One of the players that the Pittsburgh Steelers have met with pre-draft is Holy Cross wide receiver Jalen Coker. A FCS prospect out of Holy Cross, Coker caught 163 balls for 2,684 yards and 31 touchdowns in four seasons, holding the school record for all-time receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. At Holy Cross, Coker was also apart of a team that got the school’s first victory in the FCS playoffs, Coker’s “favorite memory” of playing college football. Coker sat down with Steelers Depot at the East-West Shrine Bowl and talked about his path to the NFL and what he hopes to accomplish at the next level.
Coker comes into the Shrine Bowl off a performance at the Hula Bowl that included an impressive one-handed touchdown grab. He’s hoping for a repeat performance.
“It was a slow start for me, but I just kept saying, it’ll come, just relax. Like, it’ll come, and then eventually, it did. I had a big catch and then another big catch in the end zone for a touchdown. So it was awesome, great experience. I’m excited, I’m hoping to repeat a little bit of it at the Shrine Bowl.”
Coker met with Steelers Director of College Scouting Dan Colbert during the pre-draft process, and while official measurements for the Shrine Bowl haven’t been released yet, he’s expected to come in around 6’2 and around 220 pounds. That could make him a fit for the big slot role in Pittsburgh, and while Coker said he’s more comfortable playing outside, he would do anything to get on the field.
“Coming in, I want to make an impression wherever it is, whether that’s receiver or special teams. Whatever it is, I want to make an impact. So I would love to be on the outside, I feel most comfortable there, that’s the system I got the most reps at, but I have no problem moving around. I know playbooks and things like that will change, how I fit in a scheme and things like that. So I have no problem playing anywhere on the field, I’m very confident in my abilities.”
Coker along with his teammate C.J. Hanson got an invite to the 2024 NFL Combine, and Coker talked about his excitement to “put on” for the people who supported him.
“Coming from Holy Cross, it’s a smaller school, not a lot of people have heard about it. But we’ve been making noise recently and it’s kind of a chip on my shoulder to put on for the people that have worked so hard for me in the past. It’s just exciting. I’m ready to compete. I’m here to show why I deserve to be here,” Coker said.
Coker has similar size to Puka Nacua, and he said Nacua is a guy he likes to watch, and he resonates with the fact that he and Nacua didn’t get a lot of attention ahead of the draft process.
“I’m an underrated type of receiver and then hopefully I can come in and do as much as he has.”
With Pittsburgh likely targeting a receiver either in the draft or free agency, Coker could be an interesting fit if he can show that he can transition well to the slot. He could contribute on special teams and wouldn’t be expected to make a huge impact, but he’s the type of player who could easily earn a bigger role with his play. While he’s more likely a mid-late round pick, Coker has a big opportunity at the Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine to boost his draft stock. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find success at the NFL level.
