RB Tevin Coleman Dazzles at IU Pro Day but Doesn't Assuage Concerns About Game

Indiana Hoosiers running back Tevin Coleman was placed in a difficult position Wednesday. 

The early entrant to the NFL draft waited over four months after foot surgery to perform in front of representatives from all 32 professional teams. 

It was Coleman's time to shine, but his performance—a dazzling day by most accounts—was overshadowed by those aspects of his game he couldn't dispel by running around in workout clothes. 

First, the good was very good. 

Coleman's is a true home run threat out of the backfield. The running back broke a run of 40 or more yards in nine of the team's 12 games in 2014. His longest was a 90-yard scamper against the eventual national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

His speed was readily apparent during the pro day. 

"Indiana running back Tevin Coleman ran the 40-yard dash at his campus pro day Wednesday, and he was timed at between 4.35 and 4.4 seconds," The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson reported, citing sources. 

Former Indiana long snapper Matt Dooley provided video of the impressive run: 

"

@Teco_Raww is movin'  #iufb #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/4g9rLSxzAH

— Matt Dooley (@MattDooley91) April 15, 2015"

A sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash would have made Coleman the fastest running back at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, edging Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, who officially ran the distance in 4.42 seconds. 

"I was just trying to showcase my speed, that my injury is all taken care of and that I can run and cut and do things like that," Coleman said after the workout, per the Indianapolis Star's David Woods. "I'm real happy with my performance."

The time confirmed everything seen during the running back's junior season. 

Coleman rewrote Indiana's record book in 2014 with 2,036 rushing yards. The running back averaged 7.5 yards per carry and reached the end zone 15 times. 

One area where Coleman wasn't asked to excel at Indiana but performed admirably Wednesday was catching the ball out of the backfield. 

The Indianapolis Colts were particularly interested in Coleman's ability to run routes, according to Woods: 

The ability to be on the field for all three downs will prove to be beneficial to Coleman's overall draft stock.

However, two lingering concerns weren't and couldn't be answered at a pro day setting. 

Lack of Patience

A typical scouting report written about Coleman's abilities as a runner will often be countered with the following knock on his game: 

"Treats every carry like a sprint," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "Must improve run tempo and patience on stretch plays. Has to learn when to keep run play-side and improve patience so he allows back-side cutback lanes to develop."

Coleman is a one-cut, downhill runner. The Hoosiers offense relied heavily on inside and outside zone blocking. Their workhorse back was absolutely explosive if the hole opened early. Coleman didn't have any trouble pressing the hole in those instances. But when some of the plays took longer to develop, the running back showed a tendency to get impatient. 

Instead of waiting for a hole to open, the aggressive back would slam his run into the line of scrimmage in an attempt to gain some yards. While this is an effective strategy on short-yardage or goal-line situations, it's not always the best plan of action when the play hasn't fully developed on first or second down. 

During a pro day, there simply isn't a chance for a running back to show his vision or run behind an offensive line. The emphasis in this particular setting is to display a player's speed and explosiveness. 

Yet a prospect's ability to read a play and get the most out of a particular situation is only seen during game settings. 

Injury Prone

Absolutely no one is doubting Coleman's toughness. After all, he played in Indiana's final seven games with a broken sesamoid bone in his right foot, according to Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier. During those contests, Coleman racked up 1,195 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The running back also set a career high with 307 yards against new Big Ten Conference foe, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. 

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

But the very fact the running back required surgery in December and he had to wait until two weeks before the NFL draft to finally work out is cause for concern, particularly when Coleman's entire injury history is laid out before a team evaluating him as a prospect. 

Setting the broken foot aside for a moment, Indiana's talented back also suffered a bruised shoulder and injured his hand during his freshman campaign. He even missed the final three games of his junior season with a sprained ankle.

Aside from those final three games of the 2013 campaign, Coleman played through the injuries. He's more than willing to put his body on the line even when its operating at less than 100 percent.

Teams will be impressed by the running back's determination, but they'll also make note of the fact he didn't play one full season at the collegiate level without battling injuries.  

Coleman isn't considered a big back at 5'11" and 206 pounds. How will he handle the rigors of the NFL as a lead back? Can he carry a full workload without ending up on injured reserve? These are the questions organizations will ask when the possibility of drafting the Indiana product is broached. 

In a draft class absolutely loaded with talented running backs, it may be enough for Coleman to slide further than expected on draft day. 

Lofty goal

Wide receiver Thomas Lewis was the last member of the Indiana Hoosiers football program to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Lewis was selected by the New York Giants in the 1994 draft. 

Coleman feels its "real important" to him and the program to be selected in the opening frame, according to Woods. 

"It's one of the goals that I want to achieve," Coleman said. "That's why I came out here and gave my all, gave it my best."

Georgia's Todd Gurley, Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and even Boise State's Jay Ajayi are generally considered the class' top running back prospects and ahead of Coleman in the pecking order. The former 2,000-yard rusher is still in the mix as a potential first-round option, though. 

"Coleman has visited the Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions," Wilson reported. 

What do all of these teams have in common? 

Each of them select in the latter half of the first round. 

In a class absolutely loaded with running back talent, it's still difficult to envision Coleman as a future first-round pick based on positional value and the amount of talented runners available. 

All it takes is one team to fall in love with him, though. 

Coleman became only the 18th running back at the FBS level to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He is lighting fast once he explodes through the hole. It's easy to fall in love with his toughness and overall potential. 

But teams must weigh all of the factors when evaluating a prospect.

A lack of refinement in Coleman's game and injury history should be more than enough for the running back to fall short of his ultimate goal.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.