Texans rookie WR’s speed, skills put pro career on fast track.
Rookie receiver’s speed, skills put him on radar and could jump-start his pro career
Isaiah Coulter displayed more than rare acceleration while covering half the football field in a hurry against Connecticut last fall.
The future Texans rookie wide receiver showed awareness, body control and sound hands while adjusting on the fly for a 47-yard reception.
Although Coulter comes from the Colonial Athletic Association and a Football Championship Subdivision level, the Rhode Island standout erased doubts about how his skills would translate against elite competition. Coulter left big-school corners flailing behind him with his combination of speed, size and explosiveness.
When the Maryland native played against Football Bowl Subdivision schools, he piled up 21 catches for 361 yards and two touchdowns. That included nine catches for 152 yards against Virginia Tech and 10 catches for 156 yards and a score against Connecticut.
It was performances like that from Coulter, along with his 6-foot-2, 198pound frame and 4.45 speed in the 40yard dash — the same time as Alabama star and Denver Broncos first-round pick Jerry Jeudy — that convinced the Texans to draft him in the fifth round. Unlike most FBS players who declare early and forego their senior year, this wasn’t a head-scratching decision. He was expected to be drafted right about where he went: 171st overall.
“NFL teams saw Isaiah popping up on the film and they asked a bunch of questions about him a year ago, and, with him being an underclassman, they said they’d be back for him next year,” Rhode Island receivers coach Donovan Varner said in a telephone interview. “I knew he was an NFL-caliber player. I thought he would come back for another year to increase his value. Once he made up his mind, I told him: ‘I’m behind you 100 percent.’ Isaiah has the talent and skill set and support system from the staff and myself, and it worked out. We had so
many scouts calling about Isaiah, it was crazy. A lot of teams loved him.
“He already has the quick-twitch and straightline speed. Once he gets little bigger and stronger and learns how to use his strength, he’ll blow the top off the defense. He has the right attitude and mindset. Isaiah gets it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he does end up playing as a rookie. He’s going to be special. He’s a sleeper. I think he’ll be an impact player for the Texans.”
Coulter is accustomed to not having much advance billing.
Although he ran the 55meter dash in 6.53 seconds and caught 40 passes for 755 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Gwynn Park High School in Maryland, Coulter was a no-star recruit with no scholarship offers from FBS schools. He accepted a scholarship from Rhode Island over Maine, Towson and Stony Brook and teamed up with his cousin, wide receiver Aaron Parker, who signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
During a breakout season last year, Coulter caught 72 passes for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns Coulter became the first Rhode Island player to be drafted by an NFL team since offensive lineman Bob White 34 years ago..
Now, he’s determined to prove he belongs in the NFL.
“I feel like I’ll handle it great,” said Coulter, who’s represented by Christian Kranz and Matt Glose. “I play with a chip on my shoulder. I know I’m coming from a smaller school and all, but I’m just ready to play. I’m just trying to prove myself and put my best foot forward.”
Coulter did that after catching 60 passes for 816 yards and touchdowns during his first two seasons at Rhode Island. He became the seventh player in school history to have 1,000 receiving yards last year.
He was named secondteam all-conference while playing for Rhode Island coach Jim Fleming, who was defensive coordinator at Brown when Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien was coaching the tight ends at his alma mater.
The improvements that Coulter made over the past year propelled him into the draft. The Rhode Island coaching staff didn’t have to remind him to work on his fundamentals.
“Isaiah is a hard-working, reserved guy,” Varner said. “He’s not a bragger, but he’s confident. He knows his skill set, so he lets it speak for him on the field. He’s not a big trash talker. When you get to know him, you see he has character. He’ll joke around. He’s funny. He likes to dance. He’s a great dude.”
It didn’t go unnoticed by O’Brien that Coulter caught a dozen passes for a seasonhigh 171 yards against Brown.
The Texans showed steady interest in Coulter throughout the draft process. That included meeting with them at the NFL scouting combine in February and FaceTime calls this spring. He’s gotten to know O’Brien and receivers coach John Perry well.
“Those guys kept in contact with me throughout the draft process,” Coulter said. “Great chemistry and I just felt like it’s a great fit, us two being paired up together. Great guys, really eager to have me and work with me, just trying to get me up to speed. I appreciate those guys for believing in me and seeing something in me. I hope to make those guys proud.”
Coulter’s receiving yardage total against the Hokies was the second-most they allowed all season.
“You’ve got to get up for games like those,” Coulter said. “Especially coming from the conference that I came from, you don’t really get a chance to play a lot of those bigger schools. I was just trying to take advantage of my opportunity and show them that I could play a little bit.”
Besides his speed, Coulter can elevate over defenders. He had a 36-inch vertical leap and a 10-1 broad jump at the combine.
Coulter could stand to add some weight and strength. One knock on his game is his tendency to get tackled too easily.
“Isaiah is an athletic freak who probably needs to thicken up a little bit,” said Alex Folken, former Rhode Island director of football operations. “With NFL training, the Texans will have even more of a freak. Isaiah was always a threat to go over the top. He’s a legit 4.3 guy. We were surprised when he only ran a 4.45 at the combine because he’s run sub-4.3 at school. He had a little bit of tendonitis during the season, so maybe that affected his time.”
Coulter joins a receiving corps in flux after the Texans traded All-Pro selection DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans traded for Brandin Cooks and signed Randall Cobb. Will Fuller and Kenny Stills are entering contract years and Fuller is coming off double groin surgery. Keke Coutee has been a disappointment in his first two NFL seasons.
Coulter will be catching passes from Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Coulter said. “I’ve been watching him since he played at Clemson, so that’ll be pretty cool just to catch passes from him. I’m just ready to get to work. I’m hungry, eager to just learn. I just want to help any way I can.”