‘Spitting Image Of Pickens’: Analyst Wants To See Steelers Pair Keon Coleman With Their Top WR

The Pittsburgh Steelers need another starting wide receiver, but can they land somebody like Keon Coleman after the first round? Well, chances are they can land somebody like Coleman, even if Coleman is gone himself. He is the wide receiver analyst Emory Hunt connects with the Steelers, however, on the Chipped Ham and Football podcast.

“So one guy I have in mind, absolutely, is Keon Coleman, because he’s cut from the same cloth as George Pickens,” he told Brian Batko recently. “I love guys that look like they love to fight. I love guys that go up there and attack the football and do things in a spectacular manner. And Coleman to me is someone that’s just a spitting image of Pickens.”

Pickens is the Steelers’ third-year wide receiver, who very much fits the above description. He does love a fight — usually — unless he’s in a bad mood, which hopefully doesn’t describe Coleman as much. But Pickens certainly knows how to go for the football and makes some spectacular plays.

Coleman comes out of Florida State with a 6-3, 213-pound frame as an underclassman. You’ll see his name in plenty of first-round mock drafts, but he may well slide into the second round. The Steelers seem unlikely to address the wide receiver position in the first round this year, and they hold the 51st-overall pick in the second round.

While not an incredibly prolific college player, Coleman’s talent is routinely evident, and he catches everything. He also lacks desirable top-end speed, but makes up for it at the catch point. Pickens is probably faster, but like Coleman, struggles to run himself open. In truth, Coleman may be more subtle in-route than Pickens is, in spite of a limited route tree.

“What I like about Coleman’s game is the fact that he’s very good off the line of scrimmage, which is not surprising because of his punt return capabilities,” Hunt said. “That tells you a lot about your quickness, your footwork, your ability to make things happen in a short amount of space. He runs great routes, he’s able to get out of his breaks. He doesn’t have the long burner speed, but he has football speed and quickness. I’m a big fan of his game.”

Personally, I don’t know that I would describe his current route-running as great. His limited route tree in college is a product of his system, and I expect he can improve significantly in this area with professional coaching.

But at the end of the day, are the Steelers going to draft Keon Coleman? I don’t think so. It really depends on how serious they are about the wide receiver room. I think they know they need another top-end guy, as indicated by their pursuit of Mike Williams. They’re also constantly subjected to rumors about pursuing starters via trade.

The problem is, they need offensive linemen at the top of the draft, and the wide receiver class is deep. If Coleman falls to 51, I can see them pulling the trigger there, but I don’t know if he lasts that long. My guess is no, but it’s a possibility.