Breaking Down Keon Coleman: Why the Bills Bet Big on This WR 

It cannot be overstated how lucky Bills fans are to have Cover 1 doing these player breakdowns, and always in proper context. Best in the business! Appreciate all of you guys

He got injured mid season and tuffed it out for the team until the end. Healthy Keon Coleman is a #1 receiver

Seeing pancake blocks from a WR makes me so happy this guy is a Bill. You block because you want your team and teammates to win.

Ur right, staff are betting on their ability to mold a player like they did with JA. Most polarizing player since JA. If they do it right, he might be megatron

Masterful breakdown Erik. But If this hits, the Allen to Coleman show will be a feature film every fall and winter Sunday. Go Bills.

We have Shakir & Kincaid along w Cook. Just sub par coaching is necessary. Watch we will be the surprise this yr. Allen wout the mental drag of Diggs should also be huge

This breakdown is amazing..

The Bills will have no problem teaching route running. They lost in the playoffs because they didn’t have A. an answer for Kelce at LB and safety (devastating injuries and Hyde particularly regressed) B. A deep receiver capable of catching the ball when covered on vertical routes and seam routes. That requires size, length, body control and exceptional strength. Gabe Davis was their guy, who was frankly a mediocre receiver, but had the requisite size, length, toughness to be good enough for Allen. He was injured. Stefon Diggs is a good receiver, but has always had exploitable weaknesses in this area (size, burst and strength). Always, he’s been paired with an Adam Thielen or Gabe Davis, who act as a pressure release valve for him. And now, he’s slower than he was in his prime. The Bills addressed both problems. Frankly, I think they and the Chargers had the best drafts. Cole Bishop has the size, strength, IQ, and aggression to be a versatile weapon against the run, pressuring the QB, and covering big, athletic ends. Frankly, you never see safeties this polished out of college, especially with this size, and his role at Utah displayed the rare versatility that Buffalo demands of their defensive backs. Great covering the slot too. Coleman is a similarly great fit. Route running is a skill, not a static, God-given attribute. It can be developed. In terms of tools, Coleman is far underrated. One of the biggest, strongest, longest, receivers in this gifted class, and he comes with leaping ability, body control and catch radius. You see his power in his blocking, and 180lb, 5’11” corners just won’t have an answer. He has the big, strong hands to excel in Buffalo conditions, the size, strength and athleticism to catch the ball when covered. And yeah, on 50-50 balls, they’re not all created equal. Like all passes, timing, placement, coverage matter. Josh can go over the top for better than most QBs, especially the short ones. Coleman will be the brute force, get out of jail free card, close, and long. Samuel, Shakir, and Kincaid, provide a complete picture of the passing game. You have a full toolset of receivers now, for every route, every situation. Lastly, Ray Davis was a great pick. He’s one of the shiftiest, most polished running backs in this draft, and should find gaps effectively. Solid pass receiver, but his running style should supplement Cook well. Racks up yards after contact and has excelled, even with suspect blocking-particularly at Vandy.

You can tell he is a quick thinker. Processing defenders at a high tempo will add to game speed.

Ant and Erik’s Film Breakdowns are some of the best on RU-vid. Why? Because they focus on tape, use stats that aren’t cherry picked, and focuses on not just abilities of a player but scheme and fit. Thank you for working on real content instead of just draft hype for clicks - A Grateful Bills/Football Fan

The breakdown we've all been waiting for. ALWAYS look forward to Erik's deep dives in the offseason.

Great breakdown! I appreciated how you both express your concerns with the fit, while also highlighting the strengths Coleman brings to the table.

Wow! Such a great video.. thanks guys!

Great breakdown, Erik!

That was awesome. Thank you.

Great breakdown. Thanks

Erik killing it as always.

Great video, Eric. Thank you!!

Great breakdown 🔥

Thank you! This is such a grounded, realistic evaluation.

Good Video!!!

Great stuff, Erik!

That blocking is super impressive, love it

Great breakdown (as always). Can the season start now please?! 🙏

Great analysis, Erik! Definitely look up to C1 as the best channel in the biz!

This was flipping AWSOME bro, just popped up in my timeline

Hope it works out. I didn't really expect the pick, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

He's gonna be a solid #1

Excellent and fair breakdown I think. I am curious about how "contested" catches are defined for that number, specifically if they are adjusted situationally. I watched a cutup of all his FSU targets and saw 6-7 catches where he was fighting through two or three defenders. There was another 3-4 plays where the ball is thrown at the defenders back and he would have had to climb over the defender to catch it. They were contested catches, but I wouldn't call them 50-50 balls. If Coleman comes down with them, that's a spectacular play. If those are counted, then that is a third of his contested catches last year. Admittedly I'm watching semi-blurry TV footage, so I could be missing other context!

PLEASE make sure to leave a like on this video if you enjoyed it, it helps the channel get more exposure!

HERE WE GO! :D

My question is why would any team put a safety over the top against us? Why would any team not bring a safety up into a hook zone and force Coleman to beat you overthe top?

Good stuff, hate when people only mention good stuff, and don't mention things players need to work on. I play, and criticism is the best way to learn. He's gonna be a stud, and Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson were developed under Joe Brady at LSU. If he can make a super team in college, he can do so in the NFL

I don't get trading out of the first all together. They didn't get much in return, and lost the 5th year option on Coleman's rookie deal. I'm guessing Beane thought someone would covet the first pick of day 2 and offer him a bag to move back, but that never materialized. That's the only scenario that makes sense to me.

We found our number 1 receiver. I bet he’s even going to be a captain this year.

Jordan Travis getting injured slowed down his production would have had a thousand yards by the end of the season

Should be really interesting to see how he fits in. I don't expect him to get many snaps early on, but I'm optimistic they'll groom him into a very good WR and he's going to get better as the season goes on.

Bills and noles fan. He looked like the best player on the field when fsu played all the lsu first rounders. Definitely a play maker. Maybe like Tee Higgins

I’m optimistic

his blocking is going to open up for kincaid, cook and knox

I hated this pick initially but I’ve gotten on board since. He has eerily similar size and speed to Drake London and he had the same issues with separation but he’s managed to be a productive WR in the NFL despite having terrible QBs passing to him.

I’m a fucking jet fan and hate how they have Keon. He’s a good dude and a stud. He’s gonna ball out in the nfl and an immediate wr1 in the nfl. I hope I’m wrong but I’m not

Is it possible for Keon to improve his footwork and route running enough that he can win with speed? Im just trying to guage what he would be like if the Bills can develop the most out of him.

Been waiting for this for WEEKS (it feels like)

It’s on Joe Brady and his offensive staff to scheme Coleman up. If they don’t f*** that up, the kid will have a 1000 yds his rookie season. KC can be nasty in the run game and an assassin in the passing game. Plus, he love playing in the bright lights; the game nor moment will not be too big for him. He’s everything Josh needs as his WR1. I understand why #17 really wanted this dude.

I'm sure the S&C coaches can clean up his footwork and make him faster. Everyone can get faster by improving their mechanics. I remember Josh's running mechanics were terrible at the combine. His arm swings were asymmetrical and inefficient...I no longer see that when he runs...then again, he always has the ball in one hand. If Keon ran .15 sec faster in the 40, he would have been top 4. Part of his problem is his long inefficient arm swing. If he can be re-programmed to pump the arms faster and with less swing, concentrating on forcing the hands down with velocity, he will naturally get faster. Sprinters are taught this. By making your arms pump faster, your legs naturally go faster. Then, the burst from the calves is another area that can me improved upon. Quick twitch exercises will give him more explosive spring in his feet.

14:56 Catches a poorly thrown ball mid air, momentum directed towards the sideline. Hits the dirt with both feet, plants on the spot, twitches the defender and slips a tackle, accelerates, and then hurdles the next defender. That's why he got drafted by the Bills. Outrageous.

Go bills

So what do you think Coleman’s chances are of being a good #1 WR?

I thought for sure that the Bills were going to take Adonai Mitchell. I thought it was the correct choice. I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Is trading down twice before picking him really betting big?

@Cover1 - Will NFL refs whistle Coleman for his bullying after the first 5 yards in the route?

I do want to see Coleman develop his ability to separate, but I think the point of getting him is to get Josh more comfortable throwing contested balls. He really won't do it because he only needs you open for an instant and he has the arm to put it there now. But he has said he wants to throw people open and hit people more in stride, which is all part of throwing contested balls. This is as much about pushing Josh to develop those final weaknesses in his game as much as hoping Coleman develops better separation.

Man really punched something at 2:38, all for the dedication to his craft 😅 Thanks for this. Still think he's a bust waiting to happen, but I've been wrong before. Go Bills.

If he’s not separating at college level, he’s not doing that at nfl level. Contested catch ability” is a euphemism for can’t separate.

I don't see Josh throwing to Coleman with a corner stuck to his hip.

Beane never gives Allen enough help, before we know it Allen going to retire and the most dynamic qb we ever had will be wasted by not surrounding him with any real talent….1WR not enough to win a championship in this league, Beane fails year after year to get Allen enough help and when Allen retires and bills still have no superbowl we can all solely blaim Beane … hard truths

I am not convinced he was the right draft pick. He cannot get open good enough and to me that is a huge problem. I am afraid that at best he’ll give us a good game here and there but disappear for a stretch of games due to the lack of good route running. Doesn’t that sound familiar? I love to be wrong and see him shine, or at least show us flashes and develop into a very good player, but I don’t see it. Bills have a plan for him, and I don’t know what that is. There has to be more to him than blocking, playing physical or missing a couple of defenders on a short throw to justify a high draft pick. Time will tell what that plan is.

I hated the pick on Friday night but I actually feel better the more I see. I don't think that Coleman is going for 1K yards this year but as you mentioned, the gravity is something we need. Brady was able to do work with condensed formations on the strong side to avoid press coverage. If Coleman is bringing a safety down to contain because he can bulldoze or box out an opponents CB2, I am confident that one of Shakir, Samuel and Kincaid can win one one one Can you guys/have you done breakdowns on the condensed formations we saw? Ben Johnson used them in Detroit and I kind of see the pieces for a SF/Detroit heavy attack this year

Its pronounced "Opp a lou sis"

Looked like holding.

I can’t lie I’m down on him. His tape is one of the least impressive out of all of the “top” talents. Route running is nothing special athleticism on the field too besides his perfect jump ball timing… hopefully he puts it all together. We need it

Allen inconsistent is to dumb to even say