The Cleveland Browns bolstered their wide receiver corps and added one of the most explosive players in the 2016 NFL Draft to their roster by selecting Baylor's Corey Coleman with the No. 15 pick in the first round.
Corey Coleman drafted by Browns at No. 15 overall
Coleman was an ultra-productive receiver in the Baylor offense and will look to bring more explosiveness to the Browns.
Coleman was the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2015, recognizing the nation's top collegiate receiver, after he hauled in 20 touchdowns and racked up 1,363 yards in the high-powered Baylor offense. In three years with the Bears, Coleman earned two All-American nods and left the program as the school's all-time leader in touchdown receptions (33).
But the question is whether Coleman created those numbers himself or if he's a product of a system that led the nation in scoring and made Kendall Wright a first-round pick. At 5'11, 194 pounds, he was fed often through screen passes and ran a limited route tree in an offense that usually asked Coleman to either: A) Wait for the ball and then run by defenders, or B) run by defenders and then get the ball.
However, there were plenty of plays that showed Coleman has the rare athleticism to be a top receiver, despite his stature. His 40.5-inch vertical was on display often and that, coupled with the receiver’s tenacity, made him a reliable target on jump balls.
Coleman's real value is his ability to make players miss, though. Like Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, to produce as a shorter outside receiver Coleman will have to avoid getting bullied at the line of scrimmage.
If the receiver can use his elite lateral movement to make opposing defensive backs whiff on their attempts to jam him at the line of scrimmage, it could mean plenty of explosive plays. Regardless, Coleman’s ability to dodge tacklers should make him an instant contributor on punt returns and was the reason Baylor fed him so often on screens.
Pro Football Focus graded Coleman as the top receiver in the class and worthy of a top-10 pick, due to his ability to get separation with explosiveness, good footwork and physicality. However, it was noted that he had one of the worst drop rates of any receiver in the 2016 NFL Draft. When he used his hands, Coleman often made difficult catches, but he frequently let the ball get into his body and dropped 10 of the 84 passes PFF determined to be catchable.
Coleman’s toughness shouldn’t come as a surprise considering his rough childhood. Former Lions, Broncos and Chiefs cornerback Ray Crockett took Coleman under his wing, and the receiver’s tough journey to become the best in college football was documented in an ESPN College GameDay feature.
“We’d be playing tackle football on the street, and you’d hear gunshots,” Coleman told ESPN in October. “My mom would come out and make me come in. And after an hour, I’d sneak back out to play again. That’s just the way it was. Police were always coming around. People were getting arrested, and sometimes people got shot. I guess you got used to it.”
The Browns struck gold at the receiver position when they landed Josh Gordon a few years ago, but the game-breaking receiver has been suspended multiple times for drug test failings. Gordon’s reinstatement to the NFL was denied in April and there’s no guarantee he’ll even play again. Coleman brings them another playmaker while Gordon’s future is in limbo.
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