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Dynasty Prospect Profile: Corey Coleman

Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

Height: 5’11

Weight: 194

Age: 21.7

Combine results:

(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):

40-yard dash: DNP

Vertical: 40.5” (93rd percentile)

Broad: 10’9 (91st percentile)

3-cone: DNP

20-yard shuttle: DNP

College career:

After redshirting as a true freshman in 2012, Coleman’s college career followed a steady trajectory upward.

He started 10 of 13 games in 2013, finishing 4th on the team in catches and receiving yards. Coleman was also Baylor’s leading kickoff returner, totaling 483 yards and a score on 17 attempts (28.4-yard average).

He missed the first 3 games of the 2014 campaign with a hamstring injury but busted out over the final 10. That stretch included massive lines of 12-154-1, 8-144-2, 3-167-2, 15-224-1 and 7-150-1. Coleman led the Bears in catches, receiving yards and receiving TDs.

His numbers jumped again in 2015. Fueled by six 100-yard outings and 7 multi-TD games, Coleman ranked 9th in the country in receiving yards and 1st in TDs. His 20 scores were the 9th most in NCAA history. Coleman also led the nation with 11 grabs of 40+ yards. He was a unanimous All-American and won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football.

That all despite a hernia injury that slowed him down late in the season. Coleman mustered just 16 catches for 185 scoreless yards over his last 4 games and missed Baylor’s bowl game after having surgery. Between that and his 2014 hamstring issue, durability needs to be considered at least a slight concern heading into the NFL.

We also need to put Coleman’s big college numbers into context. Baylor ranked 25th in the country in passing yards in 2015 and 3rd in passing scores.

Still, Coleman was the clear #1 WR. He accounted for 32.3% of the team’s receptions, 36.2% of the receiving yards and 45.5% of the receiving TDs. Those shares are all bigger than Ole Miss’ Laquon Treadwell, so we shouldn’t knock Coleman’s production just because he played in a prolific passing attack. He was a major reason it was so good.

That being said, his final-season reception and yardage numbers do fall short of Kendall Wright and Terrance Williams’ — the 2 best pros to come from HC Art Briles’ Baylor offense. (Josh Gordon spent 2 years at Baylor but transferred to Utah before entering the NFL.)

If we look at all 3 guys’ shares of the team totals, though, Coleman compares more favorably.

Film study:

Courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com

Games watched - Texas Tech, Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma St.

Coleman is fast. That’s the 1st thing you notice about him on tape. The 2nd and 3rd things you notice are his suddenness and burst. The combination of those 3 things allows him to create big separation both downfield and on shorter routes.

Corey Coleman vs. Texas Tech (2015)

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

Coleman’s athleticism also makes him a nightmare after the catch.

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

Corey Coleman vs. Texas Tech (2015)

Two other more nuanced parts of Coleman’s game that stand out are his ability to beat press coverage …

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs West Virginia 2015

… and his ability to adjust to the ball in mid-flight.

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs Kansas 2015

Coleman isn’t elite in contested situations, but he does flash the ability at times and definitely plays bigger than his size.

He’s ruled out of bounds on this play, but check out the high-point skills:

Corey Coleman (Baylor WR) vs Kansas 2015

The biggest knock against Coleman is inconsistent hands. He dropped 10 of 84 catchable targets in 2015 and 7 of 71 in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a subpar 11% drop rate.

Fantasy potential:

Coleman’s measurables, film and production point to a guy with big upside. His size won’t be an asset at the next level but shouldn’t be a hindrance, either. His short-area burst and long speed should translate to the pros, allowing him to make plays at the short, intermediate and deep levels.

The drops are an issue, but we’ve seen plenty of WRs post big numbers despite subpar hands.

The bigger concerns with Coleman are durability and the college-style offense he’s coming from. Both Kendall Wright and Terrance Williams posted huge numbers at Baylor, but neither has ascended beyond WR3 status so far. Coleman will definitely have an adjustment to make at the next level.

If you’re willing to be patient, though, you could very well be rewarded with a big-play machine who registers multiple WR1 seasons.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.