Sammie Coates to Steelers: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Judging by the Pittsburgh Steelers' third-round pick of Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates, it’s clear the team is leaning hard on drafting the top player on its board regardless of position. Some may view Coates as a frivolous pick due to the depth at wide receiver already on the roster, but it is more than that.

Yes, things are solid at wide receiver right now. Antonio Brown is one of the truly elite wide receivers in the entire league. And backups Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant flashed amazing potential in 2014. So what is it about Coates that made the Steelers feel like he was worth taking over perhaps more help on defense?

Let’s take a quick look at Coates by the numbers:

• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 212 pounds
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.43 seconds
• Bench Press: 23 reps
• Vertical: 41"
• Broad Jump: 131"
• Career yards per catch: 21.4

Before we delve into which role Coates is going to play for the Steelers, let's talk a bit about what he brings to the party and where he can improve. First and foremost, Coates is a deep threat of few peers. Want something to illustrate just how terrifying he is on the deep throws?

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Sammie Coates has had TD receptions of 88, 68, 68, 67, 57, 56, 39, 38, 36, 34 and 33 yards over the past 2 seasons

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 2, 2015"

Eleven of Coates' 13 touchdowns went for over 33 yards. As impressive as that is, when you put it in perspective in terms of the type of offense he played in at Auburn, you can start to understand where his strengths and weaknesses come from.

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#PITpick Sammie Coates, WR - AUB 24 receptions of 30 yards or longer in the last 2 seasons, tied for the most in FBS http://t.co/2dtcEzcy61

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) May 2, 2015"

Coates can just peel back a secondary, especially in a zone. If you don’t come up and hit Coates at the line of scrimmage, he is going to get separation on you. And if he does that, you may never catch him. Coates is also a remarkably sharp route-runner and shows impressive feet in and out of his breaks.

Unfortunately, the biggest criticism of Coates centers on perhaps the most important part of his game—his hands. Coates is not a natural pass-catcher, and it shows. He lets the football get into his body and lacks the active hands you want from an NFL wide receiver. It’s not to say he is lazy, just that he appears to have lapses in concentration.

However, there is a logical explanation for why Coates drops passes he should catch at an alarming rate. When you are a wide receiver with the potential to take every touch to the house, you tend to press. And you will especially press when the offense you are in runs the football nearly twice as many times as it throws it.

It could be that Coates just needs to be in a position where he is part of a more balanced offense—especially one with enough talent around him to allow him to flow within that group more naturally. Once the football is in his hands, Coates is dynamic in the open field. He can make defenders mix, run through tackles and pull away from defenses. 

Yes, the Steelers could have opted for more help on defense with this third-round pick, but you just can’t pass up elite talent simply because it isn't a top-priority position. The fact of the matter is you can never have enough great wide receivers.

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The @Steelers take WR Sammie Coates from Auburn with their 3rd Rd pick. They have a pretty good history of 3rd Rd WRs pic.twitter.com/zg0LTMSpqR

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 2, 2015"

If having Coates means the Steelers can trot out more four-wide sets, it just means defenses have to adapt—and an explosive offense gets even better.