The Pittsburgh Steelers need another wide receiver to pair with George Pickens for the 2024 season. The team dealt Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. The deal left Pittsburgh's wide receiver room pretty bare. The team still has Calvin Austin III, who has shown glimpses of his potential to use his speed to threaten defenses. They also added veterans Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson, but still look devoid of another true playmaker. Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan and CBS Sports thinks Florida State wideout Keon Coleman would be the perfect fit for that role.
Hunt joined Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers beat writer Brian Batko on his weekly podcast to preview the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Batko opened the show by asking the draft guru which prospect he thinks screams out Steelers. Hunt's answer was Coleman.
"He's cut from the same cloth as George Pickens," he said. "I love guys that look like they like to fight. I love guys that go out there and attack the football and do things in a spectacular manner. Coleman to me, is just a spitting image of Pickens."
Coleman started his collegiate career at Michigan State and spent two seasons with the Spartans before transferring to play for the Seminoles in the 2023 season. He played in ten games his freshman season, compiling a modest stat line of seven catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. In his second year with the Spartans, he became a starter and led the team in receiving yards, with 798 yards, and touchdowns, with seven.
After transferring to Florida State, he led the team in all-purpose yards. He made 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 300 punt return yards. He was named as a First Team All-ACC as a receiver.
Hunt said Coleman is excellent off the line of scrimmage and a terrific route runner. He ran a 4.61 at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which is on the low side for a receiver, but Hunt said he has football speed. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in his profile of Coleman that he will have to depend on his route-running skills at the NFL level due to his lack of elite speed. He noted that Coleman has excellent size and can make circus catches. Zierlein doubts his ability to be a true number two receiver but thinks he could excel in a slot role and the red zone.
Steelers Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Having Two Similar Receiving Threats
Some might quibble with the fact that one of Coleman's biggest comparison is Pickens. He might be a match in terms of skill set, but as Zierlein points out, Coleman is more likely to operate out of the slot in the NFL, while Pickens is more of an outside, deep ball threat.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin said at the NFL's Annual League Meetings that he's not going to zero in on a specific type of receiver to fill Johnson's spot on the roster. He acknowledged that playmakers at the receiver position can come in all different shapes and sizes.
Batko wondered if there would be a difficult dynamic between Pickens and Coleman, as the two are both viewed as alpha dog guys. Hunt said that shouldn't be a concern.
"You never want to worry about if there are too many alphas in the room because you just want great players," he said. "I always use this philosophy, if you like a player and you think he can help your football team, take him. It's like art. Don't bypass it when you see it because, otherwise, you'll never see that piece of art again."
Coleman is an intriguing prospect for the Steelers who could be available in the second round. The team has to decide if he fits what they're building for 2024.
Do you like the idea of drafting another Pickens-like receiver?
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