The Indianapolis Colts continued adding depth to their roster with a 10-pick crop from the 2019 NFL Draft and while the group has undergone some changes, the team still feels strongly about the progress made during the campaign.
Especially when it comes to the early-round defensive picks the Colts made, head coach Frank Reich is excited to see how much they can develop with a full season and offseason under their belt.
“Man, the rookie class is a strong class, now,” Reich told Matt Taylor of Colts.com. “Obviously on defense, we picked all those defensive players. They are all really good players; we’re excited about all of them. Bobby (Okereke) had a great year, Khari (Willis) had a great year, Rock (Ya-Sin) — all those guys. Excited about E.J. (Speed)’s development, Gerri Green — I mean, those guys are going to be a big part of the foundation going forward.”
The Colts did see some intriguing development from the three players in Ya-Sin, Okereke and Willis. The defensive backs took over starting roles just a few weeks after the season began, and Okereke had a strong second half that showed why there is optimism surrounding the class.
There were some hiccups with the group, of course. Wide receiver Parris Campbell played in just seven games and battled injuries starting in training camp. Defensive end Ben Banogu never truly made an impact and was used sparingly during the second half.
But there is still optimism with the group heading into 2020. Ya-Sin and Willis will return as starters. Okereke is likely to compete for the starting WILL spot with Anthony Walker, who is in a contract year. And there is a chance Banogu works himself into a bigger role in Year 2.
It wasn’t all daisies for the first-year group, but there was enough to warrant optimism moving forward.
There are still plenty of moves that need to be made along the roster, but Reich is confident in the direction the rookie class took on following their first season in the league.