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The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching. The PFF big board is live, mock draft season is in full swing and the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up.

This year's crop of wide receiver prospects showcases some potential NFL stars, with Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. emerging as the standout. Behind Harrison, we have LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, who are top-10 prospects in this class.

It’s a good time for NFL teams to need receiver help.

Let's look at Florida State‘s Keon Coleman, who played both basketball and football at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State.

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Coleman originally committed to Michigan State as a two-sport athlete and transferred to Florida State in 2023. His evaluation is a test of how much scouts prefer contested-catch receivers to athletic separators. He is an impressive 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete who enjoys getting physical with cornerbacks, as he constantly catches passes through contact.

While that yields jaw-dropping feats of strength, his lack of separation ability is concerning for the next level—there just aren't many guys who make a living as consistent contested-catch receivers, and the ones who do are often some of the best receivers in the league.

WAA represents the number of wins a player is worth over an average college football player and is a metric that evaluators can utilize to assess performance. It combines how well a player performed in each facet of play (using PFF grades) and how valuable each facet is to winning football games. The result is a first-of-its-kind metric that allows for cross-positional valuation and predicts future value at the player and team levels.

Receiving grades are relatively stable from year to year, but there is always some level of dependency on quarterback play when evaluating receivers. Isolating receivers against single coverage versus zone is informative, as it shows how much was earned in one-on-one situations compared to more scheme-driven production. Advanced data shows how open receivers are on their targeted routes, and separation percentage is one way to isolate the receiver away from his quarterback.

As far as advanced stats go, yards per route run (YPRR) is one of the best measures of a wide receiver’s production, as it takes into account how well he takes advantage of his opportunities.

Average depth of target (aDOT) and yards after the catch per reception are informative about a receiver’s usage pattern, and his after-the-catch expectations are directly affected by how far down the field he is targeted. Both numbers are as much about style as they are about production.

Compared to other players with PFF college data, Coleman’s metrics in the most predictive of data subsets measured up below average.

Coleman had his most successful season in 2022 when he hauled in 62.5% of his contested targets. Despite not being a stable metric year over year, the FSU product uses his big frame very well in contested situations.

He also has a career 4.1% drop rate, which ranks in the 92nd percentile among all receivers over that time.

Here are Coleman’s rookie-year projections for yards per reception and completion percentage in an offense that likes to push the ball downfield.

Let’s look at how Coleman does in an offense that relies on a quick, underneath passing game.

Coleman is a top-tier athlete for the position from an explosiveness standpoint. His burst, top speed and leaping ability are All-Pro caliber.

However, the lack of agility in his game limits his route tree and ability to separate from defensive backs. Those who love above-the-rim, alpha-type receivers will be big fans, but his inability to consistently separate means he won't be for everyone.

TALLAHASSEE — With a hearing scheduled April 9, Florida State University this week fired back at a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference to put on hold — or dismiss — a lawsuit that could lead to FSU leaving the athletic conference.

FSU filed the lawsuit Dec. 22 in Leon County circuit court challenging what it describes as more than $500 million in penalties if it wants to exit the conference. But the day before the Leon County case was filed, the conference filed a lawsuit in North Carolina against FSU about many of the same issues, which focus on media rights.

The conference wants Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper, who will hold the hearing next month, to issue a stay of the Florida lawsuit while the North Carolina case plays out. As an alternative, the North Carolina-based conference argued in a Feb. 16 motion that Cooper should dismiss the Florida lawsuit.

“Florida State chose to join the ACC, a North Carolina unincorporated nonprofit association, and entered and specifically voted in favor of the contracts it now challenges, all of which are governed by North Carolina law,” the conference’s attorneys, led by former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson, wrote in the motion.

But in a filing late Tuesday afternoon, FSU attorneys raised a series of arguments against the motion, including saying that the conference filed the North Carolina lawsuit without getting required approval from members. The FSU filing contended that, as a result, the North Carolina lawsuit is “null and void.”

Also, the FSU attorneys that the North Carolina lawsuit was an improper “anticipatory” filing in advance of the Leon County lawsuit.

“The ACC initiated the North Carolina litigation the night before the (Leon County) suit, in naked and express anticipation of it, with the clear intent to forum shop,” FSU attorneys from the Greenberg Traurig law firm wrote.

“When faced with the principle of priority, courts universally condemn such ‘anticipatory suit’ tactics and never reward them with stays of the anticipated actions.”

Legal battle brewing between FSU and ACC to be closely watched

The battle between FSU and the conference is being closely watched in the college sports world and comes amid major conference changes. For example, football powers Oklahoma and Texas are moving to the SEC conference, while USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are moving to the Big Ten conference.

A key issue is television money, with the SEC and the Big Ten having the richest media contracts. Florida State essentially contends the ACC has shortchanged its members through TV contracts, with the Tallahassee school widely viewed as wanting to move to a more-lucrative conference.

The Leon County lawsuit says FSU could face $572 million in penalties if it wanted to leave the conference now. The largest chunk of that, $429 million, would involve forfeiting media rights through 2036, while another $130 would be a withdrawal payment to the ACC.

The lawsuit makes a series of allegations, including that the potential penalties would be an “unreasonable restraint of trade” and would “violate Florida public policy and are unconscionable.”

But in the motion filed last month, the ACC said Florida State approved a media-rights agreement that is key to the case and has received money under it for years.

The Florida State Seminoles are less than a month away from the start of spring practice. The Seminoles had their most successful season in a decade with a 12-0 regular season, an ACC Championship victory over the Louisville Cardinals, and an Orange Bowl appearance (albeit a very controversial one). FSU will be undergoing a large roster overhaul with the departure of over 20 players listed in the two-deep. In this series, we’ll review departures, additions, and contenders for the spring two-deep at each position.

Key Departures:

Kalen DeLoach (Graduation/Draft)

Tatum Bethune (Graduation/Draft)

Key Additions:

Shawn Murphy (Alabama Crimson Tide)

Timir Hickman-Collins (Recruit)

Jayden Parrish (Recruit)

Spring Depth:

DJ Lundy, Redshirt Senior

Shawn Murphy , Redshirt Sophomore

Omar Graham, Redshirt Sophomore

Blake Nichelson, Sophomore

Justin Cryer, Sophomore

DeMarco Ward, Redshirt Freshman

Timir Hickman-Collins, Freshman

Jayden Parrish, Freshman

Spring depth chart predictions:

Tim: If the defensive end room was the defensive equivalent to the wide receiver room with depth and exciting options, the linebacker room would be the tight end room of the defense. One established player with young options that need to step up during the spring session. DJ Lundy will have the inside track for one of the linebacker spots and I think it will be Shawn Murphy at the other one. From there, Florida State will be looking for Blake Nichelson and Omar Graham to take a step forward or for one of the young kids to be ahead of schedule. If neither of these occur, the Seminoles will be battling depth concerns all season.

NoleThruandThru: Spring ball hasn’t even started yet and I have anxiety looking at the LB corps. In the recruiting threads we’ve been adamant that we felt FSU needed to bring in two transfer LBs, at least one of whom was a ready-made starter. So far FSU has brought in one transfer and while he certainly looks the part, I’m not sure Murphy is a plug-and-play starter (though he may need to be whether he’s ready or not). Randy Shannon has been getting lapped in recruiting for several cycles now but he’s also been a strong developer. Lundy and Graham have known limitations to their athleticism and Murphy is a wildcard, so it will be crucial for Nichelson and Cryer to take major steps forward if this unit hopes to avoid liability territory. Still looking for FSU to bring in another impact transfer post-spring or in the summer.

Frank Dunole: Mike Norvell and Adam Fuller dodged a bullet when DJ Lundy realized he was making a mistake in transferring to Colorado and withdrew his name from the transfer portal. With the loss of DeLoach and Bethune, the linebacker room would have been in serious trouble if Lundy had followed through on leaving, and I’m sure the coaches are thankful he came to his $en$e$.

Lundy is almost certain to be the starter at one of the two linebacker positions, probably on the outside. He will likely be backed up by Justin Cryer, who will get better as he develops and gets more experience during the season. The coaches think he will be solid.

The middle is where things will get interesting because there is a battle as to who will be the starter between Alabama transfer Shawn Murphy, Blake Nichelson, and Omar Graham. I believe Murphy will be the first one in, followed by Nichelson. Although he didn’t see much action at Alabama, Murphy will get the nod due to his size and athleticism, and he could finally realize the potential that was expected of him as a recruit by being in the starting role. I expect Graham to become a factor as the season goes on and he fully recovers from his injury and give Nichelson more competition for playing time.

As far as the rest of the room, one can only hope (and pray) that Randy Shannon will be able to develop them enough to give them more playing time as the season wears on and in garbage time, to get them some much needed experience in preparation for the playoff run.

Perry Kostidakis: For what has felt like a decade now, there is worry at the linebacker position — for the last two years, at least, the worry has been depth, but right now, the main concern is just who exactly will be able to step up fully. DJ Lundy becoming hard to find once the spring semester in Boulder began was a blessing, but is he capable of taking a leap to replace the departing Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach? He has been solid in his years in Tallahassee, especially after being forced into action early, but with the room wide open now is his chance to fully make his mark on the position. Bringing in Shawn Murphy will help, at the very least, bridge the gap as some of the younger players either prove themselves or take a major leap forward — my money, based on nothing but a gut feeling, is Blake Nichelson beginning to live up to his four-star billing.

Jordan Silversmith: Like the defensive tackle room, I would not call the position group a strength, but it may not be as big of a weakness as previously thought. Losing leaders like Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach affect the off-the-field product just as much as on the field. However, the room does have upside. Shawn Murphy should work if his maturity at the podium and effort during tour of duty translates to the field. DJ Lundy being back in the fold changes everything, and Mike Norvell mentioned his name when discussing players who stood out during off-season workouts. FSU usually runs a 4-2-5 base, especially with the way Earl Little Jr. looks and how Shyheim Brown helps out in room support, so the position does not carry as much weight as it does in other defenses. Besides those two, someone amongst the kids needs to break out. Blake Nichelson seems most likely to become the third linebacker on the depth chart, but Omar Graham Jr. had positive stretches during last season in run support. I do not expect either freshman to make much of an impact, but Timir Hickman-Collins has as college-ready body as any freshman on the team. Ultimately, linebacker may end up being the weakest position group on the defense and a place where the Seminoles could look for spring portal help. But Randy Shannon improved Bethune and DeLo over the years, and that same improvement could happen with this group.

More From Tomahawk Nation

Florida State’s offensive line figures to be a puzzle of sorts, which is often the case given the cross-training that Alex Atkins believes in.

The Seminoles’ coordinator and position coach saw value in this while doing an internship with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. Given that NFL teams activate 7-8 linemen on game days, versatility is at a premium. He took that methodology and realized that he had to train his top eight or so linemen to be able to fill in at different spots rather than automatically dropping to a backup who could be your 10th best linemen just because the starter at his respective position got hurt.

This thought process evolved in 2023 as FSU rotated guards and tackles in-game, using a rotation of 7-8 players during contests when a full allotment of linemen were available.

So entering spring camp ahead of the 2024 season, the idea of cross-training and building a deep rotation is again present up front.

FSU returns experienced starters like All-ACC First-Team Darius Washington – Mr. Malleable himself, Washington effectively started at tackle and guard last year – three-start starting center Maurice Smith, three-year starting tackle Robert Scott (dealing with injuries over the last two seasons), starting right tackle Jeremiah Byers, and a rotational guard with starting experience in Keiondre Jones. Alabama transfer TJ Ferguson and Florida transfer Richie Leonard bring varying levels of experience to interior spots, giving you a nucleus of seven veterans with some baseline of experience and competency.

But could a pair of third-year linemen make a move to enter the rotation this season? It’s an important spring for former blue-chip recruits Jaylen Early and Julian Armella to elevate their respective games to become factors in 2024.

“They’ve been good in the offseason, good in Tour of Duty, they’ve been with the same coaches, same staff,” Atkins said recently in an appearance on Noles247’s On The Bench podcast. “So it’s about that time for them to take that step. I’m excited to see what this spring and fall camp is going to bring.”

Early and Armella each saw extended action in games this past season when FSU built substantial leads during the 13-0 regular season/ACC Champion run. Early, primarily working at left tackle, had a replacement-level PFF Grade 60.7 on 56 snaps while Armell had a 64.2 grade on 49 snaps while working mostly at right tackle.

The two came to FSU with fanfare as part of a touted 2022 OL class that started with six linemen and is now down to the remaining duo as the others have transferred out or retired.

Atkins has been hesitant to thrust the underclassmen into the proverbial fire. He has his reasons having seen the long-term impact that playing too early can take on a trench player. He provides a detailed look into his thought process below:

“I love how college football has advanced, because that’s the normal process to be an elite O-lineman. That’s always been the case. You take the guy, it takes 2-2.5 years to build their body up to stay in the game, and come in and play at a high level. Like Tre Thomas was a great offensive lineman here, he came and played in the league for a long time, I had him come and do a Zoom with our guys and he said ‘guys, I didn’t really start rotating until my junior year, didn’t start until my senior year.’ That’s the normal process of it.

“We’ve kind of accelerated things at this position to where you sign a young guy and throw him out there, and that can hurt careers. Think about a guy like Darius Washington, played his freshman year, and had labrum surgery after his first year. So that kicked him back two offseasons. Think about Rob Scott, who I had to play his freshman year and he’s had two surgeries. I think about all these young offensive linemen who I see playing with these shoulder harnesses on, because their body isn’t made to withstand the game, yet.

“So what we want to do is put our arm on them, and make sure they can operate at a high level. But I do feel really good about those guys being in the rotation this year. I do feel like it’s about that time and as long as they show on the field that consistency, things like that, they’re going to be rolling.

“And you saw Jaylen got in against Georgia. He got in, got some reps. Julian has played a bunch of reps. They’ve been in games. They just haven’t been the starters or played in the full rotation, but this year I fully expect those guys to step up.”

Armella and Early will have their chances to follow a natural progression and work into FSU’s rotation.