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NFL Draft: Sammie Coates Has First Round Talent

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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Auburn junior wide receiver Sammie Coates had one year of eligibility remaining, though after graduating in December, Coates announced his decision to enter the 2015 NFL Draft. And for good reason. He has first round talent.

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Lead Writer, announced his post-regular season Big Board Tuesday and had Coates ranked 30th overall. Coates was rated sixth among wide receiver prospects behind Alabama’s Amari Cooper, Louisville’s DeVante Parker, Kevin White of West Virginia, Devin Funchess of Michigan and Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong.

Nov 29, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver Sammie Coates (18) catches a pass in front of Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Landon Collins (26) in the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Miller doesn’t go into a lot of detail about Coates, but he does say the 6-foot-3, 201-pound wideout has “burner ability in space.” In other words, he’s fast. Really fast.

Speed and athleticism have never been an issue for Coates. Prior to announcing his decision, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. declared Coates would be a second round pick.

“If he has a great workout,” Kiper said in early December, “you would expect, maybe late first.”

That workout could include some mind-blowing numbers, which would probably raise Coates’ stock even further. He’s been manually clocked below 4.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash, measured a 44-inch vertical jump and benches more than 400 pounds.

“He’s just a stud,” Auburn strength coach Ryan Russell said in the summer of 2014. “He really has a ton of God-given ability.”

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And Coates has turned that natural ability into a solid collegiate career. He led the Tigers in receiving yards in each of the past two season, and ranked among the nation’s best in yards per catch.

In 2014, Coates caught 34 passes for 741 yards and four touchdowns – a 21.8–yard average. His best game came on the biggest stage when the Leroy, Alabama native had a career-high 206 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five receptions against Alabama in the regular season finale.

However, he was far from perfect this year. A nagging leg injury forced Coates to sit out against San Jose State earlier this season, and obviously impacted his performance in other games as well, limiting his ability to catch up to long bombs from quarterback Nick Marshall. Coates’ hands have also been questioned at times, and he’s struggled with drops.

Still, the NFL is all about potential, and Coates has as much upside as any player in the nation. He’ll have another opportunity to show what he can do at the Senior Bowl in Mobile before wowing NFL decision makers in pre draft workouts.

“Sammie has the unique opportunity of participating in our game as a fourth-year junior graduate,” Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL general manager Phil Savage said in a statement. “On the field, he has the size and speed to project well to the next level as evidenced by his performance in the Iron Bowl.”

If all goes well, don’t be surprised to see Sammie Coates become a first round pick. He certainly has the talent for it.

Next: Casanova McKinzy Makes NFL Draft Decision

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