When the Indianapolis Colts were on the clock with the No. 34 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they had their eyes on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. the entire time.
The coaching staff and front office envision Pittman has the team’s future WR1 whenever T.Y. Hilton hangs up the spikes and while they continue to keep and eye on the future, there is plenty of reason to believe he can have an instant impact.
Nate Davis of USA TODAY listed 20 rookies who can have an instant impact during their first NFL season. Pittman came in at No. 6 on the list.
He and fellow rookie Jonathan Taylor should give last year’s 25th-ranked offense a needed jolt. Pittman (6-4, 223) in particular – Indy GM Chris Ballard compared him to Vincent Jackson, new Colts QB Philip Rivers’ teammate in San Diego – should be an immediate asset, the plus-sized wideout this attack has lacked lately, one who should become a welcome target for Rivers in the red zone and in jump-ball situations.
Though rookie wide receivers historically have a difficult time making an immediate impact, the Colts are confident Pittman can be an outlier to that trend. He has the opportunity and talent to slide right into the WR2 role behind Hilton, working as the team’s only X-receiver.
Another Colts rookie made the list but not necessarily one that would be expected. Coming in at No. 20 on the list was undrafted rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship.
He won the Groza Award, honoring the nation’s top kicker, while at Georgia last year but didn’t get picked in April. Blankenship connected on 84% of his field goals over the past three seasons and converted all 200 of his extra-point tries in college, though he’ll have to adapt to the NFL’s longer PAT. Still, if Blankenship can beat out Chase McLaughlin, he could become a crucial part of the Colts roster and potentially ensure the door closes on Adam Vinatieri.
The Colts have solid depth throughout the roster so rookie impacts won’t be seen as often, but there are still a few first-year players who could crack the starting lineup.