The Indianapolis Colts used their first two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to grab some explosive prospects in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor.
[lawrence-related id=45149]
While Taylor is expected to split the early-down work with Marlon Mack in the backfield, Pittman Jr. is expected to slide into the WR2 role behind T.Y. Hilton. But history shows it is harder for wide receivers to make an impact from Day 1 even when given the opportunity.
Head coach Frank Reich said on the Dan Patrick Show this week that while he acknowledges the historical trends, they believe Pittman Jr. has what it takes to make an impact almost immediately.
“History and stats will tell you it’s a little bit harder for receivers to have an impact early on but I think—and this is one of the reasons we love Michael— he’s got a physical and emotional maturity about him that we think can come in and make a more immediate impact than most receivers do,” Reich told Dan Patrick. “Obviously we think Jonathan can come in a make a big impact as well so we feel really good about both of them.”
There shouldn’t be much of a debate about Taylor’s potential impact on the offense from an early standpoint. Mack will be there to share the load, but rookie running backs make a bigger impact earlier when afforded the opportunity.
But Pittman Jr. seems to have checked every box the Colts have when it comes to a prospect profile. It isn’t likely he puts up 1,000 yards in his first season, but the Colts still see him as an immediate contributor.
The offseason workouts being modified don’t help his chances, but the Colts are expecting to ramp things up soon whenever they are allowed to get in the building again.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Pittman Jr. and Taylor can make their mark on the offense, but the Colts are optimistic it will go on without much of a hitch.
[lawrence-related id=45143,45120]