by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Florida State, Wide Receiver, Keon Coleman
Name- Keon Coleman
Pos- Wide Receiver
Team- Florida State
HT/WT- 6’4” 215 lbs.
Born- 5/17/2003
Home – Opelousas, LA
Keon Coleman starred at both football and basketball at Opelousas Catholic High School in Louisiana. He was a two-time all-state selection in football and a second team all-state selection in basketball after averaging 26 points a game. Coleman committed to Michigan State to play both football and basketball.
In his freshman year for Michigan State, he played in 10 games and hauled in 7 receptions for 50 yards and 1 touchdown in a reserve role. Coleman also played in 6 basketball games, only scoring 5 points and afterwards he made the decision to focus solely on football.
Last season at Michigan State, Coleman was named third-team All-Big Ten after catching 58 passes for 798 yards and 7 touchdowns. After the season, Keon Coleman entered the transfer portal and elected to play football at Florida State.
Coleman shined in his first game as a Seminole in 2023, scoring 3 touchdowns and collecting 9 receptions for 122 yards against a tough LSU defense.
Keon Coleman is a tall, lanky receiver who has strong hands and is aggressive when going up to get a pass. He moves fluidly and is exceptional in the open space after making a catch. He has elite body control and can contort his body to make catches on balls thrown behind him.
He is a competitor who plays every down to the whistle, even when the ball is not to him. His motor never stops and he seeks opportunities to make downfield blocks, a positive for any running game. He is efficient with his route running and his cuts are precise and tough to mirror. Bump and run does not slow him down and he is capable of beating defenders off the line.
Coleman is fluid but does not have the elite “long speed” needed to continually beat defenders deep. He needs to work on coming in and out of cuts, and tends to lose concentration on some of the easier plays. He uses his hands well when contested but lets the ball come into his body on uncontested passes at times. He lacks separation on crossing patterns and his route tree needs to be expanded, which looks like Florida State has him doing.
Draft 412 was reminded right away of Drake London, who also played a little bit of college basketball for USC. Both players lack the top speed but they battle and win most 50/50 balls. Coleman’s ceiling is London.
Strengths
Competitor
Athletic
Body Control
Soft hands
Weaknesses
Lacks top speed
Separation
Concentration/drops
Route tree
Final Analysis
Keon Coleman is a unique player who jumped into the spotlight in week 1 against a tough LSU defense. A constant competitor, Draft 412 sees 2nd day for sure, with a chance to sneak in at the end of the first round.
Draft 412 Draft Projection - Round 2