Falcons Select Tevin Coleman: Pick Of The 2015 NFL Draft?

In the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected running back Tevin Coleman out of Indiana. He was projected by many to be selected in the first round, and provides Atlanta with incredible value.

Elite pure pass rusher? Check. Cornerback with speed and length? Check? Powerful running back who can run over defenders? It’s a full house.

Tevin Coleman all but ends Devonta Freeman's sleeper appeal. I can't see Coleman starting the season behind him on the depth chart.
— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) May 2, 2015

The Atlanta Falcons might be having the best draft of any team right now, and new head coach Dan Quinn must be loving what GM Thomas Dimitroff is doing.

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Coleman is an rounded back who can offer a lot to the Falcons. In three seasons with Indiana, he rushed 452 times for 3,219 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Coleman also caught 54 passes for 383 yards, and returned 30 kickoffs for 690 yards and a touchdown, averaging 23 yards per return.

He didn’t actually return a single kick in 2014, and 24 of his 30 returns came in 2012, but it’s clear he has the talent to be an effective weapon on special teams.

This video showcases his speed and power as he sprints down the middle of the field for a 64-yard touchdown against Michigan State:

Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com has high praise for Coleman:

"“As a runner, Coleman is a home-run hitter. He is a threat to break any carry for a long gain. Coleman has a second gear to break into the secondary and explode down the field. His speed catches linebackers, safeties and other defensive backs by surprise, and he often takes away angles with his sheer explosion. Coleman accelerates in an instant and hits the second level of a defense.Coleman didn’t get a lot of receiving and blocking opportunities at Indiana, so he will need some development there for NFL passing offenses. He also needs to improve his patience as he looks to go the distance with every carry. While Coleman has some strength, against bigger NFL defenders he probably won’t be a big yards-after-the-carry runner who powers through tacklers. Coleman is more an explosive speed back for the next level.”"

Atlanta finished fifth in passing offense in 2014, but just 24th on the ground. This was something Thomas Dimitroff wanted to address, especially with such a deep class of running backs this year.

Nov 8, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Tevin Coleman (6) runs the ball in the same against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Memorial Stadium. Penn State Nittany Lions beat the Indiana Hoosiers by the score of 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons have picked up one of the best running backs of the draft outside of Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon. Ameer Abdullah went before him, but Abdullah is a different kind of back.

Coleman is ready to step up and become a workhorse in the Atlanta backfield. He is a true three-down back and he will be the perfect compliment to Matt Ryan in the passing game.

His addition will not only be of benefit to the run game, but it will have a knock of effect in the Falcons passing game.

Defenses will now be constantly aware of Coleman’s presence in the backfield, and if he can get some success on the ground, it will become easier to fool them with a play-action pass. The last thing a defense needs is more space for Julio Jones to run into.

We saw this in Green Bay when they selected Eddie Lacy in 2013. The Packers were one-dimensional, and no matter how good Aaron Rodgers and the offense was, teams knew what was coming. Since Lacy has been a Packer, defensive coordinators have had to pick their poison — you either load up the box and the Packers will beat you in the air, or you allow the run and Lacy will run it down your throat.

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Le’Veon Bell‘s rise significantly improved the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. And as it happened, his injury led to them being upset at home to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season.

The Falcons could see the same happen to their offense with the addition of Coleman. He’s a workhorse who will pound the football and gain a lot of production on the ground.

When teams stack the box to stop the run, Ryan will happily fire the football out to his wide receivers.

In Rounds 1 and 2, we saw the Falcons address a defense that desperately needed help. In Round 3, they may have got the best value in the entire draft.

Coleman is a player who could have easily been taken in the first round, but fell to the Falcons’ laps in the third.

Who’s winning the 2015 NFL Draft after two days?

The Atlanta Falcons. Hands down.

Next: Atlanta Falcons Draft Grades: Beasley, Collins & Coleman