Colts address a pair of needs in McShay’s two round mock
By Evan Reller
The Indianapolis Colts fill two big areas of need on their roster in a new two-round mock draft from ESPN.
We’ve seen the Colts take the same four or five players in pretty much every mock draft. They have needs on both sides of the ball and today we got a two round mock draft that has them solving two big areas of need.
ESPN’s Todd McShay has put out his Mock Draft 4.0, and unlike his previous ones this time around he has the second round as well. With the Colts 18th pick, McShay has them taking Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. Here are his thoughts on the pick:
"The Colts need a lot of help in the trenches, so they should hope that one of the top four OTs falls to them. There’s a pretty clear drop-off once Decker comes off the board. Not wanting to reach, Floyd is a good second option here. He possesses rare speed and athleticism for his position and would give the Colts a high-ceiling pass-rusher off the edge."
We’ve seen Floyd going to the Colts before, and he would certainly fill the team’s need at pass rusher. They need to add depth at the position, and the Colts have already had him in for a private workout.
He is an unbelievable athlete whose biggest flaw his that he needs to add weight, something he’s already shown that he’d doing. He feels like the kind of player who might back up Erik Walden right away, take over some third down snaps, and be a viable option to replace Robert Mathis down the road. He also has the speed and range to be effective in coverage too.
Regardless, this pick fills a clear and somewhat desperate need. The Colts need not only youth, but speed on defense. Floyd posted a 4.60 40-time at the Combine, which was fifth best among all linebackers. If he can support the added weight and maintain his speed, then he’ll be a productive starter for years to come in the NFL.
In the second round, McShay has the Colts addressing the offensive line. With the 48th pick, the Colts will select Stanford guard Joshua Garnett. Here are his thoughts on the pick:
"Coming from Stanford, Garnett is built for a power-run scheme. His pass-protection skills need some refining, but at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, he possesses adequate short-area quickness."
More from Horseshoe Heroes
- Colts explored hiring former quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky
- When is the NFL Combine 2023? NFL Combine schedule, events, how to stream
- Latest NFL mock draft has Colts trading up to No. 1 for star QB
- Eagles offensive free agents that could follow Shane Steichen to Colts
- Here’s why Colts linebacker Shaq Leonard is going to love Shane Steichen
Shocking that the Colts would take another player out of Stanford, but they have had a pretty high success rate with the Cardinal players. Every scouting report highlights his abilities as a run blocker and how effective he is if he gets to the second level of defenders. The idea of having a bulldozer on the interior of the line would certainly be a nice change of pace from what Colts running backs have been used to.
Garnett won All-American honors and took home the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s top interior lineman. He was a team captain at Stanford, which is quickly becoming a factory for offensive linemen (and defensive ones too, if you’re the Colts).
The issue with Garnett is that sometimes he just uses his size to hit people, rather than technique. He is big, but needs to make sure he’s not fighting his weight and can build on his stout frame. Garnett isn’t a polished pass protector yet either, and is susceptible to stunts, twists, and fakes by pass rushers.
There is no reason to think that Garnett wouldn’t be able to come in and start right away, not unlike Jack Mewhort who was another second round lineman. The Colts can never have enough Stanford products on their roster either.
Both picks would fill clear needs on the Colts roster and more than likely make them a better team along the offensive line and on defense in general.