Colts Draft: Day Two Recap
By Dave McKee
The Indianapolis Colts continued to surprise fans on day two of the NFL Draft. Following a controversial selection on day one, GM Ryan Grigson traded out of the 2nd Round and down into the top of 3rd round after exchanging picks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The deal allowed the Colts to slide down four spots into the first pick of the 3rd round and moved up 19 spots with a swap of 4th round picks.
True to their form, Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano continued to utilize their two most familiar talent pipelines in southern Florida and Stanford. Indianapolis added to the “ReUnion” by selecting University of Miami WR, Phillip Dorsett at 29th overall on Thursday night. On Friday night, the Colts selected cornerback D’Joun Smith from Florida Atlantic, located just 60 miles north of Miami.
With their final third round selection the Colts talked a majority of fans off the ledge by selecting a defensive lineman. This time the selection did not come from South Florida, instead they headed westward to Palo Alto, California and selected Stanford Cardinal Henry Anderson with the 93rd overall pick
3rd Round – 65th Pick: D’Joun Smith
Smith is a great scheme fit and an excellent addition to the “No Fly Zone.” Smith is not a household name but his film speaks volumes for his abilities as a defensive back. He is a prototypical press-man cornerback with great use of strength and hands at the line of scrimmage even if he is slightly under-sized at 5’10” and 187 lbs.
He is a pure athlete, as evidenced by the display Smith put on at the Combine posting incredible numbers including a 4.42 40-yd dash, 21 bench reps at 225 lbs and a 10’1″ broad jump. Smith loves contact and plays instinctively with aggressive tendencies against both running and passing downs. He has the closing speed to make a play on the ball when beaten early and has great vision for locating the ball in the air.
My prediction is that he can step onto the field right away as a Nickel or Dime CB in sub-packages and can contribute on special teams as a returner but has enough of a skill set to develop into an eventual starter for the Colts.
3rd Round – 93rd Pick: Henry Anderson
This is a high ceiling choice. Henry Anderson joins the Colts Andrew Luck, Coby Fleener, Griff Whalen and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton as the fifth member of the Colts to come from Stanford. At 6’6″ and 295 lbs. Anderson is an intriguing who fits precisely into the front seven as a five-technique defensive end.
He has the frame to add more weight an muscle to his body and should improve into a starter. Draft guru Mike Mayock listed Anderson as an under-the-radar from his performance at the Senior Bowl. Anderson projects to be a future starter and is going to help as a rotational lineman while he adds to his frame and continues to learn the nuances of the game.
With seven additional picks left on day 3, I expect Grigson and Pagano will continue to identify these “horseshoe” guys, shore up the defense and let the board dictate his selection. Be sure to tune in at noon on Saturday for continued live draft coverage on NFL Network.