KC Chiefs 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
The 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Kansas City Chiefs are seeking yet another quality haul from general manager Brett Veach.
In recent seasons, Veach and his staff have used the draft to bring in cost-controlled young talents to insulate a championship roster. The results speak for themselves, although windows can close quickly. Kansas City hopes that a good 2024 rookie class joining one of football's younger teams can keep the franchise in top competitive form.
With the draft on the horizon, Arrowhead Report is taking a look at prospects who could hear their names called in late April. Up next is Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Background
- Height: 6032
- Weight: 213
- Age: 20
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.08
- 2023: 50 receptions, 658 yards and 11 touchdowns
- Played two seasons at Michigan State before arriving at FSU
Where Coleman creates advantages
Coleman has the build of a traditional "X" receiver at the NFL level and is one of the few wideout prospects who didn't get hurt by measurements at the Scouting Combine. Coleman is every bit of 6'3" and is right around 215 pounds. He tracks the ball well downfield and offers massive upside as a game-altering threat on vertical routes and deep balls or contested catches. Coleman's hands are strong; he's capable of making circus grabs or simply plucking the ball out of the air.
Something that stands out on Coleman's tape is his ability to haul in passes and immediately get going upfield. Players at his size shouldn't be able to do that so well. Despite a middling set of speed splits from the Combine, Coleman's play speed and acceleration don't appear to be problems. Even if he doesn't improve as a technical receiver, it's easy to see an NFL club using him like the Chiefs did with Rashee Rice in 2023-24. Coleman has good short-area explosiveness, doesn't waste movement and has an alpha mentality blended with good contact balance.
Where Coleman could be at a disadvantage
Similar to Adonai Mitchell at Texas, Coleman's efficiency stats and advanced data were equally poor during his final season at FSU. At just 20 years old, it's easy to see how raw and inconsistent he can be. He had a tendency to overpower college defensive backs with physicality or his raw athletic profile, which won't always fly at the next level. He needs counterpunches that may not be developed yet.
Coleman has a ways to go regarding the intricacies of route running. Concise footwork, being able to snap off breaks, implementing head fakes at appropriate times, etc. aren't strong suits right now. At his size, there are questions about hip fluidity which translates directly to some of those aforementioned elements. While Coleman isn't as slow as his 4.61-second 40-yard dash time depicted, his deep speed is nothing to write home about.
The verdict
You've heard it before, but the 2024 NFL Draft's wide receiver class has a flavor for everyone. Big-bodied contested catch winners, small slot receivers, lethal speed threats and everything in between are scattered throughout the group. With so many quality options at the top, as many as 10 different players could pretty easily make a case for being first-round picks.
Coleman is one of them. He undoubtedly needs a bit of seasoning in order to reach his ceiling, but he can also offer an intriguing profile out of the gate. At the very least, he'll make some splash plays as a rookie because of his size, ball-winning prowess and yards-after-catch chops. If he improves over time as a receiver — and at just 20 years old, there's reason to believe he can — the league will be in trouble.
The question comes down to whether Coleman's best fit is with the Chiefs. The idea of him doesn't overlap with what Kansas City already has on offense but on a contending team, there may not exactly be time to play the long game with progressing another young wideout. The franchise is already trying to do that with Rice and, to a lesser degree, Skyy Moore. With that said, it shouldn't stop Veach from taking Coleman if he likes what he sees and he's available at pick No. 32.
Although the Chiefs haven't proven to be the go-to destination for receivers who are still wet behind the ears, a positive outcome with Coleman would change the trajectory of the wideout room. His potential is downright tantalizing, making him a very likely top-50 selection.
