Patriots draft profile: Keon Coleman doesn’t have to become the next N’Keal Harry

The Florida State wide receiver projects as a Day 2 selection in this year’s draft.

The New England Patriots’ recent history with early-round wide receivers is a complicated one. While the hits have been few and far between, the misses have been damaging. And no player personifies that more than N’Keal Harry.

A first-round draft pick out of Arizona State in 2019, Harry lasted only three seasons of 35 total games with the team; he caught merely 57 passes for 619 yards and four touchdowns before he was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Harry, who had an enticing athletic makeup but some challenging limitations, remains a cautionary tale in New England.

So, why would the Patriots entertain the idea of drafting a player who appears to have similar issues? Because Keon Coleman doesn’t have to become N’Keal Harry at the next level.

Hard facts

Name: Keon Coleman

Position: Wide receiver

School: Florida State (via transfer from Michigan State)

Opening day age: 21 (5/17/2003)

Measurements: 6’3 1/4”, 213 lbs, 78 1/8” wingspan, 32 1/8” arm length, 9 3/8” hand size, 4.61s 40-yard dash, 38” vertical jump, 10’7” broad jump, 8.18 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 34 games (24 starts) | 1,441 offensive snaps, 116 special teams snaps, 1 defensive snap | 184 targets, 115 catches (62.5%), 1,506 receiving yards, 19 TDs | 1 carry, 2 rushing yards | 24 punt returns, 302 yards (12.6 yards/return) | 1 fumble, 1 muffed punt

Accolades: First-team All-ACC (2023), Honorable mention All-Big Ten (2022)

A two-way player at Opelousas Catholic in his Louisiana hometown, who also excelled on the track and in basketball, Coleman was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school. Looking for a college that allowed him to play both football and basketball, he joined Michigan State and over his two seasons with the Spartans appeared in 22 games and caught 65 passes for 848 yards and eight touchdowns.

Despite being named honorable All-Big Ten mention as a sophomore and being Michigan State’s most productive pass catcher in 2022, Coleman entered the transfer portal. He joined Florida State, where he immediately made an impact by gaining 658 yards on 50 catches and finding the end zone 11 times in 12 games.

Even though the first-team All-ACC selection still had a year of eligibility left, he decided to leave school after his junior campaign. Coleman was invited to the Scouting Combine.

Draft profile

Expected round: 2 | Consensus big board: No. 39 | Patriots meeting: N/A

Strengths: Measuring 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Coleman is a well-built wide receiver prospect who can take advantage of his imposing build. He is capable of making low-percentage receptions and shifting the odds on 50/50 balls due to his ability to out-leap and out-physical defenders at the catch point and extend his frame. He also offers some impressive hand-eye coordination and body control. As a result, he has several circus catches on his game tape.

His hands are also among the surest of all wide receivers in this year’s class as his career drop rate of just 4.2 percent illustrates. That said, Coleman is more than just a big body with a good pair of mitts, though: he also can be a surprisingly dynamic. A smooth strider, he is effortlessly getting into the stem of his routes and through his breaks, and is consistently challenging the “workout speed” versus “game speed” notions by playing faster and more agile in the open field than his metrics would suggest.

Coleman additionally is quick to transition from receiver to runner (see: him posting the highest sustained speed at the gauntlet drill in the Scouting Combine), making him a threat to generate yards after catch. He has shown that he can run some clean routes, and challenge off-man coverage due to his effective stride. He also has a natural feel for finding spots in zone and positioning himself to maximize his catch window.

Weaknesses: The biggest negative about Coleman’s game is separation. He is not a natural when it comes to shaking free from tight coverage — an issue that may only get accentuated versus NFL-caliber defensive backs — due to a lack of truly elite speed, limited burst, and a still-developing arsenal of counter moves when facing press-man coverage. He therefore has to rely on physicality at the catch point and his ability to make tough receptions in order to produce.

That being said, he ended up catching only 10 of 30 targets classified as “contested” in 2023. Quarterback performance played a part in this, but Coleman also doesn’t consistently generate big throwing windows either. In general, defensive backs don’t seem to fear his deep speed and can get aggressive early in his route knowing he lacks a true second gear; his 4.61-second 40-yard dash ranks in the 17 percentile for wide receiver prospects.

He also is no real start/stop athlete, and is better making cuts on the fly rather than varying his tempo to manipulate defenders. His route running has room for improvement as well. While he has shown he can run crisp routes, as mentioned above, he is still developing this part of his game and his consistency is not yet where it needs to be.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Historically, struggling to gain consistent separation on Saturdays is not a good sign for Sundays either. This might force Coleman into a different role as a pro, as suggested by NFL analyst Matt Harmon. The Patriots likely would prefer him to succeed as an outside receiver similar to what he did in college, but due to his limitations might indeed move him inside to start his career as a big slot and occasional Z rather than a classic X. That would give him a wider field to work with, and would allow him to play to his strengths as a possession receiver and on crossing and sit-down routes.

What is his growth potential? Coleman will not turn 21 until mid-May, meaning that he is still relatively early in his career (which is especially true given that he was still focused on playing two sports as of two years ago). There is clear room for growth, and in his case that could mean steadily improving his route running and his use of counters versus press. Once that happens, more could gradually be added to his plate. Will he ever be a true No. 1 X-receiver, though? That does not appear to be in the cards for him as of right now.

Does he have positional versatility? A vast majority of Coleman’s offensive snaps both at Michigan State and at Florida State — 1,182 of 1,441 (82.0%) — saw him align split out wide, meaning he might have some adjusting to do if indeed moving inside to start his NFL career. As far as versatility is concerned, he does offer some through his past contributions as a punt returner. While that was born more of necessity, he did not look out of place which in turn might also make him a possible kickoff return options under the league’s new rules.

Why the Patriots? While “…but separation!” might be a popular rallying cry against Coleman, and there is some merit to it, the fact also is that he is a promising player. The 20-year-old has some tools to work with, and seemingly untapped potential in regards to his possible inside/out development. For a team in need of all the talent it can get, that might be worth an investment on Day 2 — even if it would be a polarizing one.

Why not the Patriots? Even though they are somewhat different player types and the comparison only holds up to a certain point, the N’Keal Harry trauma is real in New England. If there are any concerns about his separation skills, and there very well might be given the history, the Patriots will likely look elsewhere in a talented wide receiver class. They also might prefer to pick a true X-receiver rather than a player whose outlook in that role is uncertain.

One-sentence verdict: Coleman may have some of the same attributes as Harry but there is still a path for him to become a successful NFL wide receiver if his next coaching staff is open

What do you think about Keon Coleman as a potential Patriots target? Is the N’Keal Harry comparison justified? Would he make sense on Day 2? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.