Ok, deep breaths, my pals. I can already feel the eyes rolling.
“Another wide receiver? Really?”
Hear me out…
Corey Coleman was one of my favorite players to breakdown this offseason for obvious reasons: the kid’s a human highlight reel. He’s also the next Name to Know.
With the 14th selection… https://t.co/iKREf6qTDk
— ryan (@StillRyanFive) April 7, 2016
I’ve already detailed my infatuation with a certain running back at 14 overall. Unfortunately, that dream has all but faded away at this point.
The good news, for those of you that think like me (not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing), much like Ezekiel Elliott, Corey Coleman would provide an incredible spark and added dimension to this Oakland offense.
I understand that taking a wide receiver early is a “luxury” of sorts, especially when considering recent transactions (drafting Amari Cooper, extending Michael Crabtree) and positions of need. If a wideout is the best player available at 14, there should be no hesitation; Reggie McKenzie has done a great job of putting this franchise in that position.
Anyway, I can show you better than I can tell you.
Just routine stuff for Corey: over the shoulder, easy money.
At 5’11”, he’s not towering over anyone. It’s cliché (sorry), but he plays bigger than listed; little elevation, too.
I imagine it won’t be this easy in the league, but certainly something we’ll see more of on Sunday’s regardless. Footwork, separation… he checks boxes.
You must press this boy.
This is where you start to get a little frustrated with Coleman at times: his hands. More on that in a few.
He’s able to bounce back though, don’t worry. Coleman hung three scores on West Virginia; the hat-trick hero.
Pure athleticism (great balance, too). He ate back in October, this entire game is a work of art.
Don’t bite.
Check the hands both above and below, though. Coleman makes these “scoop” grabs (for lack of better terminology on my part) from time to time. Like, he almost prefers bringing catches into his chest (or with the assistance of his chest). Just odd, especially for a player of Coleman’s caliber.
He obviously knows how to catch the football, but that consistency just isn’t there for some reason. He had 20 touchdowns to his name last season, but honestly, there could’ve been even more with proper technique, and simply adjusting his mittens.
We saw this clip earlier, but I had to blow it up because it’s awesome (and another instance where he’s making it work — he gets a pass from me here).
Some good coverage below, but what are you doing with your hands, my guy? Put them up young CC!
Good majority of the Oklahoma State game was a mess in that regard.
The negatives as far as the hands are concerned standout because you know he’s capable of more.
For example, a very clean look here.
Strong hands, and the YAC to go with it.
The spotty plays are unfortunate, because Coleman really does it all.
I mean, we saw this with Amari Cooper leading up to the draft as well, right? You hope these players put it together because the talent is obviously tremendous otherwise. I didn’t waver on Cooper just as I won’t waver on Coleman: I believe these shortcomings are correctable. Another case of the “good outweighing the bad”?
My guy Matt Harmon of NFL.com notes much of the same, and does it very eloquently:
I wrote up Corey Coleman yesterday and gave a firm stance on whether the good outweighs the bad https://t.co/2BNg0iQluc
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 23, 2016
Side note: that’s not necessarily a comparison to Cooper, although you can see a couple similarities in their game(s).
Back to Corey’s versatility, and really doing it all. Whether it’s split out wide or in the slot – the slot is where I’d play him in Oakland and where he’d flourish, if the stars align – Coleman’s been known to do some damage out of the backfield and on special teams.
Bottom line: you want the rock in this kids hand’s as often as possible.
Throw on the film, check out the production, and you can easily see why Corey Coleman’s considered a top 32 selection in this year’s draft. The “good” is obvious, and it’s bountiful.
We do have the “bad” though, of course. We talked about his paws earlier. There are also concerns about the “Baylor offense”, lack of a route tree and various concepts, etc. You’ve also probably heard talk about Coleman (and others under Briles) taking plays off. That’s all built in, and to be expected as it were, but certainly appears on film. In film study, you notice players who are bad at blocking. With Coleman, there were full games where he didn’t even bother.
Touchdowns truly matter at the end of the day, so I’m willing to work with these flaws.
I wouldn’t argue with anyone if they had Laquon Treadwell or Josh Doctson in place of Corey Coleman. I touched on all three as possibilities in my mock draft a couple weeks back. Personally, I love the fit with Coleman, so that’s my pick.
And yes, I’d make that selection as early as 14 overall.
He’s that good.
Catch me on Twitter: @StillRyanFive
