Elon DB Cole Coleman is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2023 NFL draft. Not just because he comes from a small school, but his unbelievable athletic traits for his size (5'9", 191 pounds).

As is the case with any player, going to the NFL presents new challenges, especially when it comes to things like the speed of the game. Coleman is totally aware of the main thing that will be new to him once he steps on a professional football field.

"The biggest adjustment will be the different schematics based on the hashes because I'm used to playing field and boundary and I kind of compartmentalize things in my brain by field and boundary," Coleman told A to Z Sports recently. "Since the hashes are so close in the NFL, I think it'll increase the space that receivers have to work with and increase the space that offensive coordinators have to work with. I think that'll be my biggest adjustment, just being able to understand that the quarterbacks can get the ball anywhere on the field."

Coleman certainly had to train relentlessly to make it even as a college athlete. That's part of what's got him to where he is now, and that's getting ready for what he and many others hope is a long career on the NFL level. 

Of course, the professional level is a step up. However, doing the things that got him to this point is without question still a part of Coleman's regimen. He spoke about the similarities and adjustments he's made training-wise to take his game to an even higher level. 

"So, at Elon, I give my credit to Nick DiMarco for doing a great job," Coleman to A to Z Sports. "I think he's really smart about how he works with players and he goes through all the technical analysis and stuff like that to make sure that we're in prime position to perform. I think there was definitely some carryover from what I was doing at Elan to the Pro Day training for speed and agility, footwork, things like that, but I think now I've kind of transitioned from that into more actual football movements. 

"Whereas when I was in national training for the Pro Day, it felt like I was training for a track meet by running linear [and] getting bigger, faster, stronger, and things of that nature. And now that I've moved on past the Pro Day and I put up the numbers that I've put up, I've moved more into the area where I'm training for actual football and I'm doing more dynamic movements that are trying to replicate what I'm going to see on the field and just perfecting my craft as a technician."

Those numbers he's speaking of were outstanding. 

Coleman had his Pro Day at NC State. His official time in the 40-yard dash was 4.43, but some scouts had him clocked at 4.37. Either way, he was flying. He also put up a 39-inch vertical and exploded with a 10'6" in the broad jump, and all of that has gotten teams around the league to take a look at him.

Despite these off-the-chart numbers,  Coleman's size will be held against him by some evaluators, that's just the nature of the beast. Coleman sees that so-called hiccup a little differently, and he also went into detail about what he wants to improve on. 

"So going into the pros, I think teams will probably think my biggest weakness would be my size," said Coleman. "I don't consider that a weakness because I think one of my strengths is tackling, so I think it'd be difficult to take that away from me. I amounted over 280 tackles, I'm top five in team history in solo tackles and I've considered myself a sure tackler for my entire career. But I think one of the biggest things I want to work on is being able to play more snaps at that nickel/safety spot. 

"I played a ton of snaps at both high safeties and I played a good amount of snaps at the nickel spot, but I've never faced any tight ends like Travis Kelce in the CAA, although we've had some great guys come through there. I think that's gonna be an adjustment to be able to learn how to guard the guys that are 6'5" but can also move like guys that are 5'9". I'm a sure tackler and I think the biggest thing I bring to the table is speed, aggression, and football intelligence."

How can you not root for this guy?

Yes, it's always nice to see guys from well-known programs live up to the hype and succeed. However, in a case like Coleman's, there's a little extra spark in the cheers. 

No matter what happens, some NFL team is getting the right kind of guy in Cole Coleman.