NFL draft grades and the colts

[csmopar]

They have the colts at 6! Guess they loved the plan too

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-draft-class-rankings-steelers-bears-eagles-chargers-earn-top-grades-falcons-flummox

[Yoshinator]

20 minutes ago, csmopar said:

They have the colts at 6! Guess they loved the plan too

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-draft-class-rankings-steelers-bears-eagles-chargers-earn-top-grades-falcons-flummox

This is pretty fair. By draft rank, the Colts would have had the 15th best class on average, by draft value it may have been a bit higher or lower (not sure where, also have to add in the comp picks as well to each team). So Ballard over exceeded expectations according to where we picked and outdrafted 9 more teams than on average he should have. 

 

I thought we did a very good job of obtaining value and beating runs at positions. The Steelers and Eagles did great as well. I think the Bears were more boosted just because of Caleb and Odunze more than anything, they get the benefit of the doubt until it fails. 

 

Chargers, Pats, and Lions did strong IMO. There wasn't too many bad teams. The Panthers did some dumb things, the Broncos reached on Nix (although the Raiders probably take him at 13 after the Penix fiasco), and the Falcons were a disaster. Also wasn't a fan of the 49ers strategy really. Love Pearsall and Green, but reaches IMO on both after missing out on the O-Lineman. 

 

As long as we sign a veteran in the secondary, I like the plan for this draft. I still stick to my guns that Ballard did well waiting on CB until round 5 and 6. Allowed him to fix the offense and grab Latu.

[RollerColt]

I'd say any time a team is sitting at 15 and somehow ends up with the top defensive player of the entire draft, that's always going to be a big win. 

[CR91]

1 hour ago, RollerColt said:

I'd say any time a team is sitting at 15 and somehow ends up with the top defensive player of the entire draft, that's always going to be a big win. 

 

Desperation makes you do stupid things and there were a lot of desperate QB teams

[lester]

49 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

Desperation makes you do stupid things and there were a lot of desperate QB teams

 

This is a good point.

 

And it is fuel for those who support what Ballard has been doing.

 

He has done a very respectable of keeping the Colts from ever being 'desperate'.

[Stephen]

43 minutes ago, lester said:

 

This is a good point.

 

And it is fuel for those who support what Ballard has been doing.

 

He has done a very respectable of keeping the Colts from ever being 'desperate'.

Yea that Atlanta pick is still surprising

[VikingsFanInChennai]

On 5/9/2024 at 10:17 PM, lester said:

 

This is a good point.

 

And it is fuel for those who support what Ballard has been doing.

 

He has done a very respectable of keeping the Colts from ever being 'desperate'.

That could be said about Colts as well last year after Young and Stroud were taken, Ballard had to get the third QB taken in a weak QB class not before having some suspense on who traded up in front for 3rd overall draft pick. Ballard picked the QB whose college tape had very few games and had more questions than answers. Generally, QBs who had very little college experience with unproven tape have not done well, and would be considered a reach if a team spends top 5 overall draft pick to get him. 

 

Nix and Penix have had better college career than AR, but only favorable thing for Colts is the perceived projection that AR can have higher ceiling than these QBs including McCarthy, and that's probably because of AR being dual threat and not because he's a great pocket passer. 

 

But, it's still a projection. We need to yet witness that to be proven in the NFL. Until Ballard is proven right, it's unfair to call other such QBs as reach without acknowledging that Ballard has done the same. 

[indyagent17]

Penix would have been there much later and they paid Cousins a great deal of money, You might like the kid but in my opinion I think Penix will be a very average QB because I do not think he game translates to the NFL IMHO