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Cleveland Browns select Baylor WR Corey Coleman

By Thomas Moore

Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman (1) takes a pitch from quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) in the second quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman (1) takes a pitch from quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) in the second quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns addressed the wide receiver position by selecting Baylor’s Corey Coleman in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns selected Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman with their first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Browns selected Coleman with the No. 15 pick after trading the No. 8 pick to the Tennessee Titans, who used the pick to select Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin. In addition to swapping first-round picks, the Browns sent a sixth-round pick (No. 176) to the Titans in return for a third-round pick (No. 76) and a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The 5-foot-11 and 194-pound Coleman won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’’s top receiver in 2015 after leading the nation with 20 touchdown receptions. He was a unanimous All-American and first-team all-conference selection after catching 74 passes for 1,363 yards in 2015.

According to his draft profile at NFL.com, Coleman is an:

"Instant blur off the snap. Feet turn over at a blinding pace and he devours cushion before cornerbacks know what hit them. Able to get over the top of every corner he faced and demands safety help over the top. Works back to the ball. Explosive leaper with ability to climb ladder and win the 50/50 ball and body control to secure the acrobatic catch. Touchdown maker finishing 2015 with 20 receiving touchdowns. Smooth, speedy stems to the post will be difficult to mirror and match for NFL cornerbacks. Easy route adjustments in space. Defenders who try to jam and miss pay the iron price (touchdowns). Able to make tacklers miss in tight spaces. Has experience as ball carrier and punt returner. Heavily targeted (39 percent) in Baylor’s high­-flying attack."

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Coleman is fast, making him an immediate deep threat for quarterback Robert Griffin III and an option to take over punt return duties, but there are questions about his route-running abilities and the fact that he doesn’t like to go over the middle of the field, which could be a concern in the AFC North Division.

And according to CBS Sports, Coleman “wasn’t asked to run a full route tree in college with almost all of his production coming on hitches, in-cuts and go patterns. As explosive as coach Art Briles’ offense has been, it’s not known for producing high level wideouts, which gives NFL teams pause.”

After ignoring the wide receiver position the past two seasons under former general manager Ray Farmer, the Browns wasted no time under executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown in addressing what many believed was one of the biggest needs (outside of quarterback) on the roster.

Barring another trade, the Browns will be back on the clock on Friday at the top of the second round with the No. 32 overall selection.

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