Tag: Indianapolis Colts

NFL Draft Rumor: Colts ‘making calls’ about potentially trading up

In a recent article from Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN, it is mentioned that the Colts are ‘making calls’ about potentially trading up.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire? There are more pre-draft rumblings about the Colts looking to trade up in the first round.

On Tuesday, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah mentioned that he heard that the Colts were potentially looking to trade up for cornerback Quinton Mitchell.

Now, Dan Graziano of ESPN mentioned in his recent NFL intel article with Jeremy Fowler that the Colts are among a few teams making calls to potentially trade up. Other teams doing the same are Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here is what Graziano had to say:

“For the Colts and Jaguars, the target would most likely be a cornerback, which might be interesting to a team like Chicago at No. 9 or Denver at No. 12. Having two division rivals battling it out to trade up for the same guy (maybe Alabama’s Terrion Arnold?) could drive up the price.”

With a focus on the cornerback position, the Colts are either eyeing Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell or Alabama’s Terrion Arnold at this stage of the draft.

According to ESPN analytics, Mitchell has a roughly 30 percent chance to be available at pick 15, and Arnold has a 55 percent chance. ESPN’s data suggests that Arnold is the most likely pick for the Colts at 15th overall if they were to stay put.

Graziano mentions the Bears at pick 9 and the Broncos at pick 12 as two teams who could look to move down.

If the Colts were to jump to pick 9, using the Rich Hill trade value chart as our guide, they would have to potentially give up picks 14, 46, and 117 in return for pick nine and the Bears’ third-rounder.

If the Colts were to make a trade with Denver, they could have to part with picks 117 and 191.

“I think it would depend,” said GM Chris Ballard this past Friday on trading up. “There would have to be someone within striking distance we felt was really unique and a difference-maker for us.”

Cornerback is the biggest need that the Colts have to address in this year’s draft. This was a young position group last season that experienced ups and downs, with too many big plays being surrendered and not enough plays on the football being made.

Ballard recently discussed the optimism that he has for this young position group, mentioning that JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones were no longer rookies and that getting Dallis Flowers back will be important.

However, those are unknowns and not certainties, which makes cornerback an upgradeable position for the Colts.

NFL Draft Rumor: ‘Don’t sleep on Colts moving up for Quinyon Mitchell’

NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is hearing rumblings that the Colts could be interested in moving up for CB Quinyon Mitchell.

Some rumblings that NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is hearing with the draft now just a day away is that the Colts could be a team looking to trade up for Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

Here is what Jeremiah had to say about this while on Twitter Spaces with Tom Pelissero:

“The latest stuff I had heard this evening was don’t sleep on the Colts moving up for Quinyon Mitchell. That they were a Quinyon Mitchell team. So I had already turned in my mock draft so I did not have that, but that’s some of the intel that came in this (Tuesday) evening.”

If Mitchell were to make it to pick 15, the Colts selecting him would be a no-brainer decision. However, as this pre-draft process has continued to unfold and Mitchell’s stock continues to rise, the big question going into Round 1 is whether he would make it that far.

According to ESPN analytics, there is only about a 30 percent chance that Mitchell falls to pick 15. The sweet spot, so to speak, when he has the highest chance to come off the board is in the 11 to 13 range.

Using the Rich Hill trade value chart as our guide, if the Colts were to move up to pick 11, for example, they may have to part with their third-round pick. If the Colts moved up to pick 13, they could have to trade away their fourth-round selection.

“I think it would depend,” said Ballard about trading up when meeting with reporters last week. “There would have to be someone within striking distance we felt was really unique and a difference-maker for us.”

Cornerback needs to be a top priority for the Colts early in this draft. The Colts relied heavily on rookies in 2023, and with that, experienced very up and down play from this position group. Overall, the Colts’ secondary surrendered way too many explosive plays and didn’t have enough on-ball production.

At his pre-draft press conference, GM Chris Ballard was optimistic about improved play from this unit in 2024, saying that Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents were no longer rookies and that getting Dallis Flowers back would be important.

However, with that said, banking on that happening comes with obvious risks.

The addition of Mitchell to this group would provide an immediate upgrade. He has good size and terrific athleticism. Mitchell can handle both man and zone coverage schemes; he brings physicality to the position and has had excellent ball production at Toledo.

Colts 2024 NFL Draft: Albert Breer paying attention to CB Terrion Arnold

Of interest to the Colts who need to address the cornerback position, SI’s Albert Breer has his eyes on Terrion Arnold heading into the draft.

Just two days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared his NFL draft notes, filled with nuggets of information that he’s hearing.

Although nothing specific was mentioned about the Colts, he did discuss Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, a popular pick for the cornerback-needy Colts in many mock drafts and the current clubhouse leader to be selected at pick 15 by ESPN analytics.

Here is what Breer had to say about Arnold:

“I always pay attention to who Nick Saban’s favorite player is each year, when he’s discussing his prospects with teams. Last year, it was Brian Branch. And he worked out well for the Detroit Lions. This year? It’s Terrion Arnold, who really had to work to becoming what he is now as perhaps the top corner in this year’s draft.”

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Brian Branch wasn’t taken by the Detroit Lions until the 45th pick in last year’s draft, despite being considered by many one of the top safety prospects.

In his rookie season, playing primarily from the slot, Branch allowed fewer than 10 yards per catch, totaled 11 pass breakups with three interceptions, and ranked seventh in run defense grade.

If the Colts were to select Arnold, they would be hoping for a similar impact early on.

Arnold had excellent ball production last season – something that this Colts secondary needs more of – recording five interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He held opponents to under 11.0 yards per catch, and opposing quarterbacks had a completion rate of only 52 percent.

Arnold was also one of PFF’s highest-graded run defenders at cornerback, along with being a capable tackler.

Relying heavily on several rookies in the secondary last season, the Colts experienced very up-and-down play, resulting in too many explosive plays surrendered and not enough plays on the football being made.

Recently, GM Chris Ballard discussed that these young players are no longer rookies and that improvement is expected in 2024. However, there are obvious risks associated with banking on that happening, which is why cornerback is one of the bigger needs for this team.

Kenny Moore will be in the slot, and JuJu Brents on the boundary, but the spot across from him will be up for grabs, with Dallis Flowers and Jaylon Jones presumably as the front-runners–unless a player like Arnold is added to the mix.

Colts get Iowa DB Cooper DeJean in Rob Rang’s final mock draft

In Rob Rang’s final 2024 mock draft, he has the Colts selecting Iowa DB Cooper DeJean in the first round. Here is a breakdown of that pick.

With the 2024 NFL Draft almost here, we will be reviewing and breaking down the first-round predictions for the Indianapolis Colts in final 2024 mock drafts from a few of the most prominent analysts in the business:

Mock draft: Rob Rang – Fox Sports

Pick at 15th overall: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

What Rang had to say: “There are always a few surprises on draft day, and if DeJean were to be the first defensive back off the board this year, that would qualify as a mild upset — at least from a media perspective. Of course, general manager Chris Ballard pulled off a similar shocker at No. 4 overall last year with the selection of quarterback Anthony Richardson. In reality, DeJean is highly regarded by NFL teams, offering a rare combination of size, agility, steady open-field tackling and ball-hawking skills to project as a future Pro Bowler.”

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Colts Wire’s breakdown: It’s been tough to get a gauge on where DeJean is going to be selected. He’s typically been taken anywhere from the Colts at pick 15 to the Packers at pick 25. But nonetheless, DeJean and his versatility would help fill a number of question marks that the Colts have in the secondary. Most of his snaps at Iowa came on the boundary, but he can play safety – where the Colts also have a need – or be a backup option behind Kenny Moore in the slot. DeJean has been a sound tackler and has had good ball production, along with being a dynamic return man at Iowa as well.

Positional need: At a minimum, the Colts need competition for that starting boundary cornerback spot across from JuJu Brents. Ideally, that position can be upgraded through the draft. Last season, while relying on several young players, the Colts’ secondary ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in explosive pass plays given up and in the bottom third in yards per pass attempt allowed and pass breakups. In short, more ball production and fewer big plays are needed.

Player Info

Height: 6-0
Weight: 202
Age: 21
40-yard dash: 4.44
Vertical leap: 38.5″
Broad jump: 10-4
Three-cone: DNP
Short shuttle: DNP
Bench press: DNP
RAS: 9.85
Pre-draft visit: No
Senior Bowl: No

Consensus big board rank: 20

Draft profile from Lance Zierlein: “Highly competitive defensive back with plus ball skills and noteworthy special teams value. DeJean is big and bundled for a cornerback, with muscular arms and tight hips. He has fantastic interception production, but his movements are more linear than fluid, and he doesn’t have the easy change of direction needed in man coverage on the next level. His best football is played with his eyes forward, using his instincts to challenge quarterbacks and his big downhill burst to smack whatever needs smacking. He would seem to be a no-brainer as a punt returner and gunner in Year 1. DeJean should be a big athletic tester, which will help get the hype train going, but finding the proper schematic fit will be important in unlocking his best football as a zone corner or interchangeable safety.”

Colts with reported ‘interest’ in Louisville OT Willie Tyler

The Colts are one of several teams with reported ‘interest’ in Louisville offensive tackle Willie Tyler. Here is what you need to know.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of several teams who have shown ‘interest’ in Louisville offensive tackle Willie Tyler, according to Aaron Wilson.

Along with the Colts, other teams that were mentioned include the Giants, 49ers, Jets, and Raiders.

Tyler measures in at 6-6 and weights 310 pounds. He did not test all that well, recording a Relative Athletic Score of just 3.26, which included a 5.22 second 40.

Tyler’s RAS alone would make him at outlier for GM Chris Ballard, who has had only three prospects in the last two drafts score below 9.0, with the lowest RAS being 8.48.

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Tyler played 2,124 snaps in his career. His first season in 2021 was spent at Louisiana Monroe, 2022 was with Rutgers, and this past season at Louisville. All of his snaps have come as a left tackle.

This past season, Tyler allowed seven sacks and 26 pressures. He ranked 169th in pass-blocking efficiency and 126th in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

With only four offensive tackles currently on the Colts’ roster, from a pure depth perspective for training camp and the preseason, they are going to have to add more players to the mix.

During his pre-draft press conference, Ballard discussed the depth of the offensive line class and mentioned being able to find ‘really good’ players in the middle rounds and even later than that.

“I think there’s a few positions that’s got some real depth,” said Ballard Friday at his pre-draft press conference. “Like the O-line in this draft is excellent and there’s depth throughout. I truly believe you’re going to get a really good player in those mid-rounds and even some later because of the depth of the group.

Tyler is the 69th-ranked tackle on Dane Brugler’s big board and will likely go undrafted, signing somewhere afterward.

Colts hold private meeting with UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy

The Colts were reportedly one of several teams to hold a private meeting with UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy. Here is what you need to know.

The Indianapolis Colts were one of several teams to reportedly host a private meeting with UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy, according to Aaron Wilson.

Along with the Colts, Houston, Cincinnati, and New England also held private meetings while Murphy visited Minnesota.

Murphy is a bit undersized at 6-2, 247 pounds, but is a very good athlete. He recorded an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.28, with a 40-time of 4.68 seconds, along with elite vertical and broad jump numbers.

Murphy’s size may not deter the Colts, but it is also worth noting that he has arms under 31 inches, which could impact where he falls on Chris Ballard’s big board.

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Murphy played 2,106 career defensive snaps over five seasons, the last two of which have come at UCLA. During that span, he recorded 104 total pressures and 10 sacks.

In 2023 specifically, Murphy’s 61 pressures were the seventh-most among edge rushers, and he ranked 10th in pass-rush win rate. Against the run, Murphy’s grade from PFF ranked 35th out of 200 eligible defenders.

He’s also played 305 special teams snaps during his collegiate career, most of which came on the kick return, punt return, and field goal blocking units.

For more on Murphy, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had this to say in his pre-draft report:

“What Murphy lacks in size and length he makes up for with skill and production. He’s short-armed, which will worry teams on the pro level, but his hands are so sudden and polished that it tends to ease concerns. He works his hands and feet in perfect harmony to elude blockers like a shifty runner eluding tacklers. Murphy could struggle to survive against run blockers who square him up, but he typically finds a way to slither out of sustain attempts on the collegiate level. He failed to dominate one-on-one opportunities at East-West Shrine Bowl practices, but his ability to maneuver into the backfield as a run defender and pass rusher has merit and should give him a shot to become a solid 3-4 edge rusher.”

The Colts have both a short-term need at edge rusher and potentially a long-term one as well.

Despite finishing the 2023 season ranked fifth in sacks, the Colts didn’t get after the quarterback all that consistently, ranking 23rd in total pressures, meaning they were really efficient in converting those pressure opportunities into sacks.

From a sustainability standpoint in 2024, statistically speaking, replicating that level of sack production on, relatively speaking, so few pressures will be difficult to maintain.

On top of that, if we look ahead to next offseason, both Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo are set to be free agents. In the coming weeks, the Colts have to make a decision on Paye’s fifth-year option.

Murphy is ranked as the 116th overall prospect on the consensus big board.

Colts get Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell in Bucky Brooks’ final mock draft

In Bucky Brooks’ final mock draft, he has the Colts taking Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Here is a full breakdown of that selection.

With the 2024 NFL Draft almost here, we will be reviewing and breaking down the first-round predictions for the Indianapolis Colts in final 2024 mock drafts from a few of the most prominent analysts in the business:

Mock draft: Bucky Brooks – NFL.com

Pick at 15th overall: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

What Brooks had to say: “General manager Chris Ballard is all about drafting talented prospects with prototypical traits and athleticism. Mitchell is the freakiest cover corner in the draft, with a dynamic game that matches his supreme gifts.”

Colts Wire’s breakdown: Mitchell has been a very popular pick for the Colts at 15th overall, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a tremendous athlete, which GM Chris Ballard has emphasized heavily in the last two drafts. Mitchell has the ability to play both man and zone, along with bringing a level of physicality in the run game from the cornerback position. He’s also had excellent ball production, with six interceptions and 27 pass breakups in the last two seasons.

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Positional need: Addressing cornerback is either 1A or 1B on the Colts’ to-do list in this draft. This was a young position group last season that, as should have been expected, battled consistency issues. Overall, explosive pass plays happened far too often, along with the Colts ranking 22nd in both pass breakups and yards per pass attempt allowed. Ballard recently said that getting Dallis Flowers back will be important, and young players like Jaylon Jones are no longer rookies, so improvement is expected. However, there are obvious risks that come with banking on that happening.

Player Info

Height: 6-01

Weight: 195

Age: 22

Bench: 20

40-yard dash: 4.33

Vertical: 38″

Broad: 10-0

RAS: 9.80

Pre-Draft visit: No

Senior Bowl invitee: Yes

Consensus big board ranking: 11th

What Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say: “Mitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot. He’s built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback. Mitchell can play in a variety of coverages and was the clear-cut top cornerback at the Senior Bowl when working against the top receivers in practice. While he needs to trace a more efficient path when hounding the route, his burst to close and physicality at the catch point could create tougher throwing windows for quarterbacks. Mitchell’s traits, play demeanor and special-teams potential should make him attractive to teams in the market for CB help.”

Colts host South Carolina WR Xavier Legette on top-30 pre-draft visit

The Colts hosted South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette on an official pre-draft visit. Here is what you need to know.

In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette mentioned that the Colts were one of 14 teams that he visited as part of the pre-draft process.

Other teams that he met with include Green Bay, Denver, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore, and Jacksonville.

Legette brings excellent size and athleticism to the receiver position, measuring in at 6-1, weighing 221 pounds, with a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.92, which includes a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, along with elite vertical and broad jump numbers.

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Legette is a bit of a late bloomer from a production standpoint. He played five seasons at South Carolina but didn’t have his breakout year until 2023.

This past season, Legette caught 73 percent of his 97 targets at an impressive 17.7 yards per catch with 17 touchdowns. He was quite good after the catch picking up YAC. Legette has experience lining up in the slot and playing on the boundary.

For more on Legette, here is what Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com had to say in his pre-draft report:

“Legette is a thick, muscled-up receiver with impressive top speed and toughness. He relies on physicality more than quickness to power through press coverage. He isn’t a polished route runner, but he can build speed and win 50/50 balls. He has reliable hands, and he has a nice blend of speed and toughness after the catch. He plays much faster with the ball in his hands. Overall, Legette doesn’t offer a full complement of routes, but he can do damage with his select few.”

The Colts need more juice on offense, and Legette could provide that with his straight-line speed and YAC ability.

However, as Jeremiah notes, he needs refinement as a route-runner. So early on in his career, Legette benefit heavily from designed touches that get him the ball quickly and in space where his playmaking can take over–something Shane Steichen’s offense does very well.

Legette is the 49th-ranked player on Jeremiah’s big board and is the 11th-ranked wide receiver in a loaded draft class. Legette is projected to be a Day 2 pick.

Colts host Marshall OL Dalton Tucker on top 30 pre-draft visit

The Colts have reportedly hosted Marshall offensive lineman Dalton Tucker on an official pre-draft visit. Here is what you need to know.

The Colts have hosted Marshall offensive lineman Dalton Tucker on an official pre-draft visit, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Melo also notes that, in addition to the top-30 visit, the Colts met virtually with Tucker as well.

Tucker measures in at 6-6 and weighs 207 pounds. He recorded a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 7.94, which includes a 5.19-second 40-yard dash, along with elite vertical and broad jump numbers.

Tucker says that interest from teams has increased since his Pro Day when he posted those numbers.

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Tucker has played almost 2,300 snaps during his six-year collegiate career at Marshall. The majority of those snaps have come at right guard, but he’s also played 388 snaps at right tackle and 220 at left tackle.

Over the last two seasons, Tucker surrendered three sacks and 19 pressures. In 2023 specifically, Tucker ranked 51st out of 200 eligible guards in pass-blocking efficiency. By PFF’s run-blocking grade, he ranked 97th.

“I’m definitely a player that always wants to get better,” said Tucker via The Draft Network. “I’m striving to improve every single day. I can’t wait to learn from the veterans in our room. That’s how I’m going to better myself for our offensive line. I’m going to do everything I can to help the team get better.”

Tucker will be best suited as an interior lineman at the NFL level and will likely be either a late Day 3 pick or signed as an undrafted rookie and will join a team as a developmental player.

The Colts’ offensive line is positioned well for the 2024 season. They return their five starters from 2023, where they ranked ninth in pressure rate and 10th in yards per carry.

Looking ahead to the 2025 offseason, however, both center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries are set to become free agents. Adding to the interior offensive line is a move we could see from GM Chris Ballard, and not just through undrafted free agency.

With ’19 to 21′ first round grades, could Colts look to trade down in NFL draft?

With 19 to 21 first round grades in the upcoming NFL draft, could the Colts look to trade down from the 15th overall pick?

The Colts very well could end up being a prime candidate to trade down during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

When GM Chris Ballard was speaking with reporters on Friday as part of his pre-draft press conference, he was asked how many first-round grades the Colts had on prospects. Ballard mentioned that there were “19 to 21,” which in many draft classes can be considered a high number.

Recently, Matt Miller of ESPN pointed out that 15 prospects with first-round grades is a typical number.

So the fact that the Colts could be picking with four to six players still on the board that they deem first round caliber, could be a big factor in whether or not they trade down, with of course, there being other variables in play, such as which positions those remaining prospects play.

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But also contributing to the liklihood that we could see the Colts move down is that in Ballard’s tenure as GM, when making moves around the draft board, he has been much more willing to trade down to acculumate additional draft capital.

With only seven picks in this year’s draft – only four teams have fewer – it’s not as if the Colts are swimming in draft capital either, and currently rank 21st in total draft capital value.

“I just go off history,” said Ballard about trading down. “The more picks you have the better chance you have to hit. Now, of course, you’re not going to hit on all of them, but it gives you a better chance to hit.”

Two of the biggest positional needs that the Colts have to tackle in this draft -and preferably early on – are cornerback and wide receiver, which also happen to be two of the deeper position groups in this year’s class.

At pick 15, we already know the Colts won’t land one of the top three wide receivers and it’s possible that both Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell are off the board. This is a realistic scenario that could lead to the Colts trading down, with the depth of the draft at these positions still allowing them to address either position, with players like Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Brian Thomas Jr., Adonai Mitchell, or Xavier Worthy.

I recently ran through five different trade down scenarios for the Colts, trying to get an idea of what they could accumulate using the trade value chart. Beginning with pick 18 from Cincinnati, the Colts could potentially add a top-100 pick to what they already have.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently went through all 32 NFL teams, deciding whether they should trade up, stay put, or trade down. For what it’s worth, he thought the Colts best course of action in the first round was to trade down.