The Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason knowing they had to get more explosive weapons in the wide receiver room if they truly wanted their offense to bounce back from the rough showing in 2019.
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While they passed on adding a body to the room in free agency, they zeroed-in on the prospect they wanted the entire offseason in the 2020 NFL Draft. That turned into them selecting Michael Pittman Jr. with the No. 34 pick, adding him to a promising group of wide receivers.
There is still a lot to prove in the room though, and Pro Football Focus ranked the wide receiver corps at No. 22 in the NFL.
The Colts’ cast of pass-catching options was ugly last season. T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell all dealt with injuries, and that thrust Zach Pascal into the WR1 role at times. To be fair, Pascal played well in that role (73.7 overall grade in 2019), but now Hilton and Campbell return healthy and Michael Pittman Jr. is set to be added into the mix. Pittman is someone who should have a big immediate impact on this offense — he is one of the best underneath route-runners in this class and boasts sure hands (five drops on 176 career catchable passes in college). This is a group that still has a lot to prove, but it’s one that shows promise.
A big component of the Colts’ wide receiver room in 2020 will be their health. The group was decimated by injuries in 2019 and they are hoping for better fortunes in that area.
But with Hilton leading the way as the Z/flanker, the group boasts a lot of promise. Pittman Jr. falls into the X-receiver role working primarily on the boundary. Philip Rivers should target him both underneath and down the field, allowing the rookie to prove his worth as a contested-catch option.
There will be an intriguing battle for WR3 between Campbell and Pascal. While Campbell might boast a better skillset, Pascal emerged as a strong and reliable option when the Colts needed it most. Most of Pascal’s work came out wide while Campbell projects to the slot for the most part.
The depth in the room will be interesting as well. Depending on how many wide receivers they keep, the final one or two spots will be determined between Daurice Fountain, Marcus Johnson, Ashton Dulin and sixth-round pick Dezmon Patmon.
The group has a lot of versatility and upside and while the addition of Rivers should help with production, the room also has to do its part in getting the offense to be more explosive again.
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