Everything Indianapolis Colts fans need to know heading into the 2020 NFL Draft
Everything Indianapolis Colts fans need to know heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.
VITALS
Head Coach: Frank Reich
General Manager: Chris Ballard
2019 Record: 7-9
2020 DRAFT PICKS
2 (34)
2 (44)
3 (75)
4 (122)
5 (160)
6 (185)
6 (193)
6 (211)
TEAM NEEDS
Wide Receiver
The Colts need to find another weapon to go along with TY Hilton. The currently deploy a duo of Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal but could definitely upgrade the position in the upcoming draft with a deep class. Justin Jefferson would be a solid addition and would likely man an immediate impact for Phillip Rivers and the new look Colts offense.
Quarterback
Despite adding Phillip Rivers in free agency, the Colts are still looking for their quarterback of the future following the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck last year. Rivers provides an upgrade at the position now but they need their future. Jordan Love was a name that could intrigue the Colts. If he were to fall into round two, Indy would be a good spot for him to sit and learn.
Defensive Line
This team needs to improve on the defensive side of the ball, more importantly on the front four. They added DeForest Buckner via trade but they still need depth inside and an edge rusher. The draft isn’t full a top talent but they can find a young talent to develop. Boise State’s Curtis Weaver could be one to keep an eye on.
If the Houston Texans are looking for help off the edge, Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver could be an option in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Houston Texans need to address their pass rush, and there are still opportunities to bolster the unit in the 2020 NFL Draft class.
According to Pro Football Focus, one of their 10 prospects who won’t get picked high enough is Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver. The 6-3, 265-pound edge defender would provide the Texans with a younger rusher and someone to bridge the gap when outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus starts to get blocked by Father Time.
This fall is perhaps the most undeserving of any of the prospects’ plunges. The biggest concern with Weaver was his athleticism, but he helped ease that concern with his great three-cone at the NFL Scouting Combine. His production has been off the charts the past two seasons, posting pass-rush grades above 92.0 in both years that combine to form a two-year grade ranking behind only Chase Young. His pass-rush win rate is actually over three percentage points higher than any other edge defender. Weaver’s power off the edge makes his lack of overall burst not that big of a deal. Sure, there’s some risk with that, but he shouldn’t be falling down to the third round as many suggest.
The Texans have the 90th overall pick in the third round. If Weaver falls that low, he should be worth the consideration.
Houston finished the 2019 season tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 31. While some of that was due to the fact that defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle in Week 8 and did not return until the wild-card playoff game versus the Buffalo Bills, the fact of the matter is the pass rush has lost a bit of its bite since Jadeveon Clowney was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 31, 2019.
Adding Weaver would give new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver another young pass rusher to work into the rotation along with outside linebacker Jacob Martin and defensive end Charles Omenihu.
More than ever, it’s important for defenses to bring pressure. Here are the best edge-rushers in the 2020 draft class.
The argument over which defensive asset — coverage or pass rush — is more important in the modern NFL is a fascinating one. One could say that in an era where a lot of teams are playing more than 75% of their snaps with at least five defensive backs on the field at all times, and others double down with at least six on more than 40% of their snaps, coverage is obviously the superior factor.
One could also say that with so many defensive backs on the field against three- and four-receiver base sets, getting a pass rush going with four defensive linemen and a handful of smart blitzers is the order of the day. After all, it doesn’t matter how many defensive backs you have on the field and how good they are — if they have to cover their receivers for five seconds because your pass-rushers can’t get home, your defense is in big trouble.
In the 2020 draft class, there are all kinds of edge-rushers with all kinds of responsibilities. Here are the 11 best as we see them.
Bio: Young started high school as an undersized quarterback, switching to defensive end and tight end once he saw a growth spurt. By his senior season, he’d earned Washington Post Defensive Player of the Year honors with 118 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and five forced fumbles. Offers came from just about every major program in the country, but after a flirtation with Maryland, he chose Ohio State, following in the footsteps of Joey and Nick Bosa as top-shelf Buckeye edge-rushers. He put up 98 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, and 30.5 sacks in three seasons at Ohio State, though there were some concerns about the three-game sackless streak at the end of his collegiate career against Michigan, Wisconsin, and Clemson, Young had a ready answer for that at the scouting combine.
“I had a lot of quarterback hits, a lot of pressures. If you understand football, you would see that. You’ll see how they changed their whole offensive game plan for one guy. A lot of people might not know how to really study a tape or may not know how to watch football, but if you know football, I made an impact in those games.
“Being the best defensive end isn’t about sacks, it’s about being the most disruptive player on the field. You can do that without having a sack.”
Chase Young this week on the three-sack drought: "Being the best defensive end isn't about sacks, it's about being the most disruptive player on the field. You can do that without having a sack… I had a lot of quarterback hits, a lot of pressures."
I mean, here's Young absolutely stopping a Trevor Lawrence passing attempt were it not for the entire right side of the defense getting lost in the weeds. So, let's please stop focusing on sack numbers as the be-all, end-all. pic.twitter.com/bJH4g8LkWs
As I wrote during the combine, Young was absolutely correct about this. He was a top disruptor throughout the entire season, and he projects to be the same type of weapon at the NFL level very quickly.
Stat to Know: Young recorded a preposterous 75 total pressures in 2018, and while his opportunities were relatively limited in 2019, he still had 56 pressures in just 320 pass-rushing snaps (as opposed to 470 the year before).
Strengths: True field-flipping defender who forces opposing offenses to design their game plans around avoiding him. Has ideal first-step quickness to set tackles on edge and prime wins through the arc to the pocket. Turns the corner to the pocket with excellent bend and power. Strong enough to disable blockers when he gets his hands into their chests. Maintains his speed through the pocket to work mobile quarterbacks. Has a nice array of moves from bull-rush to swim and club/rip that can be developed more specifically at the NFL level. Sorts and sifts through multiple blockers to get where he wants to go. Spies the quarterback through the snap and has an innate sense of how to create pressure from broken plays. Adept enough with his feet to do a decent job in short coverage. Works gaps more than he uses a true inside counter, but has the tools to make it work.
Weaknesses: Young needs a more complete plan when he heads wide and gets beaten. Inside counter isn’t developed as it needs to be. Needs better awareness for run plays, zone reads, and misdirection when he’s pinning his ears back. Redirection reaction can be a problem at times, though the recovery speed is obviously there. Wins more on pure athleticism and power than advanced traits, though he’s well on his way.
Conclusion: The question of whether Yonng is the best and/or most valuable defensive player in this draft class is a fascinating one, and probably highly reliant on whether you think pressure or coverage is more important at the NFL level. There are those who might prefer cornerback Jeff Okudah, Young’s Ohio State teammate, because Okudah brings a lockdown man-coverage mentality that’s as worthy of franchise consideration as any non-quarterback skill set. But if you’re looking for an edge defender with an obvious and easily transferable ability to terrorize quarterbacks at the NFL level, look no further. Young is a different player than either of the Bosa brothers, but he certainly looks to have the same type of potential.
NFL Comparison: Aldon Smith. Smith was an absolute force as a pass-rusher before off-field issues unfortunately wrecked his athletic potential. But when Smith was on his game, he had the same combination of size, explosive speed, and unusual power that allowed him to total 33.5 sacks in 2011 and 2012 — the most for any NFL player in his first two seasons since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. Young absolutely has the ability to make the same kind of impact, and has All-Pro potential especially if he cleans up a few non-pass rush issues that will make him a more complete player.
Pro Football Focus writes that Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver falling to them at No. 54 would be the best-case scenario for the Bills.
The NFL Draft is fewer than two weeks away. Teams are in the initial phases for finalizing their draft boards. In addition, front offices are running various scenarios to help prepare for anything that may come their way on draft night.
Teams quietly have their ideal draft situations squared away. Pro Football Focus examined the ideal scenario for every team as the rookie selection process inches closer and closer. For the Bills, PFF argues that their ideal situation will help further develop a team strength.
Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver falling to them at No. 54 would be the best-case scenario for the Bills, according to the analytics outlet:
With Shaq Lawson’s departure in free agency and Lorenzo Alexander’s retirement, Buffalo has to beef up its pass-rush unit. And 32-year-old Mario Addison, whom they signed to a three-year, $30 million deal, isn’t going to be enough. Boise State edge rusher Curtis Weaver has had incredible production the past two years, posting back-to-back elite pass-rush grades and a combined win rate over three percentage points higher than anyone else.
Weaver recorded 34 sacks in three seasons for the Broncos. He added 128 total tackles and two interceptions to his career stat line as well.
In Weaver, the defender would fit in as part of a rotational player at the edge position. Buffalo has aging veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison as starters, while Trent Murphy is playing out the final season of his contract. Weaver is a versatile player that showed an ability to play with his hand in the dirt and off tackle. However, he’d be a defensive end for the Bills.
Weaver was the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, racking up 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks last season. In terms of run vs. pass defending, he’s more of a proven run defender.
Couldn't stop laughing after this Curtis Weaver sack celebration… A. I want some cereal or ice cream too.. B. DeAndre needed his fill too! pic.twitter.com/yH0QJXfkHf
10 players the Philadelphia Eagles could target in round-2 of the 2020 NFL Draft
[jwplayer 25TEMUeW]
The NFL draft is now just under two weeks away and although the intrigue has been about what the Eagles will do with their first-round pick, there’s plenty of drama surrounding the second-round as well.
The Eagles will again have pick No. 53 and if Howie Roseman chooses to stand pat, there are a number of intriguing options, including a bevy of talented wide receivers.
The Eagles could choose to go cornerback, safety or linebacker with the pick as well.
We’ve provided a list of ten players the Birds could target in round two of the 2020 NFL Draft.
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Chase Claypool — Notre DameMandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
1. Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
Considered a second- or third-round pick before the 2020 NFL Combine, Claypool brought back visions of Calvin Johnson with his movements.
.@NDFootball WR Chase Claypool runs a 4.42 official 40-yard dash!
He joins @CalvinJohnsonjr as the only wideout 6’4” & 235 pounds or bigger to run a sub-4.45.
At 6-4, 240-pounds with the ability to line up as a tight end, Claypool may have given coaches pause about a position change after he ran a 4.42, making him the first receiver over 230 pounds to run sub-4.45 since Calvin Johnson in 2007.
Claypool is strong, can jump out the gym and could be an option for the Eagles if they move on from Alshon Jeffery.
Jets Wire takes a look four edge rushers the Jets could potentially target in the later rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.
It’s safe to assume the Jets won’t be in the market for an edge rusher with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but that does not mean Joe Douglas and company will not look to address the position later on in the draft.
New York has lacked an elite pass rusher since the days of John Abraham. This year’s draft class is not exactly stacked with pass rushers as it has been in the past, but there are still plenty of solid players available for the taking.
So, who could the Jets target in the later rounds of the draft? Let’s take a look.
Curtis Weaver, Boise State
Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images
Curtis Weaver is the kind of player Joe Douglas would love to have on his team.
Billed as a high character workhorse with an endless motor, Weaver has all of the intangibles Douglas is looking for as he reshapes the Jets’ roster. Factor in his elite levels of production (52 tackles, 13.5 sacks) and you have a player New York could select as early as the third round.
Here are six defensive end/edge rushers for Bills to consider in the second round of the NFL Draft.
The Buffalo Bills first scheduled draft selection won’t occur until Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft, as the team picks No. 54 overall.
Luckily, the Bills do not have a glaring need on their roster, making this year’s draft quite intriguing. Buffalo’s front office, led by general manager Brandon Beane, can go in a multitude of directions with the pick, leaving quite a bit of interest and uncertainty with whom the Bills could select.
This is the third piece in a series exploring realistic options who could be on the draft board when the Bills pick in the second round.
Here are seven defensive ends who could be an option for the Bills in the second round of the draft:
Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Current roster
The Bills addressed this position by bringing in Mario Addison and the versatile Quinton Jefferson in free agency, who could play up and down their defensive line, perhaps more at the 3-tech defensive lineman spot.. However, the unit could benefit from an infusion of youth, particularly a player who can get after the quarterback.
Buffalo’s defensive ends are getting a bit long in the tooth, with as Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison who are currently 31 and 32 years old, respectively. In addition, Trent Murphy enters the final year of his contract this year, and he’s 29 himself.
Thus, it’s realistic that the team could use their first pick this year on an edge rusher in order to both prepare for the future along with adding another piece of talent in Buffalo’s rotation at the position.
Without a first-round pick, the Buffalo Bills will make waiting awhile to make a selection at the 2020 NFL Draft.
Without a first-round pick, the Buffalo Bills will make waiting awhile to make a selection at the 2020 NFL Draft.
After digging through 53 picks, Draft Wire finally sends a pick to Buffalo in their latest mock draft, and with their top pick, the Bills land a defensive end, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver.
In Weaver, the Bills would land a versatile player that showed an ability to play with his hand in the dirt and off tackle. However, he’d be a defensive end for the Bills. He was the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, racking up 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Weaver also had an interception.
In terms of run vs. pass defending, he’s more of a proven run defender. Weaver would join the likes of Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison along the Bills’ defensive end position group. Those two will lead the way, but the Bills could use a young prospect in that group since both of those guys are already over 30.
Following up Weaver, the Bills then add a running back in the mock draft, Utah’s Zach Moss at the No. 86 overall pick.
At 5-foot-10 and 224 pounds, Moss would provide the bigger complement to Devin Singletary in Buffalo’s backfield. His running style echos that as Moss is more of a power rusher instead of a home run threat. Moss only put up a 4.65 40-yard dash time, but did have 19 reps on the bench press.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Boise State edge defender prospect Curtis Weaver
You can never have too many dynamic pass rushers in today’s NFL, especially versatile ones who can get after opposing quarterbacks, set the edge against the run, and drop back into coverage.
Boise State’s Curtis Weaver checks all of those boxes.
One of the most productive and complete edge defenders in the 2020 NFL draft class, Weaver recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, how his time at Boise State prepared him for what’s next, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You’re the Mountain West’s all-time sack leader with 34 career sacks. How do you look back on that?
CW: I’m blessed. That’s really all I can think of at this moment. I always thought about that through it all. I was blessed with the talent to make that happen.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
CW: It was a great experience. It was a blessing and I’m very thankful for it. Everybody knows that it’s just a very small percentage of college football players that actually get to go to the combine. At the end of the day, you don’t think about that in the moment. I was just thankful for it. I enjoyed spending time around the other players. There’s so many great players going through this process. I was there to compete at the end of the day. We all had such a great time. Nobody was disrespectful, nobody was big-timing people. It was a great experience.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
CW: I think I impressed everybody out there. I know that teams thought I was a little chubby back in high school. That was a big thing for me. I focused on fixing my body. I don’t have a six-pack, but I definitely trimmed down some of the fat (laughs). That’s what NFL teams wanted to see from me. They thought I was looking good. I showed them that I can move laterally. That was big for me. I move well for my size. I moved laterally with the linebackers. I was moving just as good as those guys. That’s what I wanted to show them out there.
JM: Did you have many formal or informal interviews at the combine?
CW: Yeah, I had about 20 formal meetings. If it wasn’t 20, it was at least 17.
JM: Do you recall any of the teams that you met with formally?
CW: I met with so many teams. I met with the Cowboys and the Giants on the first day. A lot of teams showed some interest in me. I know a couple of guys that had like 28 formal interviews. I didn’t even get the chance to do any formals on the last day. We were just so busy. I was upstairs the whole time.
JM: Do you have any private visits or workouts coming up, or is everything scheduled to go down after the pro day?
CW: Everything is supposed to go down after the pro day. That’s the plan right now.
Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Who are you scheduled to visit or workout for?
CW: I have the Bears, Cardinals, Browns, Falcons, Steelers and Cowboys. We’re definitely gonna be busy over these next couple of weeks. My agent has the full list. I’m just the guy that gets on the plane and goes where I’m told to go (laughs).
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
CW: I didn’t get any weird questions. I spoke to a few guys who definitely had some awkward moments (laughs). Everything was pretty straight forward for me. There may have been a few tricky questions that were difficult to answer, but I didn’t have anything that I would classify as weird or strange. Everything was pretty mellow. I wasn’t upset with anything. It was just straight forward. If they wanted to question me on something from my past, we discussed it openly. Everything was great.
JM: How would you describe your pass rush arsenal?
CW: I have one of the best arsenals of pass rush moves in this class. What limits me a little bit right now is that I don’t have a good bull rush. There’s a lot of guys with the bull rush. I’m working on that as we speak. I would love to add that into my arsenal. That would really increase my potential. It would make my opponent really have to respect everything else that I do. I’m a big speed guy. I’m not really a finesse guy. I can reach places that others can’t. I can turn and contort my body in ways that a lot of pass rushers can’t. Having double-jointed elbows helps (laughs). That’s a big thing for me.
I’m always looking to expand my pass rush arsenal. I’m working with DeMarcus Lawrence out in Dallas right now. He went to Boise State as well. He’s really gonna start helping me before my Pro Day. We’re gonna get some work in and learn some new moves. I’m gonna perfect those. I’m excited about it. He’s one of the best pass rushers in the NFL right now. You always wanna pick the brain of a successful pass rusher.
JM: What’s one move that you would love to learn from DeMarcus Lawrence?
CW: I would probably say the cross-chop, the euro-step cross-chop. That’s a big move in the NFL right now. The guys that have it in their arsenal have downright perfected it. It’s one of those moves you have to learn. DeMarcus Lawrence already has it.
(AP Photo/Eli Lucero)
JM: What would you say is your go-to move?
CW: The speed is always my go-to. What I do there is a secret (laughs). I can’t tell you that. Speed is definitely the go-to at the end of the day.
JM: How do you switch it up and keep the tackle guessing?
CW: The bull rush helped me sometimes, even though I’m still developing that, as I said earlier. My stance and positioning can definitely be used to trick an offensive tackle. I dropped a lot in coverage during the season. Looking like I was gonna blitz when I’m actually dropping back definitely keeps them on their toes. It definitely made them question the look they were getting. That was big. I definitely use every move in my arsenal at some point throughout a game. You have to switch it up. There’s so much you can do with your speed and get-off. It’s all about playing off of that and mixing it up.
JM: Who are some of the best offensive tackles you’ve ever gone up against?
CW: I’m not very good with names. T.J. Storm from Colorado State, I believe he just committed to TCU as a grad-transfer, but don’t quote me on that. I think I read that somewhere. He showed me a lot of different patterns throughout a game. He wasn’t a one-dimensional guy. He mixed it up a lot.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
CW: I talk a lot during a game. That’s just how I am. I’m a big trash talker. My competitiveness is always running hot. I love trash talking. I just try to consistently win my match-up. That really demoralizes people. Losing that one-on-one battle repeatedly is demoralizing. You get tired of losing. That goes for everybody. Nobody likes to lose, especially a one-on-one battle. Winning that rep consistently is how I demoralize you. Winning a key rep in the fourth quarter can be huge. At the end of the day, the first three quarters don’t matter if you’re in a close game in the fourth quarter. It’s all about what happens from there on out at that point. That’s the position you wanna be in.
(Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
JM: How did practicing and preparing alongside Ezra Cleveland make you a better player? I imagine you guys had some great battles in practice.
CW: Yeah, we definitely grew up together. We all grew up at Boise State. We were just kids when we got there. We paid our dues against the older guys. We learned from them. We were those young guys who didn’t know what we were doing. We weren’t those All-Americans that came in with a polished skill-set. We had to work hard. We had to learn from the older guys. When it was our time to lead, we lead by example. We wanted to show that fire. Ezra and I were always competitive in the weight room. We went hard during fall camp when we had those reps against one another. We always talked outside of football and we’ll continue to do so. We’re friends. That’s a big thing. A lot of guys are just friends in football. Ezra and I are friends outside of football.
We spent four years together. We knew what we were getting into. That helped us a lot. We changed it up. We tried to make the program a better place for the future generations. We tried new things in practice. We learned from one another. That’s the most important thing.
JM: When a team uses a draft pick on Curtis Weaver, what kind of guy are they getting?
CW: They’re getting a competitor, first and foremost. I play with a lot of passion. I’m a very passionate person in general. At the same time, I’m never gonna be a distraction. I won’t be a distraction. I’m gonna do everything for the team. At the end of the day, we all wanna win the Super Bowl.
In my latest mock draft for the Baltimore Ravens, I pick the top-rated option at positions of need in the 2020 NFL Draft
The first big wave of free agency is over in the NFL. Teams have picked over the top options available to them and a bunch of trades have taken place to fill immediate needs. While there will be plenty of more signings to happen between now and the 2020 NFL Draft, it isn’t likely to really affect how most teams are going to pick.
That’s certainly the case for the Baltimore Ravens, who have used free agency and trades to revamp their defensive line but haven’t addressed any of their other needs thus far. That gives us a really good idea of what Baltimore will be targeting once they’re on the clock in the first three rounds.
With that in mind, I went to NFL Mock Draft Database and used their mock draft simulator to see what options might be available for the Ravens come draft day. In this mock draft, I went with the best option remaining on their big board at outside linebacker, inside linebacker and wide receiver regardless of who else was available or where I might have them rated personally. It led to a bunch of really great picks that fit well but also some head-scratching picks too.
Let’s take a look at which prospects I was handed and do some quick analysis on them.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
1st round (No. 28): LB Patrick Queen, LSU
One of Baltimore’s biggest remaining needs is at inside linebacker. Though the Ravens are back in talks with Patrick Onwuasor to potentially return, they’ll need to find a long-term option in the middle of their defense. With how little Baltimore uses their base package, finding a rangy inside linebacker who can cover and still stuff the run is pretty important unless the Ravens want to rotate guys in and out to fill the role.
Queen is that guy and getting him at the end of the first round is one of Baltimore’s best scenarios. Queen is a smart player with good instincts and can lead, which is something Onwuasor struggled with last season, leading to his demotion from the starting role. While not the biggest linebacker in the world, the Ravens boosting the beef in the trenches should allow him to use his speed and agility to scrape around and make plays all over the field.
Queen is an immediate starter in Baltimore and could very well be one of the final pieces of a historically good defense.
