Why I like the decision to draft offensive lineman Brandon Coleman

Taking a chance on a high floor, high ceiling prospect

What a draft!?! After a whirlwind three days, Washington has added nine draftees and even more undrafted free agents.

There are lots of instant opinions on the draft class, with many of the accolades focused particularly on how athletic the class. That said, not everyone is happy.

The “draft for need” contingent wasn’t happy with Washington’s offensive line situation before the draft, and the fact that Adam Peters didn’t magically add two immediate starting tackles to the roster from the college ranks has them – at best – confused, and – at worst – ranting expletives into the ether.

I’m here to try to assuage at least a bit of that anxiety. I really like the decision to draft Brandon Coleman in the third round, and I think there’s a pretty good chance he could be part of Washington’s eventual long-term solution at one of the tackle positions.

Physically, Coleman comps fairly closely to tackles like Broderick Jones, Jammal Brown, and Kenyatta Walker.

Coleman’s athletic scores at guard were through the roof, testing as the 7th most athletic out of 1583 OG prospects from 1987 to 2024. He was “freaky” enough that he got called out in Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List”:

He has emerged as a top NFL prospect. He started 15 games at left tackle and was rated by PFF as the third-highest graded returning offensive lineman in the Big 12. Coleman, unrated by the recruiting sites coming out of high school, has an impressive 35-inch vertical jump and regularly runs 18 MPH. He squats 600 pounds, benches 400 and power-cleans 375.

That said, his scores at tackle are a bit reduced, primarily because of his height, but still in the “high elite” range. I think that’s where he eventually ends up, and why Washington took him when they did.

So what’s Coleman’s story?

As a kid, Coleman’s family lived in Germany, where he played basketball as a youth. It wasn’t until his family moved back to the US, when he was in high school, that he started playing football. He began his college career at Trinity Community College and transferred as a sophomore to TCU. During his first season as a starter, in 2021, he played 8 games, switching between guard positions during the course of the year.

As a junior, Coleman started 15 games at left tackle and was named Honorable Mention All Big 12.

During his senior season, he battled through some injuries, and he split reps at left tackle (7 games) and left guard (4 games), eventually garnering Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year recognition.

Coleman is also very familiar with an “Air Raid” style offense, having come from one at TCU.

His ability to play across the line quickly gathered attention from observers in the lead up to the draft:

There’s no size argument forcing Coleman inside to guard from tackle, where he started the majority of his games at TCU. At around 6’4″, 316 pounds, with over 34″ arms, he has the size and length of a tackle, with stellar short-area energy and explosiveness as an athlete.

For Coleman, a prospective move inside is more about mitigating his weaknesses and areas for improvement while magnifying what he does best. He excels when he uses his lateral mobility to stay square to pass rushers and keeps them inside his frame. And he can use his length to levy violent punches and gather in phase.

Meanwhile, as a run blocker, Coleman flashes exciting range and freedom of motion when he gets out in space, and he acquires initial leverage very well. Coleman can still improve at sustaining leverage through reps and maximizing drive, but all of the physical tools are there to dominate second-level defenders.

Coleman is still relatively fresh in his football career, and it sometimes shows. He’s still developing consistency as a hand-fighter past two-hand extensions, as well as finding more ways to channel his athleticism through the entire duration of reps.

Nevertheless, Coleman already has an abundance of collegiate starting experience and a solid foundation as a versatile T/G depth piece. He has legitimate tackle capabilities and will always provide security there, but his ceiling is even higher at guard.

In the lead up to the draft, Coleman was interviewed on his expectations, going into the NFL. Some key takeaways:

• After his season he went to rehab – presumably from injuries incurred during the season – before he began to train for the Senior Bowl.
• He’s not a Dallas fan, despite having gone to school in the area.
• He feels comfortable at either tackle or guard, on either side.
• It’s really difficult to watch an interview where the interviewer’s mic isn’t working properly.

For me, the signs point to Coleman possessing the physical traits to succeed at tackle, and to him having been underestimated a bit as a result of his less than full health in 2023. No question that he’ll have to compete in training camp for the role, but I take Adam Peters at his word on this one, and I think the team is quite a bit more confident in Coleman than the “consensus.” I wish the big man the best of luck.