Florida State junior receiver Keon Coleman declared for the 2024 NFL Draft as an electric playmaker who may catch the eye of at least one franchise as early as Round 2. If not for speed concerns, the former Michigan State Spartan transfer would be a first-round selection.
Coleman played six basketball games for MSU and 10 football contests in 2021 before devoting himself full time to the latter the next season. He caught on quickly, producing personal bests in receptions and yardage as a sophomore.
Height: 6-foot-3 1/4
Weight: 213 pounds
40 time: 4.61 seconds
A transfer to the Seminoles didn’t affect his ascending trajectory. Even though Coleman’s catch count and yardage dipped slightly, he scored four more touchdowns than the prior year. Coleman was named First-Team All-ACC for wide receiver, all-purpose, and specialist, becoming only the second player ever to accomplish such a feat.
Table: WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (2021-23)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
C19: player gained extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 pandemic
Pros
- Excellent size and leaping ability for contested catches — top-78th percentile or better for WR vertical jump, height, and weight among all-time combine participants
- Well-built musculature allows him to box out in coverage, withstand big hits, and power through smaller defenders
- Makes some spectacular grabs, especially in traffic, with multiple one-handed snags on tape
- Fluid movement traits and is able to make defenders miss in tight spaces
- Competitive spirit and fights for yardage
- Has physical tools to be become more than an effort blocker
- 2023 punt returner experience, albeit with modest results — likely won’t be any team’s first choice to return kicks but has shown he can generate yardage
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Cons
- Lacks straight-line speed to burn past most corners and often gets caught from behind — look at three potential punt return TDs that saw him either get chased down or cut off
- Probably will be limited to an outside role with angular and vertical routes — noticeably struggles in “gearing down” situations
- Despite making some special catches and typically being strong in contested situations, more consistency would be a huge boost to his long-term success
- Start-stop can be sluggish, and longer corners can give him issues in press-man
- Tends to be a “get in the way” type of blocker
Fantasy football outlook
Coleman profiles as a No. 2 at the next level, despite having similar skills to NFL standouts DeAndre Hopkins and Anquan Boldin. Lofty comparisons, indeed, so it will be impressive if he ever materializes to that extent.
He’s a cousin of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, don’t be shocked if Jerry Jones makes a play for Coleman. For as good a storyline that would be, Coleman’s unique skills make him a viable candidate for just about any team in need of a high-upside wideout with a knack for making chunk plays.
Regardless of where Coleman lands, expect a limited role as a rookie before he develops into a consistently useful fantasy commodity over the first three years.