Though the Indianapolis Colts have a deep roster, they still got some strong production from their rookie class in 2020.
As the early picks produced at a promising level, the Colts also got some production from their late-round picks, especially on special teams. With that, Pro Football Focus ranked the production of each rookie class in 2020.
Indy came in second just behind the Cincinnati Bengals.
2. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Why they’re ranked here: The Colts might not have had a first-round pick to play with, but they still managed to rank in the top three when it came to WAR generated by non-quarterbacks taken within the first three rounds.
How their top pick fared: Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (No. 34 overall) was lethal on horizontal routes for Indianapolis in the regular season, ranking first in the NFL in yards per target (11.8) and second in yards after the catch per reception (7.5) on those routes. Still, Pittman was generally uninspiring on a per-game basis, averaging just 1.37 yards per route (71st of 99 qualifying wide receivers).
Best value pick: Julian Blackmon (No. 85 overall) flipped to safety during his final season at Utah after a few underwhelming years at outside corner, and the move really elevated his play. He recorded an 89.6 PFF grade in that final year while playing predominantly deep safety for the Utes, and he carried some of that success early into Year 1 in the NFL. Through the first 11 weeks of his pro career, Blackmon was the highest-graded rookie in the league by over nine grading points (73.0). Things went downhill for him the rest of the year, though, as he posted a 46.0 PFF grade from Week 12 through the end of the regular season.
The combination of Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor helped the Colts be much more explosive. Philip Rivers had a big say in that but the rookies flashed plenty of promise.
Blackmon had a rough second half but showed during the first half he has what it takes to be an above average starter at safety while sixth-round picks Isaiah Rodgers and Jordan Glasgow made massive impacts on special teams.
There are some question marks with this group like Jacob Eason but the majority of the class should be a part of the foundation for years to come.
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