The Miami Dolphins drafted a trio of wide receivers in the 2026 NFL draft, and one could catch on rather quickly, in Kevin Coleman Jr. of Missouri. Drafted in the fifth round and 177th overall, Coleman is a slot target who could also return punts and should see time on the field immediately.
Coleman has a knack for getting himself separated from defenders and getting open, as he proved during Senior Bowl practices back in January. He can also make things happen with the ball in his hands and averaged 5.7 yards per reception after the catch last season. He can make defenders miss tackles and did so 18 times in 2025. He has the ability to find soft spots in coverage and has great hands, dropping just seven of his 271 collegiate targets.
Although well-traveled, Coleman proved he can adapt to new coaching and playbooks, playing at four different colleges over the last four seasons. He started at Jackson State in 2022, then transferred to Louisville in 2023, left for Mississippi State in 2024 and then finished at Missouri in 2025. He was able to earn a starting role at each destination and was productive for each program. Additionally, he’s a willing blocker in the run game and can certainly help downfield.
Coleman will compete with third-year target Malik Washington as well as veteran free agent signing Tutu Atwell for slot snaps and returning duties. He can very well lead this rookie class in targets and receptions in 2026. As a Senior at Missouri last year, he caught 66 passes for 732 yards and one touchdown. Showing he can handle some runs and gadget plays, he rushed for 76 yards on nine attempts. As a special teamer, he averaged 12.6 yards on 15 punt returns in 2025 for Missouri, including a touchdown.
Following his selection, Coleman told South Florida reporters that he’s modeled his game after Antonio Brown, a sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, and one of the NFL’s most productive receivers during his time in the league.
“He’s quick twitch. He’s twitchy,” Coleman said. “He gets open, his route running. He sells things. His double moves, just everything. His just all-around game. When he was younger, his return game, he was special… His YAC, I just feel like he’s one of the best guys to do it. I just tried to take little things and implicate it with my game.”
Coleman also detailed parts of his training regimen of working with tennis balls.
“Man, it was my dad. At a young age – I’m going to say five, but I think it was before five years old – my dad had me catching tennis balls a thousand times,” Coleman explained. “He had thrown them off the wall. I wouldn’t be looking, it’d be behind me and I’d catch the ball he had thrown to me. I’ve been catching tennis balls and footballs since I was younger. My dad always threw it to me. That’s one thing my dad always wanted me to have, even though I played running back growing up, catching the ball was everything.”
The Dolphins may have found a sleeper in the slot as well as special teams, as Coleman seems ready to enter the pros with his quality work ethic and a very good foundation of skills to build on.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Why Dolphins WR could see the field sooner than most fifth-round picks
Reporting by Jason Sarney, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
