Minnesota Vikings 2017 NFL draft recap with grades and analysis
By Jordan Reid
"With the 219th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Stacy Coley, wide receiver, Miami."
Showing versatility, as he played the outside and slot receiver roles, former Miami receiver Stacy Coley was a prime play maker for their offense. He proved that he had the ability to make plays at all three levels of the field.
Coley has the ability to take short routes for touchdowns, he’s not scared to catch the ball over the middle, and he was QB Brad Kaaya’s go to option on deep patterns.
Where Coley excels is his tremendous ball skills. He constantly made acrobatic catches with ease, demonstrating that he has one of the most impressive catch radius’ out of many receivers in this class.
The downside to Coley though is that he has a label of being “injury prone” as he missed 18 games (out of 49) in his career. He played last season with a big sleeve over his knee (above).
He sometimes struggles against cornerbacks who get physical with him, as he doesn’t have the proper moves at the line of scrimmage in his arsenal right now. There were reports that surfaced that were unsure how much Coley loved the game, but he quickly refuted those allegations.
Although he missed three games last season, he still set career highs in receptions (63), yards (754), and touchdowns (9). Coley’s best role is served as a slot receiver, where he can truly show off his skill set and where he is most comfortable.
Even though he was a sixth-round selection, Coley was extremely productive in his time at Miami. In school history, he finished second in catches (166), fifth in receiving yards (2,218), and fourth in touchdown receptions (20).