Sammie Coates aims to 'beat all records' at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sammie Coates wants to rewrite the record books.

The former Auburn wide receiver, who is projected as a late first-round or second-round draft pick, is aiming to "beat all records" at this week's NFL Combine.

Coates claims he's run a 4.3 40-yard dash, which would tie for sixth-fastest time since 2006, with a key factor being the difference between handheld times, used by schools and trainers, and laser times, as conducted at the Combine.

"I'm just going out there to try to set records I guess," Coates said. "I'm going out there to compete. I'm trying to beat all records. That's the goal."

Coates has been training for the Combine's various tests and drills at EXOS in Pensacola, Florida.

"I had never been a technique guy when it came to the 40," Coates said. "I just ran it because I was always naturally fast. But I put a little technique behind it, I've been working on it real in-depth since I've been training in Pensacola and it's been looking great."

Though he didn't state a target for his vertical jump, Coates is expected to challenge for best in the wide receiver class there as well. The top 12 vertical heights since 2006 all top 40 1/2 inches.

Coates is expected to be the fifth, sixth or seventh receiver off the board, but asked who he felt the best wide out in this year's class is, the Leroy native didn't look far.

"Me," he said with a grin, "because I got a lot of confidence in myself. To be honest there's a lot of great wide receivers coming out this year. There's going to be a lot of competition at the Combine. I'm looking forward to competing with them guys."

While his athletic measurements have never been in question, Coates, is facing questions about his hands and route running.

Coates was one of the best deep threats in the country the last two seasons, but did not run much beyond vertical and deeper routes.

"I've been running routes since I've been there," Coates said. "It's just the fact that I haven't showcased it on film because it wasn't my role in the offense."

As for the dropped passes, Coates knows the proof is on the field.

"I'm going to have to show them," he said. "It's not about what I can say. They got film on it, they've seen me drop passes but what wide receiver doesn't drop passes?"

Teams recognize the need to thoroughly evaluate prospects like Coates, who specialized in certain routes.

According to NFL.com's Gil Brandt, Coates caught 10 of 11 catchable passes of over 20 yards last season.

"I think teams will maybe go to a Pro Day, maybe do private workouts, run him through a route tree because he's going to start repping the route tree here and just see was that a system thing or is that physiologically he's better at some routes than others?" St. Louis general manager Les Snead said. "Now if it turns out to be he's better at some routes than others then I think that when people draft him they'd say 'alright this is the role we're going to use him in.' If we vary from that, it's kind of our fault."