Fly War Eagle
Fansided

2015 NFL Combine Preview: Auburn Wide Receiver Sammie Coates

By Nicholas Ian Allen

facebooktwitterreddit

The 2015 NFL Combine begins this week in Indianapolis, and wide receiver Sammie Coates is one of seven Auburn football players that will participate in the event.

What Did He Do at Auburn?

Sammie Coates has been the Tigers’ leader in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons and became one of the most explosive deep threats in college football.

Jan 22, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad wide receiver Sammie Coates of Auburn (18) smiles after catching a pass during Senior Bowl South squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

After a pre-season injury forced him out of action in 2011, Coates caught six passes for 114 yards (19 yards per catch) and two touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2012.

During the 2013 SEC Championship season, the 6-foot-2, 213-pound playmaker led the Tigers with 38 receptions, 841 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches and ranked third nationally with a 22.1 yards per catch average.

As a junior, Coates fought through injuries, but was still one of the most explosive receivers in the SEC. He caught 34 passes for a team-leading 741 yards, including a career-high 206 yards against Alabama. Coates hauled in two of his four touchdowns against the Crimson Tide and again ranked among the nation’s best with an average of 21.8 yards per reception.

He’s also a terrific human being that graduated with one year of eligibility remaining and entered the NFL Draft.

What is His Current Draft Stock?

Because of his production and talent, Coates is a potential first round draft pick. In fact, he was selected 31st overall in ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s first 2015 NFL Mock Draft.

RELATED: Sammie Coates Drops Out of the First Round in Kiper’s NFL Mock Draft

However, there are concerns that could cause the speedster to slide. According to draft analyst Lance Zierlein, Coates “has early-round traits and late-round receiving skills right now.”

Though Coates fell out of the first round in Kiper’s second edition mock draft, he’s a good bet to be selected in the first two rounds.

What Can He Improve?

The biggest complaint about Coates among scouts and NFL talent evaluators (and even a few Auburn football fans), is his inconsistency catching the football.

“The concern with him has always been, does he have natural hands?” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call Monday. “He’s got some drops, he’s got several double catches and obviously for a wide receiver, especially as you move on to the next level, you want natural hands; not somebody who is finding the football.”

Too often – especially in 2014 – Coates missed opportunities for big plays.

Either his injured leg left him just a step slow on a bomb from quarterback Nick Marshall or he couldn’t grab the handle on a well-thrown ball. 

NFL Combine Objective

At the Combine, as well as his pro day, Sammie Coates needs to ease concerns about his inconsistency, and especially his hands.

More so, the Leroy, Alabama native has a unique opportunity this week at the NFL Combine because he has the potential to put up eye-popping numbers that could cement his first round status.

In recent years, Coates’ physical gifts and the numbers that come with them have created a lot of buzz: 4.3 speed, 44-inch vertical, 400-pound bench press.

If Coates can produce those freakish results while NFL talent evaluators are up close and personal, he could become one of the fastest rising prospects in this year’s draft. If he fails to impress – or simply doesn’t live up to the mystique he’s created over the last two seasons – he’ll drop.

Next: Do You Believe in Auburn & Love It? Write For Fly War Eagle!

More from Fly War Eagle

Home/Auburn Football