What Direction are the Indianapolis Colts Headed into the Draft?
It is just a couple weeks away till all eyes are on what the Indianapolis Colts will do during draft weekend in Chicago.
Most will say the Colts will obviously draft on the defensive side of the ball in the first round, but if you know GM Ryan Grigson at all you know that is not completely obvious.
I personally wanted the Colts to take LSU tackle La’El Collins, but after his combine and Pro Day results he has thrusted up draft boards and caught the eye of several NFL scouts, and rightfully so.
So while most will want the Colts taking a defensive player ( safety, ILB, or DT), the best idea for Grigson to do is take the best player on the board at 29. Whether that be a offensive lineman , receiver, safety, or even defensive lineman.
The Colts made the AFC Championship last year, but did not look liked they belonged once the ball was in the air. So basically there is a lot of work to do if they finally want to get past New England, and trust me, all us Colts fans have been looking over their shadow of greatness for far-to-long.
And for this to happen, Grigson needs to start with another solid draft class. Like the one from 2012, not 2013. I will throw out last year’s, as solid as it might turn out, because draft picks were limited. Screw you Trent Richardson.
So who might be the best player still on the board at the 29th overall pick? For both of our sakes, I hope it is Eric Kendricks, inside linebacker from UCLA.
I have been keeping an eye on his since December, and while many have been praising his skills, I have not. That is until I saw his Pro Day results, and went back and watched more film on him against better competition. And this man has first game starter written all over him.
Headed into his pro day, there were still questions regarding his hamstring injury. And that is a thing of the past now.
The 6’0 232 pound linebacker benched 225 pounds 22 times( up from 17 at the combine), and ran the 20 yard shuttle in 4.17 seconds. Both above average for linebackers and great results. If you want to check out more from his pro day, check out Bruinsnation.com.
My favorite thing about him however, might be his ability to cover man-to-man in open space. Something the Colts desperately need help out with.
Above you see that Kendricks can rotate his hips and get out into coverage fast and keep up with the running back. He can do a better job of playing the ball better here, but that can improve with coaching at the next level.
The last thing I really love about him, is his text book tackling form. He can read plays quickly and move in on the ball carrier.
That is exactly what you see him do against Texas above. It is a beautiful thing to watch.
The Colts could use Kendricks right away, especially since Jackson will likely face some sort of suspension.