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The Indianapolis Colts selected USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, adding a wonderful fit to the wide receiver room.
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Quick Hits
- Pittman Jr. had 101 catches for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019 for USC.
- He’s a perfect fit in the X-receiver role for the Colts working on the boundary. He wins with length, physicality and contested-catch ability.
- He was Draft Wire’s No. 9 ranked wide receiver in the draft.
- Recorded the lowest drop rate in the class among wide receivers.
- Team captain in 2019.
Fit with the Colts
The Colts had a massive need at wide receiver entering the draft and even though they had plenty of options and likely offers to move back, they decided to use their pick on the 6-foot-4 prospect. Pittman Jr. will fit in perfectly in the locker room as he was a team captain and comes from NFL bloodlines.
Pittman Jr. is best used on the boundary as an X-receiver. He best the press regularly and while he doesn’t win with burning speed, he’s physical, lengthy and wins at the catch point. He’s the perfect type of wide receiver to work underneath and vertically in Frank Reich’s offense and for Philip Rivers.
With T.Y. Hilton etched in as the WR1, Pittman Jr. will compete for the complementary role as WR2 with Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell.
Conclusion
There was a chance the Colts were going to trade out and even potentially select a different prospect. But Pittman Jr. was their consensus selection all along. This is a wonderful fit schematically and in the locker room for Indy.