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Grade the draft!


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Draft Grade  

187 members have voted

  1. 1. What grade would you give our draft?

    • A
      52
    • B
      93
    • C
      17
    • D
      5
    • F
      3


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1 hour ago, akcolt said:

They should be looking for a CB that can play outside. We only have 3 on the roster Davis Robinson and Brown. Davis is the only on to play consistently at a high level.  

 

Robinson has been wildly inconsistent going back to his time at FSU. There are many that believe he is better suited to play in the slot. Maybe he can flip the switch like Vontae.

 

If Robinson becomes a solid #2 we still have nothing behind him. I think rolling the dice on a day 2 talent like the kid from LSU Robinson makes more sense than Morrison. His body couldn't  hold up in college. He's had 2 knee surgeries  What's his ceiling ? A 2 down LB boy those are tough to come by. Robinson from LSU has the length, athelitism and instincts to be great press corner. 

What about D'Joun Smith, last years third round pick? He was supposed to be an immediate contributor until he got hurt.

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I thought it was interesting when Irsay said that they were talking to some teams who were ahead of them after the Kelly pick who said they were very close to picking Kelly if their guy hadn't fallen to them. Goes to show that Kelly was pretty high on a number of teams draft board. He was thought very highly of.

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I am pretty happy with this draft. I think working on the trench players will pay off. I know a lot think taking a center in the first round was not a good way to go, but Kelly IMO is a premium player. After watching the press conferences it seems it was a collective agreement by most of the front office. I believe a couple of these players taken will pay off in the future along with the core of players already on the roster. It was a basic draft that worked on good players brought in as team players who seem to just want to go to work. As a whole I think we will be a better team when it is all said and done.

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I give it a solid C.

 

I love all the picks, except one. Love Kelly, Clark, & Haeg. That will be a solid OL. I'd start all three of them right away if I had to, but since you don't have to... it's going to be all right

 

I love Ridgeway, I understand the Billings argument, but he's a Two down one trick pony. In the long run, Ridgeway is going to pay off.

 

Blythe... should have gone earlier, a lot earlier.

 

The one pick I hate... Green. I was told there's info about him that "everybody knows" something drug related. I mean deep, heavily involved trafficking type stuff. 

 

It'll most likely hot the news in a couple of days, but the kid is supposed to be like Hernandez wanted to be. Y'know how Aaron Hernandez was trying to make himself look like a high roller & ended up killing some dude over some stupid stuff. We'll Tj Green is that guy. The real deal. 

 

A lot of teams took him off their board completely, I thought every team did but evidently that wasn't the case. This is a bad dude. 

 

It's kinda one of those things where I wish I could say, "I hope I'm wrong." But since it's your team that drafted him & I made the whole thing up, I can't. 

 

Good draft all around. I give it an A.

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7 hours ago, Smonroe said:

Pick 1 A

Pick 2 wth??

3-7 B

 

 

 

For whatever it's worth,  the Colts are saying Green was a "Top-30" player on their board --- in other words, a first round player....   and they had Clark as a borderline 1st round player/2nd round player.

 

I think they're high ceiling guys who will need a year or two to begin to pay off.     We should not expect much from either of them this year.

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1 hour ago, bballstud2 said:

What about D'Joun Smith, last years third round pick? He was supposed to be an immediate contributor until he got hurt.

I hope Smith stays healthy and takes Butlers job from him. Butler is in the final year of his deal should be his last year in Indy. Smith is listed at 5'10 I am not sure he has the size to play outside.

 

That's why I would have looked at Jackson III at 18 and I would have jump all over Robinson CB LSU instead of Morrison at 125. NFL.com says "long press corner leaking with talent likely a top 40 pick if not for off field issues  is the early candidate for steal of the draft."

 

I don't see the need to reach for Morrison. He may have been there  in the 7th IMO. We have DQ Irving Moore Slyvestre even  Herrera on the roster at ILB. 

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C+

 

If you're a fan who value o-line above all else then I can definitely see why it would be graded higher. If you want to see some top level defensive play then it's a bit disappointing. 

 

Looking at our linebacker room for next season is currently a scary prospect and definitely not in a good way.

 

Freeman gone. DQ, Mathis, Walden and Cole on the downslope of their careers and the low round picks/udfa's backing them up don't fill me with a lot of confidence. Leaving such a crucial area of the defence lacking means I can't grade the draft too highly.

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This wasn't a sexy draft, but the score boards will be!

 

Solidified O-line. Some development types, some starters right away. But it all circulates around helping Luck.

 

Would have liked a little more help on the defensive side, but again, that might reflect on me not knowing TJ Green. Might be a reach, might be a rather unknown and raw diamond.

 

B.

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B+.

C position: Holmes and Harrison can't pass block and can't run block, so Colts took Kelly to start, who can do both, and Blythe to be a backup, who can run block at least.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/03/18/draft-pff-scouting-report-ryan-kelly-c-alabama/

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/13/draft-ryan-kelly-leads-pffs-ranking-of-the-nfl-drafts-best-centers/

G position: Clark is not a tackle with his change of direction ability, but he is a powerful run blocker and doesn't allow to bull rush him. Definition of a guard.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/03/30/draft-pff-scouting-report-leraven-clark-ot-texas-tech/

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/12/ranking-the-best-offensive-tackles-in-the-2016-nfl-draft/

T position: Haeg is plan C for RT spot (Reitz is plan B) and a project to start. Opposite to Clark, isn't powerful, but is very agile and aware.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/04/draft-pff-scouting-report-joe-haeg-ot-north-dakota-state/

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/29/draft-top-50-available-prospects-for-day-3-of-2016-nfl-draft/

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i gave it an A

 

some people dont seem to realize that without a competent Oline we are ruining Lucks career, i loved every pick except Morrison, every Oline pick was an upgrade, i even read that Haeg has potential to be able to start at LT in the future, the trith is we werent going to be able to address every need in this draft, im very happy with the kelly pick, and by the time we got to our second pick there werent even any pass rushers left

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I gave it a C.

 

Center was obviously a need, but I think Kelly is a guy we could have got at the end of the first or early second. Center is never going to be an exciting pick, compared to a skill position, but I can't hate the pick.

 

The rest of the draft, I felt was a bit underwhelming. Reading through scouting reports of everyone, I see more negative comments than positive in several of the picks (Green and Morrison most notably). I won't pretend that I've watched them play, so maybe they'll surprise us all. I thought for sure linebacker would be addressed in the 2nd round, but hey, I'm not making seven figures to make those calls.

 

Overall, glad to see oline was addressed, but linebacker is still a huge question mark. Our pass rushers are at the tail end of their career, while inside isn't much better. Maybe reaching on a guy whose 40 time looks like an offensive lineman's and apparently can't cover is the answer. Eek.

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6 hours ago, ReMeDy said:

 

No, I think the 1st pick was crucial. I understand we missed a great D-Line player, but Center is a position we have been sorely lacking ever since Jeff Saturday left. We needed a young, experienced, and versatile o-lineman who will hopefully grow with Andrew Luck throughout the entirety of their two careers, similar to what Peyton did with Saturday.

We needed o-line help NOW, otherwise we might not have a QB. Andrew Luck was getting killed out there. I'm seriously worried about Luck's long-term prospects when he has internal kinds of injury issues and him saying he's still not 100% yet.

Lawson won't be a great player. Nkemdiche on the other hand....

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Whilst all this draft grading is fun, is there any accurate way of tracking a draft, and to refer back in say, 3 years to compare how it actually went? I know this is mostly subjective, but curious to know if there are reputable places to assess draft classes as the years roll on?

 

I, like most, really wanted the o-line addressed as a priority, but warm bodies don't necessarily mean success. Time will tell, but I was not disappointed by Grigson's approach....so for that, I give a B.

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10 hours ago, Samu-Rye said:

I love the potential of this years draft class. As far as grading,I don't have a clue how they will work out. So for now I will be hopeful, and trust in the coaching staff.

Dang it.  Stop making so much sense.  :^)

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12 hours ago, BlueCollarColts said:

So now that the draft is over, what would you guys give our draft? I'm personally saying a B, as I think we really added a lot of talent to the trenches on both sides, and everyone is used to hearing the saying the game is won in the trenches. 

 

Here is a list of our picks if you need a refresher:

Round 1:

C Ryan Kelly

 

Round 2:

S T.J. Green

 

Round 3:

OL Le'Raven Clark

 

Round 4:

DT Hassan Ridgeway

ILB Antonio Morrison

 

Round 5:

OL Joe Haeg

 

Round 7:

OLB Trevor Bates

C Austin Blythe

 

*  It was said "If there is one guaranteed pick in the first round who is it?  Answer: Kelly.

*  TJ Green had first round tags on him and has unique speed for his size and a position of need.

*  Clark had first round grades and again position of need.

*  Ridgeway was said to be a first rounder for 2017 had he stayed.  Watch his tape, pretty good DT.

*  Morrison is aggressive AND played last year despite having knee surgery in the same season. Dude play    angry.  May have been the only reach in the draft but dude is what you call "a football player."

*  Haeg - Don't know much but I like more OL.

*  Bates - No clue

*  Blythe - I love wrestlers and four-year starters.  Goodbye to all the horrible Centers...hallelujah!

 

Frankly, this puts me a peace with Grigson.....for now. :)  Grade it A for me.

 

Go Colts.

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11 hours ago, weslo1812 said:

First off do you forget who we now have as our Our O line line coach who I'm sure had much imput into the linemen we selected. The guy knows a thing or two about Offensive linemen. You act if grigs makes the picks based solely off his scouting and his information. AND that's faaaaar from the truth. 

 

And to try and say there is no ability in Green is rediculous. He's got HUGE ability...especially physically. He's new to the position and still learning. A guy who with more coaching can turn into a great rangy saftey. Physically he is a blue chip player.

 

Also our offense was a laaaarrge part of the reason our defense looked as bad as it did last year. Constant 3 and outs giving the opposing offenses more possessions and making our defense stay on the field alot longer than they should have to thereby wearing them down. Also the costly turnover's in our own zone giving them short fields. And what was a large reason behind this...hmmmm maybe our horrible offensive line. And our offensive coordinator for the first half of the season. Our Defense actually kept us in a number of games and gave us a chance. People don't realize or remember for some reason how much pressure was on them for about 12 outta 16 games. Yes there are definitely holes and our defense isn't great by any means but from what I watched and know they are far from horrible.

 

And how important is it to you to protect our most valuable player who means everything to our franchise? Because that's very likely what Kelly goes a long way in doing for us. Also helping our offense be able to perform to its potential. And there were reports out there that on some boards Kelly was a top 20 prospect.

 

Thanks, saved me a lot of typing.

 

...And he thought a lot of Freeman who couldn't find the run hole and got consistently trucked in the run game...OK!

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11 hours ago, Stephen said:

the draft is a b for me. My only complaint is I would have liked a better pass rusher but atleast Luck may have Brady time in pocket.

Brady gets rid of the ball in like 2 seconds, Luck holds it longer and it makes a difference.

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7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I think this COULD turn into the Colts best draft of the Grigson/Pagano era....

 

But the key will be Green,  who the Colts said was a "top-30" player...    in other words, a 1st round pick,  and Clark,  who the Colts said was a near 1st round talent.

 

If those two eventually become what the Colts THINK they can become,  then this is a great draft.    If not,  the Colts will suffer as a result.

 

As for Morrison,  who Superman and others are not happy with....    take a look at the Day Three press conference.      Grigson and Pagano think they stole him.     Apparently,  Morrison was flat on his back for nearly 6 weeks this winter with a bad staff infection.      4 days before his Pro Day,  the port was removed from his chest.    He was told NOT to perform at this pro day.      He did not listen.      The Colts view him as a guy who plays much, MUCH faster than he times.      They are head over heals in love with the guy.

 

 

I know this is kind of a nothing quote but my friend who is a fins fan sent me a tweet from Omar Kelly saying Morrison is an alpha male he would absolutely LOVE on his team then we took him a minute later

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30 minutes ago, bababooey said:

Brady gets rid of the ball in like 2 seconds, Luck holds it longer and it makes a difference.

1 Totally different offenses

 

2 His offense line stunk this year and Brady took a beating

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Who needs pass rush, when opponent rush on him? And that was the case with the Colts playing behind shaky OL. Colts have to have better OL to make pass plays to play with the lead to force opponents to play pass. :)) Then we need pass rush.

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6 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

For whatever it's worth,  the Colts are saying Green was a "Top-30" player on their board --- in other words, a first round player....   and they had Clark as a borderline 1st round player/2nd round player.

 

I think they're high ceiling guys who will need a year or two to begin to pay off.     We should not expect much from either of them this year.

 

I get that they're high in Green (hmmm, maybe that's why they took him...), I'm just trying to figure out why.  Based on what tape?

 

There are plenty of guys who get picked up because they can jump out of a pool, play rugby or basketball, or ace the combine.  But they're usually late round projects.  Not 2nd rounders.  

 

I'll be trolling YouTube and the Clemson boards to find something that the coaches must have seen.  

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Is it me or are there other fans out there that think that when Grigson and the Colts draft they have thei thing of getting players no one else seems to be real high on. I loved the Kelly pick, very important pick, but everything after that seemed to come with some kind of question mark. It seemed like every time we made a pick after Kelly, I found myself trying to find out info about this player. I liked the idea of getting help on the offensive line but I thought we had over done it. I can't believe that there was not at least on stretch we could have made to get an edge rusher. We took chances the whole draft. You mean to tell me that after the third round there was not

at least one pressure guy who we could have taken a chance on. At this point, on paper I give the draft a B but it could fall apart by the time September comes around 

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17 minutes ago, UnitastoOrr said:

One other thing, I'm not sure we have a lot of time to developing lesser players as the other three teams in our division have improved greatly

So the players drafted on the other division teams don't have to develop?

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40 minutes ago, bababooey said:

Ok, Luck holds the ball longer than almost all the QBs in the NFL then. 

I bet if you look at Big Ben under Arians he did similar.

 

Pep was borderline incompetent and appeared the colts fell back on the ways of Arians all too often.

 

Although Chud is a down the field guy, so I don't expect a Brady like offense, I will concede your point if Luck hangs onto it forever this season.

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1 minute ago, BOTT said:

I bet if you look at Big Ben under Arians he did similar.

 

Pep was borderline incompetent and appeared the colts fell back on the ways of Arians all too often.

 

Although Chud is a down the field guy, so I don't expect a Brady like offense, I will concede your point if Luck hangs onto it forever this season.

Obviously he will learn his lessons from this past season from hell. I'll be happy as a clam if he gets rid of it quicker. But I'm talking about what he currently does.

 

Funny I don't think I've ever seen you agree with anyone on here.

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I gave it a D. Ryan Kelly was a solid pick but it wasn't a premium position. Grigson passed on Lawson who was one of the best pass rushers in the draft. Green was a reach as well. There was better players available. Overall, I'm very disappointed in Grigson for not drafting any blue chip defensive players. 

Shocking that you would be disappointed.

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Whilst all this draft grading is fun, is there any accurate way of tracking a draft, and to refer back in say, 3 years to compare how it actually went? I know this is mostly subjective, but curious to know if there are reputable places to assess draft classes as the years roll on?

 

I, like most, really wanted the o-line addressed as a priority, but warm bodies don't necessarily mean success. Time will tell, but I was not disappointed by Grigson's approach....so for that, I give a B.

Hello my friend.

Was listening to NFL radio this week and football people where talking about the best way to grade a draft. Their belief? Essentially look at any any draft class and see how many of those players got 2nd contracts - mostly with their team but fa's who left as well. Other than the rest is pretty much nonsense.

Like for instance - doing it the day after the draft just happened.

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34 minutes ago, bababooey said:

Obviously he will learn his lessons from this past season from hell. I'll be happy as a clam if he gets rid of it quicker. But I'm talking about what he currently does.

 

Funny I don't think I've ever seen you agree with anyone on here.

That's what the like button is for.  I see no reason to respond with "I agree"

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 Grigson nailed this draft. He upgraded the trenches. O-Line is completely revamped. Not only does this help Luck, (Thank God), it helps Gore, and most importantly, i felt as if we were a vertical offense with no O-line last year. Clearly, they dont mix. Having an O-line that can block will open up so much for our speedy WR's and help Dorsett especially taking on some match up advantages in the slot. Plus, we chose the RIGHT TE in Dwayne Allen and sent Fleener on his way. Allen is a monster in the redzone and in the middle of the field, but he can also block. Awesome draft by Grigson. Also, TJ Green is a monster. He is beyond fast on the field and is side line to side line. He's exciting to watch. Go Colts! 

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B for me. Like many have said, I wish we had shown more attention to the pass rush, but after we passed on lawson, the value just wasnt there. Calhoun maybe, but a transition to a 3-4 made it hard to go all in at 48. Still good picks all around for the most part. Not sure about Morrison.

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