Ryan Coleman-Williams is a true junior wide receiver at Alabama. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Coleman-Williams attended Saraland High School. The 6-foot-0, 184-pound receiver was a 5-star recruit on ESPN, ranking as the site's No. 1 wide receiver and No. 3 overall player in his recruiting class.
Coleman-Williams had an electric freshman season in 2024. He had 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, along with several highlight-reel plays. But things took a downturn in 2025, with a season marked by drops and a dip in production (49-689-4).
But things are seemingly back on track, at least somewhat, for Coleman-Williams in 2026. He has just one drop credited to him by PFF so far this season, and his statistics are on track to match or even beat his numbers from 2024.
Coleman-Williams likely won't reach the lofty goals and expectations set for him during his freshman year, but he's making a case to still be considered a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Ryan Coleman Williams' NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Alabama
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 184 LBS
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
Ryan Coleman Williams' Career Stats
- Games Played: 33*
- Receptions: 120*
- Receiving Yards: 1969*
- Receiving Touchdowns: 16*
- Yards Per Reception: 16.4*
*statistics do not include the full 2026 season and will be updated
What are Ryan Coleman Williams' biggest strengths?
- Coleman-Williams is an extremely fast and quick-twitch player. He has very good speed downfield, as well as short-area quickness.
- His twitchiness shows at the line of scrimmage on releases, as well as when getting in and out of breaks. His start-stop ability is sudden and explosive.
- He has very good ball-tracking ability and adjusts well to the ball downfield and in the air.
- After dealing with a lot of drops in 2025, he has seemingly improved in that area with just one credited drop in 2026.
- As well as winning downfield, Coleman-Williams is excellent in the screen game with his speed and shiftiness.
- Despite his lack of size, Coleman-Williams is a very willing blocker and does so with physicality and desire.
Where can Ryan Coleman-Williams improve?
- At the next level, he'll need to show that he's a complete receiver. Alabama mostly uses him on deep shots and screens, with some in-breaking routes. He is very much a role player in the offense.
- He needs to continue improving his hands throughout 2026 and avoid regressing to the drop issues he experienced in 2025.
- In the second half of the college football season, it would do a lot for Coleman-Williams to string together multiple big performances. He hasn't had two 100-yard games in the same month at any point in college, let alone in back-to-back weeks. Consistently strong production would go a long way in strengthening his draft profile.
NFL Draft Projection
This is a unique wide receiver class where the top player could go first overall, and after that, it feels like there are several good role players but no stars worthy of a top-10 pick.
There will be a lot of competition among the receivers for late first-round consideration, but ultimately, Coleman-Williams' pedigree and talent should keep him in the first round.
He'll likely be selected outside of the top-20, but still in the first round.
NFL Pro Comparison
It's hard to ignore the obvious similarities to former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith when watching Ryan Coleman-Williams. The suddenness, acrobatic catches and smaller frame of both Alabama receivers jump off the tape. But Smith was obviously a much cleaner prospect with his consistency and production.
As a college prospect, Zay Flowers comes to mind as an undersized player who plays bigger than his frame, working the middle of the field, making tough catches, and winning jump balls down the sideline. Like Coleman-Williams, Flowers also dealt with dropped passes in college, but not to the same degree.
When thinking about how Coleman-Williams' NFL career could play out, a name I kept coming back to was Brandin Cooks. Cooks was a first-round pick in 2014 and was an undersized speedster. At the combine, Cooks measured in at under 5-foot-10 and just 189 pounds, but ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash.
He was considered a burner on the outside, a guy who could win with YAC and a potentially dynamic slot receiver. And throughout his NFL career, Cooks has been coveted as a key role player due to his ability to win deep with his speed and make plays in the screen game.
Like Cooks, Coleman-Williams could end up as a first-round pick who never becomes a star. But his speed and big-play ability could give him a long career as a useful player at the NFL level.
Final Evaluation
Overall Grade: 85/100
Draft Projection: End of the first round
Ryan Coleman-Williams has had an interesting and very up-and-down experience in Tuscaloosa. Originally recruited by Nick Saban, he ended up never playing a down under him. It makes you wonder what would have happened in a different situation.
It should also be noted that, despite the drops in 2025, Coleman-Williams was on his way to a good statistical season as a sophomore. Through the first seven games, he was on pace for 66 receptions, 990 yards and six touchdowns. His dip in those numbers coincided with Ty Simpson's struggles in the second half of the season due to injury.
Given these extenuating circumstances, it's very reasonable to believe that the high-level receiver prospect is still in there for Coleman-Williams. And if you grade based on the flashes, there is a clear first-round prospect, and maybe even top-15 talent, in there.
I don't have a true first-round grade on Coleman-Williams due to the production and consistency questions, but if I'm a good team at the back end of the first round, I would definitely consider betting on his talent.
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