The Indianapolis Colts added to the offense for the first time during the 2021 NFL draft when they used a fourth-round pick on tight end Kylen Granson out of SMU.
Granson is likely a lock for a roster spot in the tight end room behind Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox, but there’s a chance he earns a role right away. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports believes Granson can make an early impact.
TE Kylen Granson
Impressive stat to know: 78 catches for 1,257 yards with 14 touchdowns in his two seasons at SMUGranson is old for a rookie. He’s already 23. And in most cases, older prospects who produced against younger competition in college don’t pan out in the NFL. But not every “older” rookie is doomed once they start playing on Sundays. And Granson has a new-age tight end skill set.
He’s smaller, can separate — especially underneath — and is occasionally flashy after the catch. We know Carson Wentz has an affinity for throwing to the tight end — remember Zach Ertz’s 116 catches in 2018? So even with some veterans at the position in front of him, Granson will make an impact early.
There will be a lot of mouths to feed in the Colts offense even though we are still waiting to see how the pecking order will shape out. Granson is likely to be third in the tight end room when it comes to targets, and he’ll likely be behind four wide receivers and Nyheim Hines.
That said, Granson should fill the role that Trey Burton held during the 2020 season. The Colts may use him more as an H-back as well, which means we could see Granson line up in the backfield.
Training camp arrives in a week, and Granson will certainly be a player to keep an eye on in hopes he can make an impact early.
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