Tag: top-30 visit

Colts to host versatile Oregon LB Jamal Hill on pre-draft visit

The Colts are reportedly hosting versatile Oregon linebacker Jamal Hill on a pre-draft visit. Here is what you need to know.

The Indianapolis Colts are going to host Oregon linebacker Jamal Hill on an official pre-draft visit, according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network. Fowler would add that Hill is “generating significant buzz” during this pre-draft process.

Hill stands 6-0 tall and weighs 218 pounds. He posted a Relative Athletic Score of 7.32, but that includes a 4.44-second 40 at his Pro Day, which Fowler notes would have been the second-fastest time among linebackers at the NFL Combine.

Hill would play 1,816 snaps during his five seasons at Oregon and do so all over the field. According to PFF, Hill played 107 snaps on the defensive front, 551 from the box, 276 as a free safety, and another 843 from the slot.

He’s been a very good tackler, missing only seven of his 82 attempts over the last two seasons. Hill also had more pass rush opportunities in 2023, totaling 13 pressures and two sacks.

In coverage, Hill allowed 11.1 yards per catch over his career, but that figure fell to 7.2 yards in 2023. He’s also totaled nine pass breakups and two interceptions.

Hill has the ability to line up at both linebacker and safety–two positions where the Colts could use added depth.

The linebacker position is in good shape for 2024, but EJ Speed and Ronnie Harrison are free agents in 2025, and behind those two and Zaire Franklin is a lot of inexperience.

The safety position is in a similar spot with Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas likely battling for the starting spot next to Julian Blackmon, who is back for 2024 but only on a one-year deal. After those three on the depth chart is also quite a bit of inexperience on defense.

Hill has the skill set to be utilized similarly to how Harrison has been in Gus Bradley’s defense.

Colts to host highly under the radar OL prospect on pre-draft visit

The Colts are reportedly hosting highly under the radar OL prospect Giovanni Manu from British Columbia University on a pre-draft visit.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of seven teams that are reportedly scheduled to host University of British Columbia offensive lineman Giovanni Manu for an official pre-draft visit, according to Justin Dunk of 3 Down Nation.

Each team is permitted to have 30 of these pre-draft meetings. It’s an opportunity for the player to come to the facility, where the team is able to have one-on-one time with them to go over film, see how they would fit in the locker room, and to go through medicals if needed.

Manu held his Pro-Day on March 29th, in which Dunk reports that 16 NFL teams attended, including the Colts, who had offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter in attendance.

“Manu stands six-foot-seven and 352 pounds,” wrote Dunk. “He recorded a 5.03-second forty-yard dash with a 1.81 ten-yard split, as well as an 8.29 three-cone and 4.81 short shuttle. The Pitt Meadows, B.C. native put up 23 reps on the bench press while leaping 33.5 inches in the vertical and 107 inches in the broad.”

Dunk adds that had Manu been invited to the NFL Combine, his 40-yard dash would have tied for ninth among offensive linemen and his vertical jump would have tied for sixth.

There are only so many men on this planet at that size who can move that well, which is why Manu is garnering so much attention during this pre-draft process.

Manu, who was born in Tonga, has earned All-Canadian honors in 2022 and 2023, playing both the left tackle and left guard positions.

Although offensive tackle Jake Witt, who the Colts drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 draft out of DII Northern Michigan, wasn’t as under the radar as Manu is, it’s a pick that does go to show that GM Chris Ballard will take a flier on an athletic tackle with upside.

Colts hosting Illinois IDL Keith Randolph for official pre-draft visit

The Colts are reportedly hosting Illinois interior defensive lineman Keith Randolph on an official pre-draft visit. Here is what you need to know.

The Colts will be hosting Illinois interior defensive lineman Keith Randolph on an official pre-draft visit, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports.

Each team is permitted to have 30 of these pre-draft meetings. It’s an opportunity for the player to come to the facility, where the team is able to have one-on-one time with them to go over film, see how they would fit in the locker room, and to go through medicals if needed.

Randolph measures in at 6-3, 296 pounds, and posted a Relative Athletic Score of 5.52. He was a Senior Bowl participant as well.

Randolph played 1,703 snaps over five seasons at Illinois, seeing regular playing time over the last three. He was a versatile part of that Illinois front, regularly lining up in the B-gap, at defensive end, and even edge rusher.

He’s been a consistent tackler throughout his career, missing fewer than 10 percent of his total tackle attempts. Over the last two seasons, he logged 45 combined pressures, including 32 in 2022 along with 13 tackles for loss, and seven total sacks. Also during that 2022 season, he ranked 10th among all interior defenders in PFF’s run defense grade.

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

”An interior defender with good strength and pad level, Randolph lacks a true positional play quality where he can plant his flag on the next level. He’s not twitchy off the snap or with his field movements, but Randolph has managed to stack up tackles at a relatively high rate during his tenure at Illinois. He’s consistently playing as low as or lower than his opponents and can neutralize a base block, but he’s not a classic stack-and-shed defender. He could factor as a rotational defender but won’t offer much help as a pass rusher. Randolph has backup talent as a potential Day 3 pick.”

The Colts are positioned well along the interior defensive line. Returning in 2024 will be DeForest Buckner, along with Grover Stewart and Taven Bryan, who they re-signed. The Colts also added Raekwon Davis in free agency as well.

With how little Gus Bradley blitzes, it’s vital that the Colts’ defensive front win their one-on-one matchups to get after the quarterback. Last season, the Colts generated the fifth-most sacks in the NFL, but ranked 22nd in pressure rate—creating a sack to pressure ratio that could be difficult to duplicate in 2024. The Colts would also rank 10th in run defense, allowing just 4.1 yards per rush.

Randolph is PFF’s 23rd rated interior defender and the 235th overall prospect on their big board.

Colts hosting CB Jarrian Jones for top-30 visit pre-NFL draft

The Colts will host CB Jarrian Jones for a top-30 visit.

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly will host Florida State cornerback Jarrian Jones for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

After missing out on the trade for L’Jarius Sneed, who went to the division-rival Tennessee Titans, the Colts can still add some young talent to the secondary.

Jones would be an intriguing candidate to consider if Indy opts to go in a different direction early in the draft. According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, the Colts are bringing Jones in for a visit.

Jones has adequate size at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, and he tested through the roof at the NFL Scouting Combine, posting a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash to go along with a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9-inch broad jump. However, his 30-inch arms and slight frame may push him inside more often than not.

At Florida State, he lined up almost exclusively in the slot during the 2023 season, and he thrived in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones allowed a 50% catch rate, 9.9 yards per reception and a mere 25.3 passer rating in coverage on 32 targets.

It will be interesting to see how the Colts go about their draft process considering the massive need to add a boundary cornerback, but Jones has the skill set that will intrigue Indy on Day 2.

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Report: Colts hosting Marshall OL Dalton Tucker for top-30 visit

The Colts are bringing in a Marshall OL for a draft visit.

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly are hosting Marshall offensive lineman Dalton Tucker for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Tucker brings a massive frame to the NFL at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds. He spent the majority of his collegiate career working on the right side of the offensive line with experience at both guard and tackle.

According to Pro Football Focus, the majority of Tucker’s snaps in 2023 came at right guard. He allowed 13 total pressures, including one sack, during the 2023 campaign.

The Colts have their starting tackles set for the 2024 season with Bernhard Raimann entering Year 3 at left tackle and Braden Smith holding down the fort at right tackle. They need some competition for Blake Freeland in the swing position.

The Colts also could be looking for some depth for the interior spots, but they did bring back Danny Pinter, who has experience working at center and both guard spots.

Tucker seems like a late Day 3 pick or a priority free agent target for the Colts in the draft, but they are getting a closer look at him regardless.

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2024 NFL draft: Colts hosting DT Khristian Boyd for top-30 visit

The Colts will host Khristian Boyd for a top-30 visit.

The Indianapolis Colts will be hosting Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Though the Colts re-signed Grover Stewart to a three-year extension and added Raekown Davis in free agency on a two-year deal, they seem compelled to continue looking at depth options at the one-technique.

Our own Cody Manning highlighted Boyd as a potential target for the Colts earlier in the offseason. Here’s what he said about Boyd:

Current Draft Projection: Day 2-3

Khristian Boyd turned some heads in the All-Star season after getting called up from the Hulu Bowl to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He measured at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds at the Shrine Bowl. In his final year at Northern Iowa, he registered 43 tackles (17 solo), six-and-a-half TFLs, and three-and-a-half sacks. Boyd is a powerful athlete whose explosiveness helps create leverage in run defense and setting up his pass-rush moves.

The Colts have all of their selections on Day 3 of the draft so Boyd may be a prospect to keep an eye on if Chris Ballard feels even more compelled to take Boyd after the team meets with him.

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2024 NFL draft: Colts to host Xavier Worthy for top 30 visit

Xavier Worthy has a top-30 visit scheduled with the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts will host Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

After head coach Shane Steichen and wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne attended the NFL pro day at Texas on Wednesday, the team will bring Worthy in for an official visit ahead of the draft.

Worthy has been a fast riser throughout the pre-draft process with an emphasis on the word “fast.” He set the record at the NFL combine for the fastest 40-yard dash ever recorded at 4.21 seconds.

Worthy checks just about every box the Colts would look for in a wide receiver outside of his weight. He weighed in at 165 pounds, which certainly will give teams pause.

However, he was an early and constant producer throughout his collegiate career at Texas, and he has enough nuance to his route-running abilities to be categorized as more than a simple burner.

Whether the Colts would be willing to spend the No. 15 overall pick on him is a significant question, but there is clearly a strong level of interest in him leading up to the draft.

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Colts to host S Chris Edmonds for top-30 visit

The Colts are hosting Chris Edmonds for a top-30 visit.

The Indianapolis Colts will host Arizona State safety Chris Edmonds for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Edmonds did not attend the NFL Scouting Combine so this will give the Colts a chance to get a closer look at the big box safety. He spent the 2022-2023 collegiate season with Arizona State after transferring from Samford (2019-2021).

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Edmonds profiles more as a box safety. In fact, he spent the majority of his snaps in that area of the field while also splitting time at deep safety and in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.

His 26 defensive stops (PFF) were tied for 29th among all FBS safeties. Though he didn’t record an interception in 2023, he did nab three picks during the 2022 season.

The Colts have a need at the safety position so there’s a chance Edmonds will be on the team’s radar late in the draft.

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Which 2023 NFL draft prospects had top-30 visits with Colts?

These are the prospects the Colts reportedly hosted for official pre-draft visits.

The 2023 NFL draft is officially one week away, and the deadline has passed for the Indianapolis Colts to host prospects for top-30 visits at their facility.

While the Colts can continue to work out and speak with prospects, they can no longer host them at their facility on an official visit. Each team is allotted 30 of those visits, and the Colts used the majority of theirs on quarterbacks and prospects projected on Day 3 of the draft.

Over the course of the month, we have been tracking each piece of reported interest the Colts have had in prospects to the best of our ability, and we now have a relatively clear picture of their focus in this phase of the pre-draft process.

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By our count, 24 of the 30 visits for the Colts were reported. It’s rare to see all 30 visits get reported before the draft so that’s a pretty solid number. Some reported visits may trickle in leading up to the draft so we’ll add those to the list if they come in.

The two most common positions featured shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Colts did their homework mostly on quarterbacks and cornerbacks—the two biggest positional needs on the roster. The Colts reportedly hosted five quarterbacks and seven cornerbacks on top-30 visits.

You can see the full list and more in our pre-draft interest tracker.

Sorted by position, here’s a look at the prospects who had top-30 visits with the Colts ahead of the 2023 NFL draft:

Colts host DT Bryan Bresee for top-30 visit

Bryan Bresee is a projected fringe first-round pick.

The Indianapolis Colts hosted Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee for a top-30 visit Wednesday ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

A fringe first-round pick, Bresee brings a lot of athleticism to the interior defensive line. Wednesday is the final day teams can host prospects at their facility for top-30 visits.

The biggest question marks surrounding Bresee will be the injury history and medical designations. He suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and then battled a severe case of strep throat, which wound up causing a kidney infection and put him in the hospital.

Across three seasons, Bresee played in 26 games (21 starts). He recorded 15 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks and five batted passes.

Bresee lines up mostly as the three-technique defensive tackle, which is an area the Colts don’t mind adding to behind starter DeForest Buckner. He’s an explosive player who can win with power, but the injury question marks will be following him.

The Colts have the No. 4 overall pick and then are on the clock again at No. 35 so it’s a question as to whether they will even get the chance to draft him.

We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.

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