Kevin Coleman Jr. has heard it all before. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, the Missouri slot receiver has spent his entire career watching evaluators mark him down for measurements he can’t control. His response hasn’t been denial or deflection. It’s been technique.
“A lot of people knocking me for my size,” Coleman told PFSN at Senior Bowl practice this week. “It’s just something that I was born with, but I’m just trying to be physical, show them I can play inside out. I can do everything.”
Kevin Coleman Jr.’s Catch-Point Technique Sets Him Apart From Other Undersized Receivers
What separates Coleman from the typical “undersized slot who can really run” archetype is his understanding of exactly how he needs to win. Most small receivers talk about playing bigger than their frame. Coleman talks about the specific adjustments required to survive the middle of the field against NFL-caliber defenders.
“I’m trying to catch the ball away from my chest because I know a lot of guys across the middle gonna be on my back or they’re coming,” Coleman explained. “So I’m trying to attack the ball and not let the ball sneak up on me.”
That approach shows up in the numbers. According to PFSN’s proprietary WR Impact metrics, Coleman posted a 78.8% catch rate during his 2025 season at Missouri, ranking 19th nationally among qualified receivers. His WR Impact Score of 81.6 placed him 18th overall, earning a B- grade that reflects consistent production without splash plays. He finished with 63 receptions on 80 targets for 715 yards across 12 games.
The catch rate figure matters most for his NFL projection. Slot receivers live and die by their reliability in traffic, and Coleman’s ability to secure contested balls validates the technical approach he’s describing. He recorded just two drops on the season, a number that holds up against any receiver in the class regardless of size.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz saw this firsthand after recruiting Coleman for four years before finally landing him via the transfer portal. “Man, Kevin Coleman’s everything you want him to be as a slot,” Drinkwitz said during spring practices. “Dynamic player, really tough cover in man-to-man.”
Coleman’s college journey took him through Jackson State, Louisville, and Mississippi State before he returned home to Missouri for his senior season. That path gave him something most prospects lack: extensive reps in multiple offensive systems against varying competition levels. Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore leaned on that experience throughout the year. “I’ll ask him questions about different schemes that he’s been a part of,” Moore said. “He’s going to be a big asset.”
What NFL Teams Should Watch For in Mobile This Week
The Senior Bowl historically serves as a launching pad for undersized receivers willing to compete. Last year it was Kyle Williams, who measured just over 5-foot-10 but earned an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine with a dominant week down in Mobile. Coleman enters Mobile as a prime candidate for a similar ascent.
His self-scouting suggests he knows what evaluators need to see. PFSN asked what he’s trying to prove during the week, Coleman didn’t hedge.
“Who Kevin Coleman is. Everything I can do, everything I worked on. I’m just trying to put it all together and show everyone out here what I’m about.”
The one-on-one drills will tell the story. Coleman’s releases, his ability to stack defensive backs at the break point, and his willingness to take hits over the middle will either confirm or complicate his NFL Draft projection. According to PFSN’s NFL Mock Draft Simulator, Coleman currently has an average draft position of 123. He has been trending up all year.
His receiving yards per game (59.58, ranking 93rd nationally) and yards per reception (11.35, ranking 275th) won’t jump off the page to casual observers scanning stat sheets.
But the teams studying his tape already know the production profile. What they’re trying to determine is whether his technical refinements translate against top competition in a controlled setting. Coleman’s approach, attacking the ball before defenders can disrupt the catch point, is easier to describe than execute. If he demonstrates it consistently against Senior Bowl corners, his draft range tightens considerably.
Four programs in four years. A hometown return to fill Luther Burden III’s jersey number. A 78.8% catch rate that proves his technique works. Coleman arrives in Mobile with more evidence than most undersized receivers ever accumulate. Now he just needs evaluators to watch him work.