Fearsome foursome
Texans can choose from variety of receivers to complement Hopkins
Corey Coleman is built low to the ground and has rare speed, transforming football fields into track meets. Will Fuller is even more dynamic in the open field with an uncommon knack for hauling in passes at their highest point.
Laquon Treadwell is an ultra-productive Anquan Boldin type who lacks ideal stopwatch speed.
And Josh Doctson blends athleticism with polished route running and an ability to snatch passes in traffic.
As the Texans evaluate a rich wide receiver class, they’re weighing the merits of four top downfield targets with an eye toward landing a player to complement the multidimensional skills of Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
“I think it’s a strong wide receiver class,” Texans general manager Rick Smith said. “There’s some good players in that draft at that position.”
Because Hopkins’ game is built around his strong hands, body control, crisp pass patterns and
elusive moves more so than speed, obtaining a deep threat to create separation from slower defensive backs and more single-coverage opportunities opposite Hopkins are priorities.
The Texans had a heavy presence, including Smith and coach Bill O’Brien, at the pro day workout at Baylor where Coleman displayed his 4.37 speed in the 40-yard dash.
That acceleration helped Coleman pile up 74 receptions for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior last season, when he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
Holding the 22nd pick of the first round, the AFC South champion Texans aren’t alone in needing a wide receiver. A cluster of NFL teams are searching for one, including the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals with the ensuing two picks at No. 23 and No. 24 overall.
“I think Coleman is going to fit right into that murderer’s row of wide receiver needs in the early 20s,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’ll make sense in there, I believe.
“He’s explosive with the ball in his hands, reminds people a little of Percy Harvin. Baylor manufactured touches to him out of the backfield, in the slot, screens, jet sweeps.
“He doesn’t run much of a route tree, which means there’s going to be a learning curve for him. At the end of the day, he’s so explosive.”
Big numbers
Coleman caught 173 career passes for 3,009 yards and 33 touchdowns. He had a 40½-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump. Coleman battles consistency issues in terms of his hands, but his fluidity could be a product Baylor of going through so many quarterbacks.
Built low to the ground at 5-10, 193 pounds, Coleman is hoping to reverse the trend of Baylor wide receivers whose college success hasn’t always translated to the NFL.
“Like I said to some of the scouts, I don’t want to be a project,” said Coleman, who grew up in Richardson near Dallas. “I want to be a guy that can come in and play off the jump.
“I don’t want them to think, ‘I have to teach him, it’s going to take two years to develop.’
“I take pride in learning that playbook and doing whatever I have to do to be a pro at the highest level. I really mirror my game after Antonio Brown and Steve Smith, not the biggest receivers. I take pride in watching them on film.”
Fuller had a lot of production, too. He finished with 144 career receptions for 2,512 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Fuller is a deep threat of the highest order, averaging 20.3 yards per reception last season. He’s faster than Coleman with a 4.33 time in the 40-yard dash.
Fuller a game-changer
The drawback with Fuller is his tendency to drop passes with an estimated 21 drops over the past two seasons.
“Coleman and Fuller are both interesting guys, but Fuller is a little more dynamic to me when he gets the ball in space,” said draft analyst Russ Lande, a former Rams and Cleveland Browns scout. “Coleman isn’t as special in terms of open-field running ability, but he has the speed to go and catch a deep ball.
“I love Fuller. He can change games. You get him out in space and he’s a really special guy. If you had him to go along with Hopkins with Brock Osweiler throwing it to them, Fuller could really open things up. I like Fuller a lot, but he’s not as versatile as Coleman.”
Fuller is aware of the knock on him as a receiver and has been wearing out Jugs machines catching extra passes in his preparation for the NFL.
“I’ve been working on attacking the ball when it’s in the air and not letting it eat me up,” Fuller said. “I don’t look at myself as only a deep threat. I can run routes. I can run a dig, run a curl route, get open that, too. I have full capabilities.”
Treadwell imposing
Treadwell is big and strong at 6-2, 219 pounds, but he raised eyebrows with NFL teams when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds.
Treadwell has built his reputation on body control and muscle.
He overcame a gruesome leg injury as a sophomore to catch 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns last season before declaring early for the draft.
“I do like the way Dez Bryant plays, the way he attacks the ball and makes the difficult plays,” Treadwell said. “There are similarities there. I have learned to create my own style of play with my energy for the game, my passion, my competitiveness.”
Other NFL wide receivers have excelled that don’t have ideal stopwatch speed, including Hopkins, who ran a 4.57 in 2013 before being drafted by the Texans 27th overall, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice (4.6) and Boldin (4.71).
“If you’re not a team looking for a blazer, then Treadwell is the whole package,” Lande said. “He’s big, physical with a good feel for the game and unbelievable ball skills.
“He goes up and wins those battles and is a strong runner after the catch. When the chips are down, he’s going to make the play that needs to be made.
“He’s a big receiver who can’t outrun people but still constantly makes the big play.”
Doctson’s hoop skills
Doctson is intriguing. The Wyoming transfer piled up 215 career receptions for 3,178 yards and 34 touchdowns.
He has a basketball background in high school but was lightly recruited and is regarded as a late bloomer.
“Playing hoops helped me with timing my jumping and catching the ball,” Doctson said. “That correlated over very well to my timing in football.”
At 6-2, 203 pounds, Doctson is athletic. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and had a 41-inch vertical leap.
“To me, he’s the top receiver in the draft,” Lande said. “I think he’s a special guy. I don’t think he gets enough credit for being as well-rounded as he is. I really like this kid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s drafted higher than a lot people think.”