From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida State WR Keon Coleman.
#4 Keon Coleman/WR Florida State – 6032, 213 pounds (Junior)
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Keon Coleman | 6032/213 | 9 3/8″ | 32 1/8″ | 78 1/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.61 | 1.54 | N/A | 7.19 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’7″ | 38 | N/A |
The Good
– Quite possibly the best hands in the class
– Contested-catch situations are where he thrives being able to bail out the quarterback
– Great raw athletic measurables for development when considering age, frame, and a 92nd-percentile Combine
– Adds value as a returner as in 2023 he returned 25 punts for 300 yards
– Shows good tendencies to improve as a route runner with how he uses his hands to swipe the defender away and also the ability to close space
– Really good initial release off the line and plays with good speed for the first few yards
– Great body control and spatial awareness on the field
– Has shown he can be a red zone threat with 11 touchdowns in 2023 alone
The Bad
– Struggles to create consistent separation in man coverage
– Statistically he doesn’t compete with a lot of the other guys in this class, never cracking 800 receiving yards in a season
– Inconsistent effort in blocking; has the ability to be really solid if the effort is there
– Was forced to run a limited route tree by Florida State that consisted of mainly go routes, screens, and curls
– Lacks great play speed on the field even though he plays faster than his 40 time
– Has tendency to utilize too many false steps when running routes allowing corners to stay with him
Bio
– 20 years old (May 17, 2003)
– 12 starts in 22 games played for Michigan State and started all 12 games for Florida State
– 115 catches, 1,506 receiving yards, 19 receiving touchdowns, and a 13.1 yards per catch in his college career
– 50 catches, 658 receiving yards, 11 receiving touchdowns, and a 13.2 yards per catch in 2023
– 2023 undisclosed injury that caused him to miss a game
– Four-star WR in his 2021 high school class from Opelousas, La.
– Participated in basketball and track and field in high school
– Also played basketball at Michigan State where he played a total of 10 minutes in six career games
– Says he would like to get into coaching, real estate or accounting at some point
Tape Breakdown
This play was from Keon Coleman’s first game at FSU on a slant over the middle. He’s the receiver at the top of the screen. Granted LSU is playing off-coverage, but Coleman creates and keeps separation. Once he catches the ball, he makes two defenders miss before having free real estate to the end zone. The Seminoles should have used Coleman more in this type of role considering how often it worked out for them.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
This shows Coleman’s specialty, which is his contested-catch ability. Coleman is lined up as the receiver closest to the line at the tip of the screen, and you can see his initial burst off the line right away. With that burst, he closes the gap between him and the defender. Once in the end zone and the ball is in the air, he uses his basketball background to box out the defender and make the catch.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
As I said previously, Coleman has potentially the best hands in the class, and they show up in every situation. Here Coleman is the receiver at the top of the screen running a deep post. He uses physicality at the top to create a slight step on the defensive back and shows off the over-the-shoulder catch while it is contested. This is a catch that is harder than it looks when it is wide open, and here he has a defender right on his back.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Letting Coleman run routes over the middle is always a good idea. Here he is lined up as the middle receiver on the trips side. He sells the hesitation as if he is running a screen, something Florida State forced him into doing an unrelenting amount of times last year. By selling the hesitation, he is able to create a ton of wide-open space in the middle of the field for a touchdown.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Coleman is never fazed by a roaming safety. Over and over, he continues to make contested catches even if a second defender comes in his vicinity and has the ability to take his head off. On this play the situation is what is most important: the game is tied 24-24 in overtime. Despite this, Coleman does what he always does and catches a deep touchdown over a Clemson corner. This shows NFL teams that when they need a play in the biggest situations, Coleman can be a reliable guy for them to go to.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Conclusion
Florida State’s Keon Coleman really has a massive ceiling to explode in the NFL. His elite size and age make him a team’s dream development project. He has the elite hands to bail out a quarterback from bad throws or to bail himself out of creating no separation. I do think separation will be an issue in the NFL but not to the extent of hurting his draft stock too much. Florida State really limited his route tree, using him primarily on screens, curls, and go balls. He only got 32 total slant and dig-route opportunities in his 12 games last season.
You compare that to guys like Adonai Mitchell, who got to run those routes 93 times in 14 games and Marvin Harrison Jr. (69 times in 12 games). Even Coleman’s teammate Johnny Wilson got those routes 39 times in only nine games despite being a worse route runner. I feel you can attribute the lack of separation at least partially to Florida State forcing Coleman’s route tree to be very predictable and not letting him catch the ball over the middle with yards after the catch opportunity like we saw against LSU. From an athletic measurables standpoint, Coleman’s on-field game translated perfectly to the Combine.
We saw him absolutely kill the explosiveness testing and even though we expected the poor speed testing, he dominated the 10-yard split, which is what shows up on tape. His burst off the line of scrimmage is very good and his unofficial 1.54 10-yard split would rank in the 87th percentile. You pair all the great receiver traits he has along with the fact that he can also be a punt returner and it equals a very high draft stock despite the college production not being there. Keon Coleman compares to being a similar player to George Pickens in the NFL.
Projection: Day 1
Depot Draft Grade: 9.0 – Year 1 Quality Starter (First Round)
Games Watched: LSU (2023), Clemson (2023) & Wisconsin (2022)
