Colts Reportedly Interviewed Southern Utah Safety Miles Killebrew
According to The Herald Bulletin’s George Bremer, the Indianapolis Colts met with Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew on Sunday at the NFL Combine:
"“Killebrew — who met with a number of teams for formal interviews over the weekend — greatly enjoyed a conversation with Colts head coach Chuck Pagano on Sunday,” writes Bremer.“Killebrew is expected to be selected somewhere in the first three rounds after the three-day draft begins in late April.”"
While Miles grew up in Las Vegas, he was born in Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, and both of his parents were Hoosier-born–which Bremer points out.
Not only does Killebrew have strong Indiana ties however, but he also happens to be an an enticing safety and perhaps linebacker prospect (via his NFL.com Draft Profile):
"NFL COMPARISONDeone Bucannon"
"BOTTOM LINEViolent player who looks to punish and intimidate with the force of his strikes, but who won’t compromise his form as a tackler just for the highlight reel hit. Killebrew is average in coverage, but has the size and physicality that makes him stand out in the box. With the success of Arizona’s Deone Bucannon as a hybrid linebacker, it is reasonable to assume that a team will look to Killebrew to fill that role for its defense. If he blows up the combine, he won’t get past the second day of the draft."
Not to mention, he just performed 22 reps on the bench press, which was the most among all defensive backs at this year’s NFL Combine.
"“I have never seen a safety hit more guys that go backwards in my life,” said NFL Network Draft Guru Mike Mayock during this year’s Senior Bowl regarding Killebrew."
Even with last year’s impressive rookie Clayton Geathers in the fold, the Colts could use another long-term answer at safety, as veteran Mike Adams turns 35 years old in March and fellow starting safety Dwight Lowery can’t be realistically viewed as anything more than a stopgap solution to the position.The Colts could also use an upgrade at linebacker in pass defense, where their best coverage linebacker Jerrell Freeman is a soon-to-be free agent and 11-year veteran D’Qwell Jackson has routinely struggled in that facet of the game. It doesn’t help that their backups Nate Irving and Josh McNary are predominantly run oriented defensive linebackers too. Killebrew could make quite a deal of sense for the Colts in the early-mid rounds of the NFL Draft, as a safety or coverage linebacker. Quite frankly, the Colts could simply use an infusion of young talent on that side of the football no matter the precise position (although pass rushing still remains critical).