On Saturday, it was time for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers to workout at the NFL Combine. One of the fastest players in Indianapolis, Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates, ran an unofficial 4.45-second 40-yard dash in his first attempt and followed that up with 4.43 seconds in his second attempt.
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While that was a bit slower than expected for the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Auburn receiver, anything under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash is a strong effort for a receiver. He has the speed to separate and his primary advantages are his size, his physicality and his ability to go up and get the ball. Fox Sports college football reporter Bruce Feldman named Coates his No. 1 “Freak” of college football in 2015 for doing things like this to opposing defenders:
The knock on Coates, according to NFL Network Draft analyst Mike Mayock, is his tendency to drop deep passes, but Coates impressed in the gauntlet drill and his other catching workouts at the NFL Combine, and is projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick at the receiver position.
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