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2020 Colts Draft: What's your grade?


EastStreet

2020: What is your draft grade?  

134 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your grade of the Colts draft

  2. 2. To you, what is the biggest head scratcher pick of the draft?

    • 2/34 WR Pittman
    • 2/41 RB Taylor
    • 3/85 S Blackmon
    • 4/122 QB Eason
    • 5/149 OG/C Pinter
    • 6/193 DT Windsor
    • 6/211 CB Rodgers
    • 6/212 WR Patmon
    • 6/213 LB Glasgow
  3. 3. Who is your favorite pick of the draft?

    • 2/34 WR Pittman
    • 2/41 RB Taylor
    • 3/85 S Blackmon
    • 4/122 QB Eason
    • 5/149 OG/C Pinter
    • 6/193 DT Windsor
    • 6/211 CB Rodgers
    • 6/212 WR Patmon
    • 6/213 LB Glasgow
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  • Poll closed on 05/06/2020 at 03:27 AM

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I'll be a little more generous than most of you guys. I give this draft a solid A. Pittman jr. is ok. Taylor outstanding pick. Blackmon will be solid. Eason is ok, but I don't think he will ever be super. 2021 qb battle comes down to Eason vs. Kelly. Pinter, good pick had to have ol. I loved the Windsor pick, Penn State linemen are always technically sound and this guy will not get outworked which is what you need in dlinemen. Patmon, Rodgers, and Glasgow will compete, like most 5-7 round guys. I do wish we would have taken another olineman though. An undrafted rookie free agent is going to have a hard time making the opening day roster this year, the streak may end. Blankenship, the olineman from Canada, or the db from Georgia Southern have the best chance of the guys we've signed so far.

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1 hour ago, Nickster said:

C for 2020 season.  Maybe higher for 2021.  Seems to me draft geared for long term and possibly cancelled season.  
 

1. Needed a WR.  Like size.  Dislike speed.  Most WR don’t produce as. Rookies.  Last year, there were a couple of exceptions.

 

2. don’t think we needed an an RB.  Taylor will allow franchise to avoid paying Mack in 2021.  Seems like a move with a team with area  more settled Future rather than one that will have a 4th rounder on the roster at QB.  Don’t think this improves the team much next year since they already have good backs.  If we didn’t have Mack seems like it would be more of a win now move.

 

3.  Since the guy has a torn ACL obviously this is a move for the future.

 

4.  Has no impact on 2020.

 

5 to 7.  No opinion.

 

so I definitely see this as a win later draft overall.  Not saying that’s bad.  Lucks departure set the franchise back 2-3 years.

Well stated, I agree.

 

I rated the whole draft B-/C+ because I adjusted for DeBuckner, who is a beast. I think bringing him to Indy partially offsets the 2-3 year setback from losing Luck.  

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12 hours ago, EastStreet said:

OK, the more I read about Blackmon, the more I'm warming up. 

 

Guessing this is bad news for Geathers being resigned (has he ended up in the news at all). 

 

I like that he came from Utah who had a good backfield for the PAC, and also like his speed (4.46 if accurate). A little concerned with the late/December injury, and weight. I still think he could have been had a bit later, but warming up. 

 

Anyway, should be good comp for Willis. I think Blackmon could end up more well rounded than Willis, and be the primary SS, limiting Willis to box play. That won't happen early though.

I drive a truck. Spent 6 yrs going to Utah, weekly.  Going into the PAC12 Championship, all the radio stations talked about was that 3 of their 4 DBs would be high draft picks. I thought they projected Blackmon as a CB though? He appears too light for a Safety to me. And PAC12 recievers beat him as a CB. I think he'll end up on ST or taking backup Safety IF he makes the cut

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49 minutes ago, Dogg63 said:

Well stated, I agree.

 

I rated the whole draft B-/C+ because I adjusted for DeBuckner, who is a beast. I think bringing him to Indy partially offsets the 2-3 year setback from losing Luck.  

 

Love me some Buckner.  We've needed a player like that forever in INDY.

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6 hours ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

They said they are shooting for him to be back in Augusta, but it could reasonably be October. I agree though on the “another year to trust.” It’s a mental barrier for the player too, and one that sometimes doesn’t go away. I had a baseball buddy that tore his and heavily favored his good knee the rest of his career. He was still a fine player, but always had that subconscious protection of the knee, which changed the way he played. 

I'm pretty much writing him off for the year. If he's back sometime this season, great, but we shouldn't count on him. Wouldn't doubt if the swapped Tell back to play a little S. Either that, or they use 4 CBs when we play dime.

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A-/B+

 

Including Buckner in this which should be a decent trade if he maintains his previous performance levels without as much talent around him.  Quietly excited by the idea of Eason sitting for a year if he can get his head straight around work ethic, not sure that Rivers is the best mentor though. Enjoying the hilarity of people who rode the Jacoby train into the sidings already dismissing this pick.

 

Only headscratcher for me was Blackmon, but an ACL isn't necessarily the set back it was before. It's more our recent bad history of drafting secondary players high in (purely talking draft stock vs performance ratio). 

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5 minutes ago, DoubleE Colt said:

So genuine question......when people talk about IF Blackman and Easton etc make the cut......when was the last time a player we drafted in round 3 or 4 didn't make the cut? Or even round 5 for that matter?

 

Zach Banner?

 

But I think we all know Eason is a sit and see prospect for at least a year. 

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24 minutes ago, SteelCityColt said:

 

Zach Banner?

 

But I think we all know Eason is a sit and see prospect for at least a year. 

 

Yeah Zach Banner was not Ballard's best pick. That pick was all about a lottery ticket (Eason a bit of a lottery ticket pick too) based on physical traits & potential upside more so than tape/skill IMO. Although he is still in the league on the Steelers so he wasn't a complete bust/wash out of the league level bad pick. 

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17 hours ago, Superman said:

I gave it a preliminary B. I'll be going through a watch of each player and giving my grades, probably over the next month or so. 

 

Favorite pick is Pittman. He makes a ton of sense, he'll have a chance to contribute right away, and he has a ton of upside.

 

Biggest head scratcher is Blackmon. I see why they liked him, but most of what they've done so far this offseason has shown an effort to get guys who don't have major injury concerns. Blackmon just tore his ACL and quite possibly won't play this season. 

 

I would have gone with Taylor because of the trade up, but it's not really a head scratcher, just a difference in philosophy. But not only is he a stud, they explained why they traded up, and they still wound up with nine total picks. And I think some of my "why trade up for a RB" is influenced by my preconceptions of what they'd do in the second round. Overall, using a mid second rounder on a back isn't something I have a problem with. 

 

Ha.. my favorite pick was Blackmon. I won't argue the idea he may have lasted another 30 picks or so ... maybe yes .. maybe no. The guy can both tackle and cover. I think he'll be great at FS and or nickel corner. Reports are he should be ready by October

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24 minutes ago, dw49 said:

 

Ha.. my favorite pick was Blackmon. I won't argue the idea he may have lasted another 30 picks or so ... maybe yes .. maybe no. The guy can both tackle and cover. I think he'll be great at FS and or nickel corner. Reports are he should be ready by October

 

Yeah I won't quibble over whether we could have gotten him later. That's entirely unknown, IMO. I just think that pick is kind of a trend breaker, based on what they've been doing so far this season, especially the guys they're using big resources on.

 

Rivers, never misses games. Buckner, never misses games. Day, rarely misses games. Pittman, rarely misses games. Taylor, never misses games. (Even the FAs they signed who have had injuries recently, they have a history of being pretty durable, and they've performed at a high level in the NFL.)

 

Then, a Day 2 pick on Blackmon, who just tore his ACL, and with even a minor setback, might miss the season. Even if he plays in 2020, he won't be 100% physically until 2021. And I guess that's fine, it's just interesting to me that they would make that pick after placing such an obvious emphasis on durability and availability so far this offseason. So, head scratcher.

 

His tape is great, I see how he fits the defense and why they would like him. Just wouldn't have expected a risky pick like that at that point in the draft. 

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8 hours ago, Jdubu said:

I’d think that Blackmon is going to be more of the FS not the strong safety. Unless I’m thinking about this wrong, the SS is the guy usually more up towards the line and helps support the run more. The FS is the guy over the middle to deep part of the field and is more of a coverage guy for the pass? Just wondering why you think he would be lined up in a SS instead of a FS? I see this kid taking over for Hooker and Willis taking over for Geathers. 

The reason why I see him at SS or Box is based on the film I've seen and reviews I've read. Superman posted a quote from Polian that said similar. In short, and aside from the film and reviews, he's not really that long (Hooker is an inch taller, leaner, and has longer arms like you want in a FS). That's not to say he can't develop into a FS (he just converted from CB to start 2019), but one of the digs on him is he lacked ball instincts at both CB and S (like you want in a lurking FS), struggled to contain deep, and has average recovery. Take a look at his combine eval on NFL.com.

8 hours ago, Jdubu said:

I really fully expected us to get a OT in the 2nd, in fact, I assumed instead of WR, we would take the best OT left on the board. Maybe Pinter replaces our valuable swing type Swiss Army knife guy but can he or will he ever be able to take over for the RG spot and be better than the current guy? 

Only time will tell on Pinter. He's still raw too. Keep in mind he converted from TE to OT 2 years ago, and now will move inside to G/C. He's probably still growing into an OL body (has gained 50lbs) from TE, but I do like his demeanor and he carries the weight well while not losing athleticism. I think he's got both a low floor and high ceiling simply due to his rawness and position switch.

8 hours ago, Jdubu said:

as you, I’m really pretty surprised we didn’t take a TE anywhere in the draft at all. I don’t know what CB seen in the DT he took vs any of the TE’s that were still present but that is a spot that makes me scratch my head. 

Yup, I didn't like the DT or LB picks at all from a value or need perspective. The DT is a project, and the LB seems limited to special teams fav.

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12 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

Yup, I didn't like the DT or LB picks at all from a value or need perspective. The DT is a project, and the LB seems limited to special teams fav.

 

It is a game of 4 downs and every write up I've seen as you say has him as a special teams player, but some are already predicting a rookie probowl nod on STs... 

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2 hours ago, SteelCityColt said:

A-/B+

 

Including Buckner in this which should be a decent trade if he maintains his previous performance levels without as much talent around him.  Quietly excited by the idea of Eason sitting for a year if he can get his head straight around work ethic, not sure that Rivers is the best mentor though. Enjoying the hilarity of people who rode the Jacoby train into the sidings already dismissing this pick.

 

Only headscratcher for me was Blackmon, but an ACL isn't necessarily the set back it was before. It's more our recent bad history of drafting secondary players high in (purely talking draft stock vs performance ratio). 

 

Playstyle wise and when it comes to areas where Eason needs improvement and Rivers is(used to be) good at, IMO Rivers is a perfect mentor. Plus Rivers is one of the players that might set him straight when it comes to his attitude if he's willing to learn about what it takes to be good in the league. Rivers is notorious for his work ethic and preparation.

 

Now the question about whether Rivers will be a willing mentor and Eason a willing mentee is indeed interesting to see how it plays out. .

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1 minute ago, SteelCityColt said:


Thats more then angle I was thinking. Matters not, Chad Baskin Kelly will be starting soon enough. 

We weathered the "JB is in the MVP discussion" storm... I'm not sure how we will handle the "Cut Eason and Rivers for CK" wave

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6 hours ago, jimmy g said:

I drive a truck. Spent 6 yrs going to Utah, weekly.  Going into the PAC12 Championship, all the radio stations talked about was that 3 of their 4 DBs would be high draft picks. I thought they projected Blackmon as a CB though? He appears too light for a Safety to me. And PAC12 recievers beat him as a CB. I think he'll end up on ST or taking backup Safety IF he makes the cut

He is a bit small, but I don't think too small. He was 1st team Pac, and 2nd team AA after the move last year to S, so the size wasn't too much of an issue. Having a year off and in the S&C will probably put some muscle on him too. That, and the NFL.com profile says he's pretty physical.

 

What scares me most is 1) the injury, and 2) he was surrounded by a talented backfield (did that make things easy on him).

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31 minutes ago, SteelCityColt said:

 

It is a game of 4 downs and every write up I've seen as you say has him as a special teams player, but some are already predicting a rookie probowl nod on STs... 

What's up SCC? Hope you are doing well. Haven't seen ya as much. 

 

I'm all for STs aces, but as UDFAs :-)

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2 hours ago, DoubleE Colt said:

So genuine question......when people talk about IF Blackman and Easton etc make the cut......when was the last time a player we drafted in round 3 or 4 didn't make the cut? Or even round 5 for that matter?

Blackmon makes the cut. He won't even be back until the start of the regular season or later with the ACL. Any "make the cut" question will be 2021. 

 

IMO, Eason makes the cut as well unless he totally stinks or screws up behavior wise. He's a project.

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35 minutes ago, stitches said:

 

Playstyle wise and when it comes to areas where Eason needs improvement and Rivers is(used to be) good at, IMO Rivers is a perfect mentor. Plus Rivers is one of the players that might set him straight when it comes to his attitude if he's willing to learn about what it takes to be good in the league. Rivers is notorious for his work ethic and preparation.

 

Now the question about whether Rivers will be a willing mentor and Eason a willing mentee is indeed interesting to see how it plays out. .

Yup, agree here on Rivers being role model in some categories. It will be good for both Eason and Kelly. While Rivers wasn't high on mentoring 4 years ago, I think his outlook on his career might be different now after basically being cut by LAC. And I expect Eason is a more humble guy after going through interviews and dropping to the 4th. If our FO can succeed in making Kelly behave, I'm sure they can handle Eason. I doubt Ballard "plays" in that area... And Frank probably has them join morning prayer each day... 

 

I can hear it now... "Jacob, dag gummit, shut up and listen"...... "Chad, jeez beleeze gosh darn it, hold that clipboard tighter"... "Brissett, what the holy smoly heck are you doing, that WR was fudgin wide open"

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2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Yeah I won't quibble over whether we could have gotten him later. That's entirely unknown, IMO. I just think that pick is kind of a trend breaker, based on what they've been doing so far this season, especially the guys they're using big resources on.

 

Rivers, never misses games. Buckner, never misses games. Day, rarely misses games. Pittman, rarely misses games. Taylor, never misses games. (Even the FAs they signed who have had injuries recently, they have a history of being pretty durable, and they've performed at a high level in the NFL.)

 

Then, a Day 2 pick on Blackmon, who just tore his ACL, and with even a minor setback, might miss the season. Even if he plays in 2020, he won't be 100% physically until 2021. And I guess that's fine, it's just interesting to me that they would make that pick after placing such an obvious emphasis on durability and availability so far this offseason. So, head scratcher.

 

His tape is great, I see how he fits the defense and why they would like him. Just wouldn't have expected a risky pick like that at that point in the draft. 

 

 

I hear you and makes sense. But you really can't say for sure that what Ballard feels (back in August and playing in Sept) is unlikely.  But nor is it a sure thing , I understand that. I also don't think it's a "given" he not totally healthy until 2021.

 

The issue Imo is just how high of a ceiling does he have ? I've seen teams use a first on players that are expected to miss the whole year. 

 

Just a little "off  issue" but I am so VERY sick of watching TE's and WR's running free in our secondary, It's brutal to watch . This guy can cover a TE and also can cover on the outside. Maybe he will help break up some of those 3rd and 9's that we seem to give up ? I envision both the DB's we drafted making our dime package much improved.

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2 hours ago, EastStreet said:

The reason why I see him at SS or Box is based on the film I've seen and reviews I've read. Superman posted a quote from Polian that said similar. In short, and aside from the film and reviews, he's not really that long (Hooker is an inch taller, leaner, and has longer arms like you want in a FS). That's not to say he can't develop into a FS (he just converted from CB to start 2019), but one of the digs on him is he lacked ball instincts at both CB and S (like you want in a lurking FS), struggled to contain deep, and has average recovery. Take a look at his combine eval on NFL.com.

That all makes sense and if Polian is also thinking that way, I’ll submit I’m wrong. I just always think of the box safeties as much bigger than 187. Thanks for killing all my theories in the one thread :giveup:lol 

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11 minutes ago, Jdubu said:

That all makes sense and if Polian is also thinking that way, I’ll submit I’m wrong. I just always think of the box safeties as much bigger than 187. Thanks for killing all my theories in the one thread :giveup:lol 

Honestly, you never know though. He played FS for Utah, so it's not like it's out of the realm of possibilities. Keep in mind though, that Utah's/Whittingham's D scheme is heavy on CB press man coverage, where ours has been more soft zone. Too soft for my tastes.

 

Eberflus said he was going to play more press man last year, but I didn't notice to be honest. And it was a bit strange, as both Rock and Wilson were both press man guys in college..... Anyway, I don't want to go too deep down the rabbit hole, but in short.... Blackmon played press man CB until 2019 when he moved to FS.

 

While he did move to FS, Utah's D was still big on press man (not zone), so Blackmon even at FS is not like a Colts C2 FS. There's a lot more lurking/reading/anticipating in our scheme. But not saying he can't develop/learn....

 

Also, given he does have experience in press man coverage as a CB, logic says they might give him a strong look at NB or SS. And don't forget, depending on down and distance / play call, our SS are sometimes deep too, and simply splitting the field (probably more in nickel/dime). Other times they're covering the flat (TEs/RBs) in base package (early downs).

 

Here's his NFL.com profile. I've bolded red the things that make me think it won't be FS.

 

Quote

 

Draft Projection

Rounds 4-5

 

Overview

While Blackmon displayed some inconsistencies in recognition and ball tracking in his first season at safety, the move clearly gives him his best chance to become a pro. The former cornerback has soft hands and carryover route-anticipation that should allow him to match against tight ends as a pro. He can play split safety, big nickel or help support the run as a down safety. His field recognition and angles to the football are still behind from his new position, but he should keep getting better. His December knee injury will push him down the draft board, but he has the traits and talent to make it in the league.

 

Strengths

Has grown into man-sized frame

Good combination of size and speed

Plays with rugged demeanor when it's time

Disciplined reading man cover keys against play-action

Starting cornerback experience with ability to check tight ends

Adequate pattern recognition underneath

Has nine interceptions in three years

Factors favorably when supporting versus quick game

Plays through blockers in space

Quick to close distance and aggressive hitter in run support

Wipe-out talent when running the alleys

 

Weaknesses

Coverage issues in 2018 forced him to safety

Recovery speed is just average

Struggles with balance in sudden transitions

Indecision stalls opportunities for early jumps from high zone

May not have instincts for desired range over the top

Loses deep contain in scramble situations too often

Takes suspect angles and tracking needs work as high safety

Had a very poor game against USC

Suffered knee injury in December

 

 

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17 hours ago, EastStreet said:

What's up SCC? Hope you are doing well. Haven't seen ya as much. 

 

I'm all for STs aces, but as UDFAs :-)

 

I realised I was fighting a futile fight in certain corners, so just a passively reading these days and watching the world burn. 

 

That and work is a bit busy right now with everything that's happening. 

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18 hours ago, stitches said:

 

Playstyle wise and when it comes to areas where Eason needs improvement and Rivers is(used to be) good at, IMO Rivers is a perfect mentor. Plus Rivers is one of the players that might set him straight when it comes to his attitude if he's willing to learn about what it takes to be good in the league. Rivers is notorious for his work ethic and preparation.

 

Now the question about whether Rivers will be a willing mentor and Eason a willing mentee is indeed interesting to see how it plays out. .

I think "mentoring" is often overrated.  I mean, I think leading by example is what good mentoring usually is.  When people hear the word"mentor" I think they envision a player taking the rookie under their arm, having him spend a week at his house, spending time at every practice giving him pointers, acting as the trainer for the player.   

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7 hours ago, SteelCityColt said:

I realised I was fighting a futile fight in certain corners, so just a passively reading these days and watching the world burn. 

 

That and work is a bit busy right now with everything that's happening. 

Glad you're safe and doing well during these strange new days. I've taken a couple weeks off here and there, and will likely take a few more off from the board in the not to distant future.

 

I was just happy to get a little sports action, even if it was just the draft.

 

 

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