantage because he can’t establish positive position out of his break.

        I think Coleman will have to become a different physical runner and player than he’s shown if we want to consider him a ‘possession’ receiver. He is spectacular at vertical routes. But he shows real difficulty at the kinds of routes that are a possession receivers’ bread and butter.

        This is where his ceiling comes in though. If he does defy what we see currently, and can improve his ability to hit his breaks and track the ball — then he could be special. Because he does have very good acceleration from a stop. That and his size can allow him to take a square in/out and create enough separation quickly to force arm tackles, which his size allows him to break regularly. He could take those passes to the house, because if a corner misses on him, his stride and acceleration will make safeties look like they took bad angles on him and he’ll fly on by them.

        He needs to significantly improve his tracking of the ball and his ability to sit down in his breaks and maintain advantage through that. His floor is pretty much Lockette’s at this point. He doesn’t possess better ball skills now over Ricardo. They are still very poor in general. A better QB can assist there. But for Russell to even think of throwing Coleman’s way, he’s going to have to improve his route running considerably. Something that is probably less than a 50-50 proposition in my estimation based on what I’ve seen of him physically.

  11. kigenzun

    If we hang tight, fingers crossed at #32 and either Coleman or Benjamin (or even ASJ) falls into our laps I will be ecstatic!
    However, my concerns lie in, none of the above being there when we finally get a chance to pick; thus I mull the alternatives. If our ideal BIG WR scenario fleetingly disappears… & suddenly there are no takers and its too late to trade down. Do we go with Robinson, Adams, Beckham, or Matthews? Or draft Jace Amaro if he’s there? Or perhaps another #32 board value scenario like DT Timmy Jernigan or DE Trent Murphy?
    As far as I know (which is admittedly not very far…) it would take both the #32 AND the #64 to trade up to #20 or so, have a choice between the 2 late first round BIG WRs, and “be sure and get our guy”.
    I offer thanks in advance for answering these 3 Questions: A) What do you think of the possible TRADE UP? And B) What do you think it would cost in draft capitol to ‘get there from here’? And C) Would it be crazy or worth it keeping the #64, instead offering the #32 this year and the #32 next year to get our man?

    • MJ

      Without hesitation, I’d take Odell Beckham. He’s a really gifted WR and fits this offense perfectly. Pound for pound, probably one of the most dominant Red Line guys I have seen in awhile. His hands are so strong and he is uber-competitive.

      • Ben

        Competitive can only get you so far. Eventually you need that size that Coleman or Benjamin bring.

  12. Cysco

    Coleman vs Benjamin

    I’ll be really interested to see the combine for these guys. Something tells me that we’ll find that Coleman is a good deal quicker than Benjamin. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Coleman come real close to getting into the 4.4x range while I think Benjamin will likely come in at the high 4.5 range. For his sake I hope he doesn’t break 4.6. If he does, I think he becomes a second round pick. Coleman just looks faster on tape. Coleman should also do better in agility drills.

    Conversely, I imagine Benjamin will destroy Coleman on vertical jump. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Benjamin record the best vertical in the combine.

    To me, Coleman looks like he has the better chance of being an all around #1 receiver, while Benjamin looks like a specialist that you go to for shorter yardage jump balls. That TD catch at the end of the championship game is the type of thing I see him doing at the next level.

    From watching the various tape out there on both, I’d prefer Coleman. (assuming he has the drive and work ethic to be great)

  13. Ben2

    I’ve only seen highlight videos (Rob’s video links don’t show up on my iPhone – any ideas?) but I like Benjamin more than Coleman. Once again, maybe it’s a lack of a more comprehensive viewing, but….(1) I didn’t see Coleman catch the ball outside of his body – ie use his hands to extend his catch radius and “suck”in the football (2) Benjamin’s strength appears to be high-pointing the football-he could keep the chains moving on 3rd and score in the red zone immediately with this skill (2) Benjamin seems more physical/violent in his game – breaking tackles, blocking, fighting for the ball…and THAT is our MO as a team- physical football. That being said, at 32 beggars can’t be choosers-I’d be happy with Coleman at 32….it’s just that I’d be happier with Benjamin at 32!

    • Cysco

      I think that’s a pretty good assessment of Benjamin. Dude seems to be more of a power forward while Coleman is more of a Small forward. If you’re looking for an all around guy that can run past guys Coleman seems to be your guy. If you’re looking for a guy that is going to get you that tough 3rd and 3 or win that jump ball in the end zone, I think Benjamin is your man.

      I mean, seriously, look at this catch. From what I’ve seen Benjamin is the only guy in college football that makes this catch. In fact, their’s probably only 6-7 guys in the NFL that come down with this one.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BTkyr7Qv8mc#t=101

      Come on! The dude high-points the ball above the goalpost crossbar!

  14. Emperor_MA

    I think there is a very good chance Coleman could still be there when we draft in the second round. I just can’t see anyone spending a first round choice on him. If he isn’t there at #64, I won’t shed any tears.

    Benjamin will probably go in the first round or early second. Being on a NC team helps in that regard.

    I honestly don’t see either of them as being legitimate #1 receivers in the NFL. I liken it to college prospects when I do a draft analysis: 5 stars = ready to start, 4 stars = ready to contribute, 3 stars = needs a year to develop before playing, 2 stars = may start after a couple of years as an understudy, 1 star = roster filler with some potential.

    I see Benjamin as a solid 4 star guy who could probably contribute right away as a 3rd down guy and in the red zone. Coleman to me looks like more of a 3 star guy who will need some time to develop and may be a contributor in a year or two.

    IMHO, I’d rather take a 5 star player in the first round, regardless of what position he plays. Get me someone who is ready to play now and upgrade our starter if applicable or add the player to the rotation as quality depth … whichever fits the player drafted.

    • Rob Staton

      Coleman lasting until #64 is incredibly unlikely IMO.

      As for getting a five star player in round one — that’s often very difficult in the 29-32 range. But I have to say, I think it’ll be a tragic waste if we just go after someone who starts quickly instead of someone who not only fills the teams biggest need area — but could be a huge addition for the long term.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        I tend to agree. Although I do think he would last up until New England picks. Not all teams are willing to overlook significant production issues as we are. I can actually see him slipping to our 2nd round pick, but the draft would kind of need to fall a certain way.

        The teams that look like they’ll go WR in rounds 1 and 2:

        St. Louis
        Oakland
        Detroit
        Baltimore
        NY Jets
        Kansas City
        Carolina
        San Fransisco
        Seattle
        New England
        Indianapolis

        We can probably strike Detroit off the list of Coleman suitors as they have a big outside WR already. I expect Oakland will go Watkins and St. Louis to go WR with one of their picks. One of Baltimore/NY/KC will go Lee. But if Baltimore doesn’t, they might wait a while. They have a lot of OL holes and this is a good draft to fill those. WR is less of a need for them. Indianapolis doesn’t have a first round pick and I’d be shocked if they don’t go OL with their second round pick. That leaves 5 other teams likely to go WR early. Indy and Baltimore being wild cards.

        Those 5-6 will have the following pool to choose from:

        Robinson
        Adams
        Matthews
        Cooks
        Benjamin
        Beckham
        Landry

        There are a lot of prospects that are good in their own right. Different receivers to be sure. But more conventional as well. I can see KC or SF taking Coleman. Hopefully, they’ll both be picking ahead of us.

        If he does pass KC/SF/NE then we probably can trade back into the 50s and still get Coleman. But I wouldn’t expect him to pass that gauntlet of teams twice.

      • Emperor_MA

        I just don’t see Russell Wilson ever being comfortable throwing balls up for grabs. He is just too damn careful with the ball to do that. He only throws to OPEN receivers and sometimes he won’t even do that if he smells even a hint of a defender in the same zip code. I don’t think reaching for “project” WRs simply because they are tall in the first round will provide any value to the Seahawks with their QB and way they approach offensive play.

        I’d much rather get a WR who gets separation, runs crisp routes (so he can be thrown open), has fantastic hands and body control and has demonstrated it through production and lots of film. I’d also like this guy to able to shake tackles for YAC and block. I want a super-reliable pass catcher who moves the chains, scores in the red zone, is a threat to go to the house if you leave him in single coverage and can line up on the same side as Harvin and help spring Percy on bubble screens and hitches.

        I think I want a slightly bigger, slightly faster, slightly meaner Michael Crabtree or a faster Anquan Boldin more than I do Brandon Coleman.

        • Rob Staton

          “I just don’t see Russell Wilson ever being comfortable throwing balls up for grabs”

          He does it quite a lot in fairness in single coverage. The two Tate TD’s against the Rams are evidence of this.

          • Ben2

            Gotta agree w/Rob on this one….he throws it up a fair amount on all those deep shots down the field that everybody has been complaining about (ie a large segment of fanbase calling for slants, more TE pass plays, screens,etc).A couple of the reasonshe doesn’t throw picks on these is that he puts it up where it’s its difficult for defender to reach and any type of overthrow doesn’t have a defender behind….but the other reason (and why it ties into WR talk) is the importance of fighting for the ball. Our recievers do a lot if hand fighting to maintain a catch and to prevent the DB or whoever from making a catch. One of the reasons I likeBenjamin more….Coleman doesn’t seem to want to extend his arms/hands outside his body – whether high pointing the ball OR hand fighting for the ball.

  15. CC

    If we have the final pick in the first round before any trades happen, I will be happy with whomever they choose! Of course a tall, fast wide receiver would work just fine.

  16. dave crockett

    Always love your stuff Rob.

    BUT, when you flip for a prospect it is the stuff of romance novels.

    So I tend to just concentrate on areas where we may not quite agree. (There aren’t many.)

    I wouldn’t necessarily bat an eyelash if Coleman is the pick.

    However, two things:

    1) At WR, production is not infallible but it’s an important assessment tool.
    You can’t just look at a guy and assume he can play WR. You have to see him do it well (at least on a per target basis), even in a horrible offense. Consider, for example, Demaryius Thomas. More than any other position, you have to focus on what WRs cannot do. PC/JS have learned the hard way that WRs can hide blemishes that turn out to be fatal flaws. Ideally, you want enough tape to see a guy work through his flaws. I made the mistake of ignoring flaws last year with Chris Harper, and attributing them to his offense. We found out that Harper’s blemishes were fatal flaws. Sure, Coleman’s a better prospect but any prospect can have fatal flaws.

    2) Coleman is almost certainly years away, regardless.
    Say what you will about how raw Tate was when he was drafted, he was featured at Notre Dame and it still took him 3 good seasons to be a consistent contributor. Coleman was not featured at all at Rutgers, and they ran pro sets. It’s not like they ran a triple option, like Ga Tech. Yet, they still couldn’t get him more involved. If you’re gonna go Coleman you just have to acknowledge that you’re gambling exclusively on upside. I think you’re fooling yourself to expect that kid to contribute anything in the first year. You’ll need another big WR either in the draft or on the market.

    • Rob Staton

      Well, I kind of resent the romance novel remark πŸ™‚ . I mean, it’s no different to a war room really. GM’s like prospects and bat for those guys. I’ll write about the players I think this team will consider. I know both myself and Kip have a good feeling that Coleman will be on Seattle’s radar.

      Can he have an impact in year one? My estimate would be 600-700 yards and some touchdowns. Similar to Josh Gordon’s first year. And let’s remember here, Gordon had only 43 college catches and 700 odd yards. He’s had a big impact in the NFL. Coleman had 94 catches and 1800 yards. Yes, he had more playing time in college. He was also playing in a festering offense, unlike Gordon.

      • dave crockett

        Well, we gotta rib you a little bit every now and again πŸ™‚

        Like I said, I *mostly* agree about Coleman. I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if Seattle takes him at the end of the first. Where we disagree a bit is in the risk profile. The Josh Gordon story, where a WR who made virtually no college impact makes one in the NFL, is extraordinarily rare. I can’t think of another comparable case off the top of my head where the guy was even serviceable (unless it’s college QB to NFL WR).

        That said, I’m sure Coleman is on Seattle’s radar. How could he not be?

        What I’d add is that if Coleman is the guy then Seattle will also need to find another “Baldwin”. Not that kind of WR, per se, but another guy who is more pro-ready. Baldwin has been extremely important in Tate’s development. Baldwin allowed the team (and the fan base) to be more patient with Tate.

        • Rob Staton

          I’d seriously be very comfortable with a double dip at receiver this year. The class is good enough. Especially if Jarvis Landry is around in the late second.

  17. Bob

    I’d be pretty happy with this pick. I am worried that Schneider will stay away from a WR in the 1st, he seems to target them after the 1st round but Pete might convince him to go big WR earlier. They probably thought Steven Williams would keep it up and we wouldn’t drop him with Kearse’s emergence.

  18. Robert

    Coleman’s top end speed with those long strides is mesmerizing. But Benjamin’s catch radius, hands catching and high pointing are exceptional, even by NFL standards. He is a very physical player already. He only needs to hang out with RW and learn a few of his mantras and Jedi tricks so he can focus and concentrate with more consistency. His skill set will transform our 3rd down and red zone play on Game 1 with ridiculous upside going forward. He was already a jump ball dominator in high school. I doubt we could teach Coleman to be a great hands catcher/high pointer in a year or whatever. And he is NOT a physical menace and CB abuser the way Benjamin is. I think Benjamin would be a great WR in our system!

  19. bigDhawk

    Rob, I have a few questions. Apologies if these have been covered and I missed them:

    1 – Of course we all know, Seattle is a run first team. What is your assessment of his run blocking skills? If they are not good, could that sour the deal in PC or JDs eyes?

    2 – Dovetailing into question 1 somewhat, you’ve mentioned on more than one occasion the attitude you believe receivers must possess to be successful – ‘pissed off for greatness’, so you say. Does Coleman possess that attitude?

    3 – Is there any concern he might be injury prone? We know about the previous knee surgery. He gives me the impression of being somewhat high maintenance physically. Does he seem tough enough to withstand nicks and dings of and NFL season and still be able to dominate?

    • Rob Staton

      1 – I think run blocking for a WR is usually something you work on at the next level. Coleman’s is neither here nor there at the moment. It’s OK. But there’s potential there, and it’s the same with Evans and Benjamin too.

      2 – I do believe Coleman has that kind of attitude.

      3 – The knee needs to be checked out. That’ll happen at the combine and while some reports suggest it’ll be a formality, teams will want that reassurance. I’ve not got any long term concerns because he hasn’t missed time on the field, but it’d be nice to have all the information on his knee surgery this year.

  20. John

    I immediately fell in love with Coleman in 2011 with his dominate performance against UCONN . Its Hard to ignore a receiver at that size who can run like that in the open field. My biggest concern is , Will he play physical enough to succeed in the NFL. He has some of the same traits as a receiver that Ramses Barden had in 2009. While Coleman is a much better prospect the same flaw of not using his superior size to beat DB’s is glaring. I had Coleman as my top WR prospect coming into the season hoping I would see strides made in his game but they havent come. Coleman is a huge gamble and may take some time to develop but for a team like the Seahawks who have drafted so well in the later rounds taking a chance on Coleman early might not be as big as a risk

© 2024 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑