The Washington Commanders already have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL with Terry McLaurin and spent a first-round draft pick on another wide receiver with Jahan Dotson in 2022.
That doesn’t mean more firepower isn’t on the way. ESPN’s Field Yates projects the Commanders to select dynamic Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft in his latest mock draft released on April 3.
Coleman would also give Washington another great target for whoever the franchise selects at quarterback at No. 2 overall. Yates has them projected to take LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
“Washington has Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but Coleman would add a size element (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) to this group for the Commanders’ rookie QB,” Yates wrote. “His ability to win in contested-catch situations would go a long way in the red zone, and he is coming off an 11-TD season at Florida State.”
Keon Coleman Brimming With NFL Potential
Coleman helped lead Florida State to an undefeated regular season in 2023 with 50 receptions for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coleman also returned 25 punts for 300 yards and was named All-ACC at three positions — wide receiver, all-purpose and return specialist.
Coleman spent his first two seasons at Michigan State, where he was an All-Big Ten selection in 2022 with 58 receptions for 758 yards and 7 touchdowns. At one point, Coleman was committed to play both football and basketball at Kansas.
“Above-the-rim artist with circus catches resembling a scene from the tents of Cirque du Soleil,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “Coleman has excellent size and ball skills. He’s not sudden and doesn’t have great speed, so beating press and creating breathing room against tight man coverages will depend on his ability to improve as a route-runner. The former star basketball player has a rebounder’s blend of extension and timing to give jump-ball defenders the blues.”
Florida State comes back and knocks off Clemson in overtime.
Keon Coleman’s second touchdown proves the game-winner.
The Opelousas Catholic product finishes with five catches for 86 yards — a 17.2yd avg. — and two scores.pic.twitter.com/55JHP3N1wB
— Louisiana vs. All Y’all (@LAvsAllYall) September 23, 2023
Wide Receivers Weren’t Problem for Commanders in 2023
The Commanders had a lot of problems in 2023 as the team stumbled to a 4-13 record but the wide receivers weren’t necessarily one of them.
Washington had the league’s worst defense and quarterback Sam Howell, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on March 14, led the NFL with 21 interceptions.
McLaurin became the first player in Washington history to have at least 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons with 79 receptions for 1,002 yards in 2023 — a season in which he had zero receptions in a 45-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 3.
“Nah, I ran a lot of cardio,” McLaurin told the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala when asked if he was frustrated after the loss. “It happens. It comes with it when it’s tough, but yeah, it’s frustrating.”
Dotson battled injuries as a rookie in 2022 when he only played in 12 games, with 35 receptions for 523 yards and 7 touchdowns. He played in all 17 games in 2023 and his stats weren’t much different with 49 receptions for 518 yards and 4 touchdowns.
