The Indianapolis Colts used their only selection on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft—No. 54 overall—to grab defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo out of Vanderbilt, but his profile comes with a major question mark.
Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles while training for the Senior Bowl in January, which impacted his draft stock. Even though many draft analysts and even Odeyingbo himself don’t believe he would have been around on Day 3, some have looked at this selection as a reach.
Regardless, the Colts have no timeline right now as to when Odeyingbo will be able to return to the playing field.
If you’re wondering about the injury timeline for Dayo Odeyingbo, what Colts GM Chris Ballard said is the answer: There ISN’T a timeline. It’s very possible he could miss 2021, but they’re holding out hope he can help during the season’s stretch run.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 1, 2021
The Colts made the pick with the understanding that the 2021 season for Odeyingbo may wind up turning into a quasi-redshirt year for the rookie. Though some will draw comparisons to Julian Blackmon, who was a third-round pick despite suffering a torn ACL in December 2019, it isn’t automatically the same concept because we don’t know how the Achilles will impact Odeyingbo.
The Vandy product fits a lot of what the Colts look for. He has a high motor, was a team captain, got invited to the Senior Bowl and his measurements are out of this world. He stands 6-foot-5 at 280 pounds with 35.25-inch arms and 86.375-inch wingspan.
This will be a storyline to keep an eye on throughout training camp as it’s very likely Odeyingbo will be a candidate for either the injured reserve or the PUP list come September.
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