Jared's 2nd 2021 Colts Mock Draft with trades

[Yoshinator]

Alright, version 2.0 of the Colts draft! This time, I'm doing a trade down to accumulate an extra pick! Lets go!

 

Round 1.) Colts trade down with the Packers and trade pick #21 for picks #29 and #92. The Packers can now go after the WR or CB of their choice at 21 while we get our 3rd round pick back.

 

Round 1 pick 29.) Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern- I love Newsome in each and every way. Tall, fast, can cover, always in position on the defender, very athletic. Everything you want in a CB. Ballard loves him, and he was coached well. Fills a position of weakness for us in Round 1, and we pick up a 3rd in doing so.

 

Round 2.) Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State- He's somewhat limited as a LT, but that's exactly what we need and he plays it well. Can start right away and the perfect successor to Anthony Constanzo. Very good chance he makes it to the 2nd round.

 

Round 3 pick 92.) Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina- Excellent fast, deep ball receiver who can stretch the defense for this team. We don't know what Campbell is going to do, so Brown can be excellent insurance and possibly start right away on the Colts depending on how impressive he is. Only concern is his hands, but that can be fixed.

 

Round 4.) Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame- Somewhat of a local kid the Colts may like that they had high interest in. Not a huge fan of him myself. The best blocking TE in the draft by far, but needs to work on his receiving skills. However, he has high potential, and can be the perfect Doyle replacement after he retires next year.

 

Round 5.) Janarius Robinson, EDGE, Florida State- Notice how long I took to address the EDGE position? It wasn't by accident. I believe Ballard believes that EDGE isn't as big of a need as others do on this forum after watching his pre-draft press conference. I like Robinson a lot. Great RAS score, 86 inch wingspan, and huge hands. Very physical player with traits. His only concern is his willingness and his motor to put it all together. For a 5th round pick, I'd give the Colts coaching staff the chance to help him become a great player.

 

Round 6.) Robert Jones, IOL, Middle Tennessee State- You can never have enough O-Line depth. Ballard has had a Senior Bowl meeting with Jones, and I think he could take him around this point. Can play RT or both G spots, and can be a solid pass-blocker. 

 

Round 7.) Jon Rattigan, LB, Army- I went deep here, but this is a Ballard special. He's an elite run defender and solid playmaker that has gone unnoticed. I think we could grab him at the end of the draft and he could compete for the 3rd LBer spot with Speed as soon as this season.

 

Let me know what you think in the comments below! All praise and criticism is welcome! Tell me your thoughts on the mock! @danlhart87 @chad72 @NewColtsFan @EastStreet looking forward to what you guys think!

[chad72]

Tremble doesn’t make it till around 4, IMO. Newsome, Radunz are all good selections.

 

I still doubt Ballard goes CB high after bringing back Rhodes and Carrie with RYS, Tell and Moore to go with them. If you thought Ballard was willing to give EDGE players a chance, I think the secondary falls in the same boat, he’s not going to abandon the investment in RYS and Tell this early, just my two cents.

 

I won’t be shocked if a LB is drafted by Day 2, IMO.

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Tremble doesn’t make it till around 4, IMO. Newsome, Radunz are all good selections.

 

I still doubt Ballard goes CB high after bringing back Rhodes and Carrie with RYS, Tell and Moore to go with them. If you thought Ballard was willing to give EDGE players a chance, I think the secondary falls in the same boat, he’s not going to abandon the investment in RYS and Tell this early, just my two cents.

 

I won’t be shocked if a LB is drafted by Day 2, IMO.

I think Tremble is a pure blocker TE. He'll go lower than you think. Fans and the Media are higher on him than scouts and GMs IMO. Rhodes and Carrie are on one year contracts. Tell is unproven, Rock is average at best right now. CB is a HUGE need after this year, and it's a very good class. Plus, Ballard visited Northwestern and has high interest in Newsome. It's more about preparing for the future. Ballard basically admitted in his press conference that he likes our EDGE group right now. I'm only doing this mock draft based on what he likes and what I think he will do in the draft.

 

A LB may get drafted day 2, I agree. I love Baron Browning. However, it's also a solid WR class, and I picked someone I thought might be a Ballard-type guy that fills a role we don't have in our WR corps.

[funktacious2]

8 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I think Tremble is a pure blocker TE. He'll go lower than you think. Fans and the Media are higher on him than scouts and GMs IMO. Rhodes and Carrie are on one year contracts. Tell is unproven, Rock is average at best right now. CB is a HUGE need after this year, and it's a very good class. Plus, Ballard visited Northwestern and has high interest in Newsome. It's more about preparing for the future. Ballard basically admitted in his press conference that he likes our EDGE group right now. I'm only doing this mock draft based on what he likes and what I think he will do in the draft.

 

A LB may get drafted day 2, I agree. I love Baron Browning. However, it's also a solid WR class, and I picked someone I thought might be a Ballard-type guy that fills a role we don't have in our WR corps.

Ballard thus far has not seemed to be the type to do the whole smoke and mirrors game and in his recent presser he seemed to really seem indifferent to CB as an option, right away going into the options we already have. IF he were playing the smoke an mirror game you could argue he would deflect the idea to avoid trade ups over us, but for now I kind of think we are truly focused on OT or DE

[Yoshinator]

1 minute ago, funktacious2 said:

Ballard thus far has not seemed to be the type to do the whole smoke and mirrors game and in his recent presser he seemed to really seem indifferent to CB as an option, right away going into the options we already have. IF he were playing the smoke an mirror game you could argue he would deflect the idea to avoid trade ups over us, but for now I kind of think we are truly focused on OT or DE

He was also indifferent to EDGE as well, complimenting Turay and Lewis. If you want to get down to brass Titans, he was also talking about how we had improved depth at the O-Line and how the best 5 guys would start. He really didn't give anything away. I just know from who he has interest in, and how he talked in his press conference, that EDGE seems like the odd position out. You should know things aren't always what they appear. Ballard doesn't just draft the biggest need, and he won't this year either.

[chad72]

55 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I think Tremble is a pure blocker TE. He'll go lower than you think. Fans and the Media are higher on him than scouts and GMs IMO. Rhodes and Carrie are on one year contracts. Tell is unproven, Rock is average at best right now. CB is a HUGE need after this year, and it's a very good class. Plus, Ballard visited Northwestern and has high interest in Newsome. It's more about preparing for the future. Ballard basically admitted in his press conference that he likes our EDGE group right now. I'm only doing this mock draft based on what he likes and what I think he will do in the draft.

 

A LB may get drafted day 2, I agree. I love Baron Browning. However, it's also a solid WR class, and I picked someone I thought might be a Ballard-type guy that fills a role we don't have in our WR corps.

I wouldn’t jump to conclusions based on that. He could after all be looking at tackling machine Paddy Fisher too.  

[MikeCurtis]

Thanks for posting

 

I like Radunz and Tremble A LOT

 

I hope that Tremble lasts that long... I have seen mocks that have him going late 2nd and 3rd

 

I also hoe that Radunz lasts that long, I see him going end of 1 

 

Lastly, the DE group might need some talent 

 

If we could somehow get both Tremble and Radunz, It would be good

 

 

 

 

 

[Zoltan]

4 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Round 2.) Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State- He's somewhat limited as a LT, but that's exactly what we need and he plays it well. Can start right away and the perfect successor to Anthony Constanzo. Very good chance he makes it to the 2nd round.

 

I'm not sure Radunz will be ready to play day 1, the jump from FBS to NFL is hard to go from FCS to NFL will be a lot harder. Also he's just not NFL strong yet, a lot of the people he will be going against will be stronger than him his first year.

[funktacious2]

2 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

He was also indifferent to EDGE as well, complimenting Turay and Lewis. If you want to get down to brass Titans, he was also talking about how we had improved depth at the O-Line and how the best 5 guys would start. He really didn't give anything away. I just know from who he has interest in, and how he talked in his press conference, that EDGE seems like the odd position out. You should know things aren't always what they appear. Ballard doesn't just draft the biggest need, and he won't this year either.

He wasn't quite indifferent to edge who specifically mentioned it amongst OT as a top position we need to improve. That said I want to make clear I'm totally just having fun speculating here. Greg Newsome has been my draft crush from the beginning. It's just a weird gut feeling we won't be grabbing him. Realistically we'll never know how much we like him unless we take him then it's inferred lol.

[JoeThornburg]

These picks all seem well thought out, except I do have one issue with it. I think it's unlikely that any of the 4 top CBs in this draft fall all the way to #29 except maybe Farley. There are just too many teams in front of that pick that need a CB.

[EastStreet]

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Alright, version 2.0 of the Colts draft! This time, I'm doing a trade down to accumulate an extra pick! Lets go!

 

Round 1.) Colts trade down with the Packers and trade pick #21 for picks #29 and #92. The Packers can now go after the WR or CB of their choice at 21 while we get our 3rd round pick back.

 

Round 1 pick 29.) Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern- I love Newsome in each and every way. Tall, fast, can cover, always in position on the defender, very athletic. Everything you want in a CB. Ballard loves him, and he was coached well. Fills a position of weakness for us in Round 1, and we pick up a 3rd in doing so.

I'm good with a little trade back for a multiplier, but wouldn't take a CB here. What you say about the DE situation below (Ballard doesn't see it near as bad as we do), could more easily be said about CB. At least we have all of our production back at CB, where as DE is nothing but ?s, tweeners, and tier 2 guys. I don't disagree that CB1 needs to be addressed at some point, but it's likely next year given we just spent money on Rhodes. In short, bigger needs, and I don't think Newsome will be as high on our board as a DE or LT. 

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 2.) Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State- He's somewhat limited as a LT, but that's exactly what we need and he plays it well. Can start right away and the perfect successor to Anthony Constanzo. Very good chance he makes it to the 2nd round.

I love Radunz, but he'll need time. He should be fine with Q on his side, but expect some bumps.

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 3 pick 92.) Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina- Excellent fast, deep ball receiver who can stretch the defense for this team. We don't know what Campbell is going to do, so Brown can be excellent insurance and possibly start right away on the Colts depending on how impressive he is. Only concern is his hands, but that can be fixed.

It seems Reich is a bit allergic to the deep ball, and Brown is a deep ball specialist. It's not that I don't like him, I just don't think he's a good fit and not a well rounded guy. He'd be perfect for the Chiefs, or for an Arians O though.

 

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 4.) Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame- Somewhat of a local kid the Colts may like that they had high interest in. Not a huge fan of him myself. The best blocking TE in the draft by far, but needs to work on his receiving skills. However, he has high potential, and can be the perfect Doyle replacement after he retires next year.

IMO, he'll be gone before the 4th. Not because he's a great well rounded TE, but because it's not a great year for TE due to the shortened season. Great blocker, not doubt, and I'd love to have him as a ND homer, but if the Colts did go for a TE, they'd likely go for a receiving threat. We already have 2 great blockers, and good blocking one dimensional TEs are plentiful. I do agree that he might have untapped potential at receiver due to ND's use of Mayer, but he's still limited. 

 

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 5.) Janarius Robinson, EDGE, Florida State- Notice how long I took to address the EDGE position? It wasn't by accident. I believe Ballard believes that EDGE isn't as big of a need as others do on this forum after watching his pre-draft press conference. I like Robinson a lot. Great RAS score, 86 inch wingspan, and huge hands. Very physical player with traits. His only concern is his willingness and his motor to put it all together. For a 5th round pick, I'd give the Colts coaching staff the chance to help him become a great player.

Like I said above, it's more likely Ballard sees CB as "not as bad we think" than DE. I don't think it's crazy or anything that perhaps the FO looks at a guy like Lewis and sees him as a replacement for Autry, as they are both tweeners, and Lewis has flashed. He's not without his issues though. I also don't think it's crazy to think Turay turns into a 3 down guy, as he was seen as better vs the run than pass in the draft. All that said, it's simply too many iffs. 

 

Specifically on Robinson, he'd be a good project later rounds, but I just don't think the Colts can afford to gamble here, and not take one early.

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 6.) Robert Jones, IOL, Middle Tennessee State- You can never have enough O-Line depth. Ballard has had a Senior Bowl meeting with Jones, and I think he could take him around this point. Can play RT or both G spots, and can be a solid pass-blocker. 

I'm good with a small school project late rounds. I'd probably go a different position here given our needs, and we seem to already have depth OL covered for once.

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

Round 7.) Jon Rattigan, LB, Army- I went deep here, but this is a Ballard special. He's an elite run defender and solid playmaker that has gone unnoticed. I think we could grab him at the end of the draft and he could compete for the 3rd LBer spot with Speed as soon as this season.

 

Let me know what you think in the comments below! All praise and criticism is welcome! Tell me your thoughts on the mock! @danlhart87 @chad72 @NewColtsFan @EastStreet looking forward to what you guys think!

I wouldn't be surprised at all if we go get a ILB this year. My confidence with Oke is not high at this point. Hoping he puts it all together this year with Walker gone, but I just don't think he's got the run stopping ability to be a 3 down guy. He was meh in college vs the run, and I just haven't seen him improve in that area. His step back this year while getting more snaps is a real concern if he's now "the" guy in the middle.

 

On Rhattigan, I like him, but he'd probably be limited to an early down run specialist (like Walker was used with Oke). We seem to be a little full on medium ceiling LBs right now, but I'd be fine with a 7th rounder on him. If I had my preference, I'd go after an ILB in the 3rd or 4th this year. There are several great prospects with higher ceilings that I think may fall. 

[JoeThornburg]

4 hours ago, EastStreet said:

I'm good with a little trade back for a multiplier, but wouldn't take a CB here. What you say about the DE situation below (Ballard doesn't see it near as bad as we do), could more easily be said about CB. At least we have all of our production back at CB, where as DE is nothing but ?s, tweeners, and tier 2 guys. I don't disagree that CB1 needs to be addressed at some point, but it's likely next year given we just spent money on Rhodes. In short, bigger needs, and I don't think Newsome will be as high on our board as a DE or LT. 

I love Radunz, but he'll need time. He should be fine with Q on his side, but expect some bumps.

It seems Reich is a bit allergic to the deep ball, and Brown is a deep ball specialist. It's not that I don't like him, I just don't think he's a good fit and not a well rounded guy. He'd be perfect for the Chiefs, or for an Arians O though.

 

IMO, he'll be gone before the 4th. Not because he's a great well rounded TE, but because it's not a great year for TE due to the shortened season. Great blocker, not doubt, and I'd love to have him as a ND homer, but if the Colts did go for a TE, they'd likely go for a receiving threat. We already have 2 great blockers, and good blocking one dimensional TEs are plentiful. I do agree that he might have untapped potential at receiver due to ND's use of Mayer, but he's still limited. 

 

Like I said above, it's more likely Ballard sees CB as "not as bad we think" than DE. I don't think it's crazy or anything that perhaps the FO looks at a guy like Lewis and sees him as a replacement for Autry, as they are both tweeners, and Lewis has flashed. He's not without his issues though. I also don't think it's crazy to think Turay turns into a 3 down guy, as he was seen as better vs the run than pass in the draft. All that said, it's simply too many iffs. 

 

Specifically on Robinson, he'd be a good project later rounds, but I just don't think the Colts can afford to gamble here, and not take one early.

I'm good with a small school project late rounds. I'd probably go a different position here given our needs, and we seem to already have depth OL covered for once.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if we go get a ILB this year. My confidence with Oke is not high at this point. Hoping he puts it all together this year with Walker gone, but I just don't think he's got the run stopping ability to be a 3 down guy. He was meh in college vs the run, and I just haven't seen him improve in that area. His step back this year while getting more snaps is a real concern if he's now "the" guy in the middle.

 

On Rhattigan, I like him, but he'd probably be limited to an early down run specialist (like Walker was used with Oke). We seem to be a little full on medium ceiling LBs right now, but I'd be fine with a 7th rounder on him. If I had my preference, I'd go after an ILB in the 3rd or 4th this year. There are several great prospects with higher ceilings that I think may fall. 

I don't disagree with you in terms of prioritizing CB over EDGE, but I could see a few scenarios by looking at different mocks where a guy "good enough" could fall depending how the rest of their board looks, particularly if they do trade back if their top choices are off the board. I just think it's very unlikely.

 

However, I do disagree with you about Dyami Brown. I also try to take analytics in moderation, especially when evaluating rookies. Certain position groups I look at specific things, like I personally think the short shuttle is very important when looking at IOL, for example, but again it's not absolute. But, I think this is probably his best pick in this mock.

 

First, who has Indianapolis had in terms of personnel to even make the deep threat a consistent possibility? Let's just start with the QBs: an injured Luck trying to play hero ball, Brissett and... Rivers. See where I'm going with this? Wentz can definitely drive the ball with ease. His only issue here is his left foot. He's developed a bad habit of striding too wide to compensate for improper toe orientation and tends to sail deep balls more often than you want to see, but he's definitely got the arm. I really think it's a must to get a guy who can take the top off with the other personnel you already have, specifically Taylor, Hines, Pascal and Hilton... not even mentioning Pittman and Campbell. Getting someone who has that ability at that spot is really a smart move given Hilton is on a one year deal, the jury is still out on Campbell and Pascal is in a contract year.

[Defjamz26]

My big issue is you have the Packers trading up to get a CB, but then have the Colts getting Newsome. If anything the Packers would just take Newsome

[EastStreet]

17 hours ago, JoeThornburg said:

I don't disagree with you in terms of prioritizing CB over EDGE, but I could see a few scenarios by looking at different mocks where a guy "good enough" could fall depending how the rest of their board looks, particularly if they do trade back if their top choices are off the board. I just think it's very unlikely.

 

However, I do disagree with you about Dyami Brown. I also try to take analytics in moderation, especially when evaluating rookies. Certain position groups I look at specific things, like I personally think the short shuttle is very important when looking at IOL, for example, but again it's not absolute. But, I think this is probably his best pick in this mock.

 

First, who has Indianapolis had in terms of personnel to even make the deep threat a consistent possibility? Let's just start with the QBs: an injured Luck trying to play hero ball, Brissett and... Rivers. See where I'm going with this? Wentz can definitely drive the ball with ease. His only issue here is his left foot. He's developed a bad habit of striding too wide to compensate for improper toe orientation and tends to sail deep balls more often than you want to see, but he's definitely got the arm. I really think it's a must to get a guy who can take the top off with the other personnel you already have, specifically Taylor, Hines, Pascal and Hilton... not even mentioning Pittman and Campbell. Getting someone who has that ability at that spot is really a smart move given Hilton is on a one year deal, the jury is still out on Campbell and Pascal is in a contract year.

 

When I'm speaking of Brown, I'm talking two competing narratives. One, that he's not a well rounded guy and more of a deep specialist than anything (raw routes, others limitations) in college. That alone will keep a lot of teams away from him until the middle rounds. Then add in the fact that he's fast, but not "really fast" at only 4.46, and only 6 foot. That's just not that good if he's a limited guy or specialist. The second is our scheme and personnel. I don't think there's any doubt about Brown's background or limitations, so I'll focus on the later.

 

First, we have had, and have, several guys that can run a simple 9 route if that's what Reich wanted to do. any guys mid 4.4s or below can do that. Marcus Johnson was 4.38ish and was in and out all 3 years. Hilton, while he has slowed, can still go fast in a straight line, especially earlier and even now coming out of the inside. His current issue is lack of size combined with no longer having 4.34 on the outside. He's still likely mid 4.4s which is plenty for a 9 that's not on the sideline. We all no Parris Campbell is a burner and capable, but really never saw a 9 from him in his limited time. Cain was a deep threat specialist guy much like Brown, that they tried to turn into a possession guy. Reich simply either didn't value his deep ability, or simply wanted to change him into what he wasn't. Dulin was/is low 4.4s and capable of a 9. Chad Williams was low 4.4s. Harris is a 4.3s guys and capable of a 9. Lastly, you have Hines could also do a 9 out of the backfield or out of the slot. 

 

The above is just pure speed. You also have some guys like Pittman, Patmon, and Fountain that all have good speed, great size and or freak verts that are commonplace running 50/50 9 routes in the league. All in all, plenty of guys that can go deep. And when we talk deep, most services/stats use either 15, 20. or 25 to signify "deep", so it's not like we're talking 50 yard bombs that requires a cannon anyways.

 

Now lets talk about QBs. Luck wasn't injured the whole year. And he actually had some very good early games in 18. Outside of hero ball, he didn't throw deep all that much. When he had too, he looked good. In short, scheme limited him. Now lets talk about 19 with JB. We all know JB has a cannon, so physical issues aren't a thing. We all know he held the ball along time (one of the worst time to throws in the league) yet still didn't get sacked a lot, so we know plays had time to develop. We know he wasn't great at reading Ds or throwing short with anticipation. So why not let him go Air Coryell or Arians O and throw to a spot, rather than to a person based on reading/timing/anticipation. Regardless, Reich kept him in a dink/dunk O that he struggled with the entire year.

 

Now lets talk the latest, Rivers. He was top 10ish all year in deep ball accuracy. He was bottom 10ish all year in deep ball attempts. Does that make sense to you? Now add in all the sideline throws. If you measure those in vert or horizontal yards, many of those were 20-30+ yard throws, but only 5-10 yards vertically. So what's the difference going 20 yards pure vert, with a guy who is top 10 in deep ball accuracy anyway.

 

All in all, I don't see Reich as very interested in the vertical game. He'll take a few shots maybe each game to keep Ss from completing living in the box, but he's more interested in running and tossing short sideline to sideline. Hope I'm wrong, but I just don't think the deep stuff will ever be a regular part of the O. And we'll never see anything close to the Kgun or 4vert stuff he ran as a backup when when he was a QB. 

[shasta519]

1 hour ago, EastStreet said:

 

When I'm speaking of Brown, I'm talking two competing narratives. One, that he's not a well rounded guy and more of a deep specialist than anything (raw routes, others limitations) in college. That alone will keep a lot of teams away from him until the middle rounds. Then add in the fact that he's fast, but not "really fast" at only 4.46, and only 6 foot. That's just not that good if he's a limited guy or specialist. The second is our scheme and personnel. I don't think there's any doubt about Brown's background or limitations, so I'll focus on the later.

 

First, we have had, and have, several guys that can run a simple 9 route if that's what Reich wanted to do. any guys mid 4.4s or below can do that. Marcus Johnson was 4.38ish and was in and out all 3 years. Hilton, while he has slowed, can still go fast in a straight line, especially earlier and even now coming out of the inside. His current issue is lack of size combined with no longer having 4.34 on the outside. He's still likely mid 4.4s which is plenty for a 9 that's not on the sideline. We all no Parris Campbell is a burner and capable, but really never saw a 9 from him in his limited time. Cain was a deep threat specialist guy much like Brown, that they tried to turn into a possession guy. Reich simply either didn't value his deep ability, or simply wanted to change him into what he wasn't. Dulin was/is low 4.4s and capable of a 9. Chad Williams was low 4.4s. Harris is a 4.3s guys and capable of a 9. Lastly, you have Hines could also do a 9 out of the backfield or out of the slot. 

 

The above is just pure speed. You also have some guys like Pittman, Patmon, and Fountain that all have good speed, great size and or freak verts that are commonplace running 50/50 9 routes in the league. All in all, plenty of guys that can go deep. And when we talk deep, most services/stats use either 15, 20. or 25 to signify "deep", so it's not like we're talking 50 yard bombs that requires a cannon anyways.

 

Now lets talk about QBs. Luck wasn't injured the whole year. And he actually had some very good early games in 18. Outside of hero ball, he didn't throw deep all that much. When he had too, he looked good. In short, scheme limited him. Now lets talk about 19 with JB. We all know JB has a cannon, so physical issues aren't a thing. We all know he held the ball along time (one of the worst time to throws in the league) yet still didn't get sacked a lot, so we know plays had time to develop. We know he wasn't great at reading Ds or throwing short with anticipation. So why not let him go Air Coryell or Arians O and throw to a spot, rather than to a person based on reading/timing/anticipation. Regardless, Reich kept him in a dink/dunk O that he struggled with the entire year.

 

Now lets talk the latest, Rivers. He was top 10ish all year in deep ball accuracy. He was bottom 10ish all year in deep ball attempts. Does that make sense to you? Now add in all the sideline throws. If you measure those in vert or horizontal yards, many of those were 20-30+ yard throws, but only 5-10 yards vertically. So what's the difference going 20 yards pure vert, with a guy who is top 10 in deep ball accuracy anyway.

 

All in all, I don't see Reich as very interested in the vertical game. He'll take a few shots maybe each game to keep Ss from completing living in the box, but he's more interested in running and tossing short sideline to sideline. Hope I'm wrong, but I just don't think the deep stuff will ever be a regular part of the O. And we'll never see anything close to the Kgun or 4vert stuff he ran as a backup when when he was a QB. 

I think you’re right. I am already preparing myself for a ball-control, 12 personnel heavy offense. I think they can are going to draft a TE early and get Ertz

[EastStreet]

55 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

I think you’re right. I am already preparing myself for a ball-control, 12 personnel heavy offense. I think they can are going to draft a TE early and get Ertz

Honestly now that we have Pittman (a true X), I don't see a lot of 12 either. At least no more than last year (which if I recall was 1/4 to 1/3 of snaps). I do think we'll see more earlier, but less as he takes the training wheels off Wentz. Having a 6-4 guy like Pittman on the field with one TE is more 12 than having Burton who is 6-2 running out of the slot with another TE on the field. 

[BProland85]

Not bad. Dyami Brown in the 3rd is most definitely my favorite pick in this draft. I think he’ll end up being a steal and would be the perfect compliment to Pittman Jr for the longterm at WR. 

[shasta519]

1 hour ago, EastStreet said:

Honestly now that we have Pittman (a true X), I don't see a lot of 12 either. At least no more than last year (which if I recall was 1/4 to 1/3 of snaps). I do think we'll see more earlier, but less as he takes the training wheels off Wentz. Having a 6-4 guy like Pittman on the field with one TE is more 12 than having Burton who is 6-2 running out of the slot with another TE on the field. 

I should clarify...I do expect the offense to open up dependent on Wentz. 
 

But Wentz came from a system that ran more 12 personnel than any team in the NFL...including more than 50% of the time in 2019.

 

In Indy, Reich has not run 12 personnel as much. And actually, he prefers to run out of it than pass.

 

But Reich specifically referenced the latter part of 2019 in regards to

Wentz. And that was at the height of their 12 personnel frequency (in part because Jeffery and Agholor were out hurt)...where they leaned on Ertz and Goedert. Reich also talked about rhythm (which could just be code for methodical).
 

So knowing that was the last time Wentz played good football...I think they will look to start there. Hence all of the offseason talk about TE. And to effectively do it...they will need to draft a TE. But TEs take time to develop...so they will also get Ertz. That essentially gives them their own version of Ertz/Button or Ertz/Goedert. Then Doyle retires and MAC either returns on a cheap deal or leaves in FA.

(Regarding TE...I think Friermuth is incredibly high on their board and will be drafted if he’s there at #54. He seems like exactly what they would want at TE. Doubt he makes it that far though.)

 

And then as Wentz plays well...they will morph into something more resembling the 2017 PHI offense because they have similar personnel now. 

 

 

 

[EastStreet]

35 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

I should clarify...I do expect the offense to open up dependent on Wentz. 
 

But Wentz came from a system that ran more 12 personnel than any team in the NFL...including more than 50% of the time in 2019.

 

In Indy, Reich has not run 12 personnel as much. And actually, he prefers to run out of it than pass.

 

But Reich specifically referenced the latter part of 2019 in regards to

Wentz. And that was at the height of their 12 personnel frequency (in part because Jeffery and Agholor were out hurt)...where they leaned on Ertz and Goedert. Reich also talked about rhythm (which could just be code for methodical).
 

So knowing that was the last time Wentz played good football...I think they will look to start there. Hence all of the offseason talk about TE. And to effectively do it...they will need to draft a TE. But TEs take time to develop...so they will also get Ertz. That essentially gives them their own version of Ertz/Button or Ertz/Goedert. Then Doyle retires and MAC either returns on a cheap deal or leaves in FA.

(Regarding TE...I think Friermuth is incredibly high on their board and will be drafted if he’s there at #54. He seems like exactly what they would want at TE. Doubt he makes it that far though.)

 

And then as Wentz plays well...they will morph into something more resembling the 2017 PHI offense because they have similar personnel now. 

Anything can happen with Ertz, but I think it's more wishful thinking than anything else. Latest rumor is the Eagles aren't done moving, and they might be looking to package the 12 and Ertz. Who knows, but just don't see it unless they are forced to cut him. And even then, I think he'll be looking for more than we want to pay, and longer than we want to pay it.

 

As for Freiermuth doubt that too. Highly doubt it with our second pick. If Ballard chooses to ignore DE or LT and go TE at 54, I'll be really scratching my head and LOLing. TE is just too devalued these days. Freiermuth reminds me of a MAC copy in terms of size and speed, as well as B-ball background. And his separation horizontally isn't great, and then there's the whole injury concern from last year. It's just not a good year for TE, especially early. And I don't even count Pitts as a TE. He's a freak, and is more jumbo WR than TE.

 

As far as returning to the 2 TE set more, people said the same thing when JB started. Then they said it again with Rivers. Reich had plenty of opportunity to do it. And like I said, now that we have a 6-4 Pittman, we basically have a guy with TE size and WR speed. A set with MAC/MP/PC/TY is just more 12 than MAC/TB/PC/TY

[shasta519]

8 hours ago, EastStreet said:

Anything can happen with Ertz, but I think it's more wishful thinking than anything else. Latest rumor is the Eagles aren't done moving, and they might be looking to package the 12 and Ertz. Who knows, but just don't see it unless they are forced to cut him. And even then, I think he'll be looking for more than we want to pay, and longer than we want to pay it.

 

As for Freiermuth doubt that too. Highly doubt it with our second pick. If Ballard chooses to ignore DE or LT and go TE at 54, I'll be really scratching my head and LOLing. TE is just too devalued these days. Freiermuth reminds me of a MAC copy in terms of size and speed, as well as B-ball background. And his separation horizontally isn't great, and then there's the whole injury concern from last year. It's just not a good year for TE, especially early. And I don't even count Pitts as a TE. He's a freak, and is more jumbo WR than TE.

 

As far as returning to the 2 TE set more, people said the same thing when JB started. Then they said it again with Rivers. Reich had plenty of opportunity to do it. And like I said, now that we have a 6-4 Pittman, we basically have a guy with TE size and WR speed. A set with MAC/MP/PC/TY is just more 12 than MAC/TB/PC/TY

 

They did run a lot more 12 personnel with JB...passed out of it more as well. I think if Ebron hadn't gotten hurt, it would have been much higher.

 

I don't remember people saying that about Rivers when he was signed. Wouldn't have made much sense...since he was coming from an offensive system that rarely used 12 (8% in 2019). 

 

I am just speculating...so we will see. But if you trade for a QB that has worked extensively with that grouping, you probably look to adopt some of that. Especially when that QB already has some big question marks.

 

It's not a particularly strong TE draft class. But the draft is what you are forced to depend on when you haven't addressed positions in other ways.

 

Still, we are only talking about a Day 2 pick. It's not a strong DE class either...so I would rather grab TE2 than DE6 (or whomever is there at #54). Honestly, I am tired of drafting Day 2 EDGE projects (I think we actually agree on that).

 

As for OT, I don't see a huge difference once you get past the top few guys. So if they get another pick on Day 2...they can still get an OT prospect (if they go DE in the 1st). 

 

As for Friermuth...I think he is a much better receiving TE than MAC. And Reich could use him in every way he uses TEs (unlike MAC). Plus, he's a 2x captain and would be a great locker room presence. IMO, he has Colts written all over him. Sort of like the Colts version of Ertz. 

 

I agree that the traditional Y TE is becoming devalued. But having a top tier TE1 that can do everything is still a very big advantage. If they believe a guy like Friermuth can be that guy...then draft him. 

 

 

 

 

[Superman]

On 4/24/2021 at 9:17 AM, Zoltan said:

 

I'm not sure Radunz will be ready to play day 1, the jump from FBS to NFL is hard to go from FCS to NFL will be a lot harder. Also he's just not NFL strong yet, a lot of the people he will be going against will be stronger than him his first year.

 

I think Sam Tevi is going to get a chance to start. Especially if the board leads us to a tackle prospect on Day 2.

[Zoltan]

2 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I think Sam Tevi is going to get a chance to start. Especially if the board leads us to a tackle prospect on Day 2.

 

I could definitely see that happen

[Yoshinator]

19 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I think Sam Tevi is going to get a chance to start. Especially if the board leads us to a tackle prospect on Day 2.

I agree with this. Ballard said the best 5 will start. He never said he was committed to a rookie at LT. Plus, he wants more draft picks, and he usually goes BPA at a position of need anyway. He's not going to force a LT. A lot of the LTs the forum likes are probably off Ballard's board completely. It'll be a complete mystery what we do on Thursday, and I think it'll catch a lot of people by surprise.

[NewColtsFan]

28 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I think Sam Tevi is going to get a chance to start. Especially if the board leads us to a tackle prospect on Day 2.

Ive been saying that and selling that for about a month.   It’s a tough sell in this forum.   Few want to accept even the possibility. 

[NewColtsFan]

One more reason to taking a LT with our first pick this year.    We don’t have a first round pick NEXT year.    So if this years first pick doesn’t eventually become our starting LT,  it’s less likely to happen next year. 
 

That potentially would put us in position of trying to address it in 2023.   And I don’t think anyone wants that. 
 

[EastStreet]

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

They did run a lot more 12 personnel with JB...passed out of it more as well. I think if Ebron hadn't gotten hurt, it would have been much higher.

Doubt it. Ebron was begging for more snaps. 

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

I don't remember people saying that about Rivers when he was signed. Wouldn't have made much sense...since he was coming from an offensive system that rarely used 12 (8% in 2019). 

Look farther in the past. They had Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry at the same time. After Gates left, they had Mike Williams at 6-4 running TE-like routes alongside Henry. It's similar to my point about having 6-4 Pittman might lessen the need at TE.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

I am just speculating...so we will see. But if you trade for a QB that has worked extensively with that grouping, you probably look to adopt some of that. Especially when that QB already has some big question marks.

 

It's not a particularly strong TE draft class. But the draft is what you are forced to depend on when you haven't addressed positions in other ways.

 

Still, we are only talking about a Day 2 pick. It's not a strong DE class either...so I would rather grab TE2 than DE6 (or whomever is there at #54). Honestly, I am tired of drafting Day 2 EDGE projects (I think we actually agree on that).

 

As for OT, I don't see a huge difference once you get past the top few guys. So if they get another pick on Day 2...they can still get an OT prospect (if they go DE in the 1st). 

 

As for Friermuth...I think he is a much better receiving TE than MAC. And Reich could use him in every way he uses TEs (unlike MAC). Plus, he's a 2x captain and would be a great locker room presence. IMO, he has Colts written all over him. Sort of like the Colts version of Ertz. 

 

I agree that the traditional Y TE is becoming devalued. But having a top tier TE1 that can do everything is still a very big advantage. If they believe a guy like Friermuth can be that guy...then draft him. 

 

I'm not really all that impressed with Freiermuth's film. Highlights are good, but full film doesn't wow me at all. 

 

MAC not good at catching? He had the highest catch % of any WR or TE on the team and only had one drop. Also had the highest yards/target on the team, and had good YAC for a TE. His route running was great (did you see his routes vs MN?). His blocking was great. All of his grades were really good. You're basically poo pooing a guy that was rated a top 5 TE most of the year in the NFL, and favoring a college guy who is not a good blocker, and has concerns about separation and physicality. I think he's a good prospect and all, but this is a very weak year at TE.

 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

On 4/24/2021 at 7:35 AM, Jared Cisneros said:

Alright, version 2.0 of the Colts draft! This time, I'm doing a trade down to accumulate an extra pick! Lets go!

 

Round 1.) Colts trade down with the Packers and trade pick #21 for picks #29 and #92. The Packers can now go after the WR or CB of their choice at 21 while we get our 3rd round pick back.

 

Round 1 pick 29.) Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern- I love Newsome in each and every way. Tall, fast, can cover, always in position on the defender, very athletic. Everything you want in a CB. Ballard loves him, and he was coached well. Fills a position of weakness for us in Round 1, and we pick up a 3rd in doing so.

 

Round 2.) Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State- He's somewhat limited as a LT, but that's exactly what we need and he plays it well. Can start right away and the perfect successor to Anthony Constanzo. Very good chance he makes it to the 2nd round.

 

Round 3 pick 92.) Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina- Excellent fast, deep ball receiver who can stretch the defense for this team. We don't know what Campbell is going to do, so Brown can be excellent insurance and possibly start right away on the Colts depending on how impressive he is. Only concern is his hands, but that can be fixed.

 

Round 4.) Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame- Somewhat of a local kid the Colts may like that they had high interest in. Not a huge fan of him myself. The best blocking TE in the draft by far, but needs to work on his receiving skills. However, he has high potential, and can be the perfect Doyle replacement after he retires next year.

 

Round 5.) Janarius Robinson, EDGE, Florida State- Notice how long I took to address the EDGE position? It wasn't by accident. I believe Ballard believes that EDGE isn't as big of a need as others do on this forum after watching his pre-draft press conference. I like Robinson a lot. Great RAS score, 86 inch wingspan, and huge hands. Very physical player with traits. His only concern is his willingness and his motor to put it all together. For a 5th round pick, I'd give the Colts coaching staff the chance to help him become a great player.

 

Round 6.) Robert Jones, IOL, Middle Tennessee State- You can never have enough O-Line depth. Ballard has had a Senior Bowl meeting with Jones, and I think he could take him around this point. Can play RT or both G spots, and can be a solid pass-blocker. 

 

Round 7.) Jon Rattigan, LB, Army- I went deep here, but this is a Ballard special. He's an elite run defender and solid playmaker that has gone unnoticed. I think we could grab him at the end of the draft and he could compete for the 3rd LBer spot with Speed as soon as this season.

 

Let me know what you think in the comments below! All praise and criticism is welcome! Tell me your thoughts on the mock! @danlhart87 @chad72 @NewColtsFan @EastStreet looking forward to what you guys think!

 

I like.

OT in day 2, and WR/CB as our other early picks.

I like Newsome.