Colts Camp Battles: Wide Receiver No. 3
By Evan Reller
Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief (10) catches a pass for a touchdown against Cincinnati Bengals strong safety George Iloka (43) during the third quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
2014 Stats: 32 receptions, 444 yards, 3 touchdowns
PFF Grade: +2.6
Moncrief outperformed his draft position by a wide margin in his rookie year. He played more like a late first round pick, where (according to work done by Nate Dunlevy) wideouts taken between the 19th and 39th picks average 34 catches, 453 yards, and three touchdowns. Moncrief finished his rookie campaign with a better stat line than Reggie Wayne‘s first season (but about half of what Marvin Harrison did in 1996). Who knows what Moncrief would have finished the season with had he not be buried behind Hakeem Nicks on the depth chart.
Moncrief absolutely has the inside track over all the other receivers. He proved his value last year and is more familiar with the playbook. Moncrief also represents a matchup problem for opponents at 6-2 and 221-pounds, coupled with a 39-inch vertical and speed.
Moncrief will get the majority of the third string snaps just by having more experience and familiarity with Luck.
Next: The Rookie