Every Indianapolis Colts fan knows that general manager Chris Ballard loves his draft picks.
“The more picks you have, the more darts you have to throw at the board.” Every year but his first (2017), Ballard has made at least eight selections in his drafts with the Colts.
Usually the first question asked when a rookie is selected is “will he make an impact?” In most cases, some make big splashes like Darius Leonard and Quenton Nelson. Others take time like Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Walker.
For the rookie impact meter it will be based off a scale of 1-10. 1-3 being fringe roster player/developmenal piece, 4-6 rotational player/core special teamer, 7-10 will be from starter to key player to superstar.
Let’s take a look at how much of an impact I think these rookies will make in their first season:
Michael Pittman Jr. | WR | Round 2, Pick 34
The first of nine selections by the Colts in 2020, Pittman is the son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman and while he is a wide receiver, he plays a lot like his dad did while he was in the NFL.
Pittman is a 6-foot-4 receiver from USC, and during his senior season he flashed his potential. USC dealt with a constant change at QB, but that didn’t impact Pittman negatively. His senior season he had 101 catches, 1,275 yards, and 11 touchdowns, a major spike from his three previous seasons.
As most Colts fans know, Philip Rivers loves his big-body wide receiver, ones with a big catch radius, and Pittman supplies that. With Pittman being a second-round pick, and with the lack of depth and talent at reciever, Frank Reich and company should be able to get Pittman on the field early and often as a rookie, and he should be instant impact right away.
Impact Rating: 7