5 Teams for Washington RB Lavon Coleman in NFL Draft

Why NFL Teams should consider Coleman?

Lavon Coleman is the ideal size for an NFL running back. At 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds, he is physical enough to neutralize a pass rusher breaking free to sack his quarterback.  While his rushing yards fell in 2017, his use as an outlet receiver grew substantially.

As Washington struggled with injuries to numerous wide receivers, the team used Coleman as an alternate in the passing game.  But the Washington Huskies struggled with their passing game in 2017, which limited the number of offensive plays overall.

Coleman can catch

He responded with 13 catches and 155 yards for three touchdowns. That production brought his scoring total for 2017 on par with 2016, and closed the gap in total yards from his 2016 totals.  That effectiveness in the passing game surprised even his coaches. His three passing touchdown receptions tied fellow running back Myles Gaskin for second for the team. With a ratio of three touchdowns for 13 receptions, he’s worth hearing his name called just to see how that translates into the NFL.

NCAA coaches do what they must to win games. Until 2017, the Huskies did not need to push Coleman out on passing routes. With the limits to healthy receivers, Coleman discovered that he can be a viable receiver out of the backfield.  With that revelation, he now offers NFL teams a dual threat back who can split out or line up in the backfield.  While his stature of 5-foot-11 will not afford conversion to a primary receiver, he has plenty of size and strength to fill an NFL team’s need as a secondary or outlet receiver.