3 reasons dark-horse candidate Corey Coleman may win Rookie of the Year
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is the odds-on favorite to hit the ground running in his first NFL season and take home the Rookie of the Year award.
But there's a reason the games are played, and although Elliott has fallen into the perfect situation with the Cowboys' offensive line and Tony Romo, there's a chance he struggles to transition to the professional level, which would leave the door open for other rookies to snag the award.
Enter wide receiver Corey Coleman, the Cleveland Browns first-round pick.
Despite the fact Cleveland's offense will enter the 2016 season with few expectations, Coleman possesses the kind of impact talent that shouldn't be overlooked.
No Josh Gordon in 2016
If Gordon avoided trouble and continued the historic start to his NFL career, Coleman likely wouldn't have landed in Cleveland. However, with Gordon's indefinite suspension unlikely to be lifted for the upcoming season, there's a huge offensive hole to be filled.
While Coleman isn't on Gordon's level (few are), he's falling into a situation where he's going to be fed the ball early and often due to a lack of viable options. The Browns took five receivers in the draft, including Coleman, but none figure to get as much playing time in their rookie seasons as the first-round pick.
The Browns' other main receiving option is tight end Gary Barnidge, who had a spectacular breakout season in 2015. However, he's 30 years old and has never had more than 250 receiving yards in a season prior to last year. While he'll likely continue to be solid, it's possible he regresses, leaving the team even more reliant on Coleman in the passing game.
Coleman's big-play potential
Transitioning from college to the NFL is tough for every position, but wide receiver is known as one of the most difficult. This is due to the chasm in complexity between what wideouts are asked to do in college compared to the NFL, in particular the routes they're asked to run.
Coleman isn't a polished route-runner, but he does possess game-breaking speed, which will help him be effective from Day 1 as he learns the nuances of the position. Just like the Seattle Seahawks did with then-rookie wideout Tyler Lockett last season, the Browns can utilize Coleman's speed to attack teams downfield, but also get creative by using screens and quick strikes.
During his last season at Baylor, Coleman was targeted on go routes (straight vertical patterns downfield) 37 times, catching 15 passes for 582 yards and nine touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. If the Browns can harness that strength, Coleman could put up some award-worthy numbers.
RG3-Baylor connection
Robert Griffin III and Coleman never played together at Baylor, but if the quarterback wins the starting job, they could form a dynamic partnership.
The concepts in Baylor's spread offense have always been the things that Griffin has seemed most comfortable with at the NFL level, and Coleman's familiarity with that type of attack means they should develop chemistry much faster than an average rookie wideout does with his quarterback.
While many believe Griffin is no longer capable of regaining the form of his rookie season, Coleman could reignite one of his signature skills from that campaign. In 2012, Griffin was one of the NFL's most consistent deep-ball throwers. He completed 16 of 36 downfield attempts (passes that travel 20 yards or more) for seven touchdowns and one interception, according to Pro Football Focus.
While this skill deteriorated in the next two seasons, the best way the Browns might find success with Griffin is by allowing him to challenge defenses deep, and the main beneficiary of that would most certainly be Coleman.