Colts Select Texas DL Hassan Ridgeway with the 116th Pick of the 4th Round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Texas DT Hassan Ridgeway with their first 4th round pick (#116) of the NFL Draft.
The 6’3″, 303 pound junior defensive tackle recorded 45 tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 11 games–receiving all Big-12 Honorable Mention.
While Ridgeway has been hindered by both weight and durability concerns (including shoulder, ankle, and back injuries), NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock said he could’ve been a 1st or 2nd round pick had he stayed in school for another year and consistently put his talent all together.
As such, Ridgeway has the size and talent to become an impact starting defensive lineman in time, even if he’s far from a finished product:
Heard from one team that Hassan Ridgeway may get into Rd 1 after his pro day. Teams love his potential as an every down DL
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 24, 2016
Give Hassan Ridgeway a coach who can motivate him, and Colts could have a steal.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) April 30, 2016
With the NFL quickly becoming predominantly a passing league, teams need defensive lineman that push the pocket and get after the quarterback, something that Ridgeway has demonstrated he can do:
New Colt Hassan Ridgeway had a 10.6 pass rush productivity against Power-5 opposition, 3rd-best in this interior defender class
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 30, 2016
Whether Ridgeway transitions to 3-4 DE or NT, either way he figures to be a considerable talent along the Colts defensive line with his pass rushing prowess (via his NFL.com draft profile):
"DRAFT PROJECTIONRound 2"
"SOURCES TELL US“He’s more talented than Malcolm Brown was coming out but his conditioning and injuries worry you. With time and money will his weight balloon? Will he be motivated to work in the offseason? He would have benefited by going back to school.” — NFL general managerNFL COMPARISONKawaan ShortBOTTOM LINERidgeway didn’t put together as productive and flashy a junior campaign as he did a sophomore season, but that was due partially to nagging injuries. You can watch snap after snap and clear losses to the blocker are hard to find. Ridgeway has a rare combination of power and athleticism that give him the potential to impact the game on all three downs. His talent could make him the most impactful defensive tackle to come out of this draft, but his floor is lower than some due to concerns over health and conditioning."