Tevaun Smith Screams of Wide Receiver Sleeper for Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Tevaun Smith could be a name to watch on the team’s wide receiver depth chart.

Having seen both Andre Johnson and Griff Whalen depart earlier this offseason, the Colts wide receiver spots behind T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Phillip Dorsett are seemingly up in-the-air.

Originally signed by the Colts as a priority undrafted free agent following the NFL Draft, the 6’2″, 205 pound Smith offers both size and speed–having run forty times of 4.41 and 4.38 at his pro day.

Not to mention, Smith flashes athleticism, as he boasts a 38-inch vertical.

According to his SPARQ ranking–an evaluation tool that is frequently used by teams such as the Seattle Seahawks (who value physical specimens), Smith ranks at 85.9% as it relates to him athletically compared to his current NFL peers. It goes without saying, but that’s a pretty impressive percentage for an undrafted free agent all things considered.

Of course, Smith isn’t just an athlete at wide receiver, as he’s also shown some production–playing in a run-heavy Iowa offensive system.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes standout had 32 receptions for 563 total receiving yards and 3 touchdown receptions in 12 games during his senior season–including this record-breaking catch:

While the Colts have brought in the likes of Donnie Avery, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks, and Andre Johnson in recent seasons to bolster their wide receiver corps, the team seemingly no longer has that luxury due to salary cap constraints.

That means that player development is key, as it relates to developing young wide receivers such as Smith that are lower on the depth chart:

"Jun 7, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts president Ryan Grigson watches the Colts practice during mini camp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports“Look at the 4th wide receivers around the league,” said general manager Ryan Grigson on The Dan Dakich Show on 1070 The Fan. “I mean can anyone name me three off the top of their head that are a household name? No, and the thing about it is that those positions have to be developed, and just like the players that fit those roles a lot of times are either free agents or late round picks or guys that were 1st round picks that never ascended to that level of play and ended up being a ‘4’. That’s what we did. We attacked it with from top to bottom from scouts and the coaching staff, worked a lot of guys out.”“We have a good gaggle of players that are going to be vying for those spots that we feel good about.”“That’s on us to take these picks and these players and develop them because we’re not in the place anymore to go get ready-made veterans and to plug-and-play like we have in the past.”"

So far, head coach Chuck Pagano has been pleased with the Colts younger receivers including Smith that the team’s personnel department has recently brought in:

"Sep 19, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Tevaun Smith (4) catches a pass over the top of Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Lafayette Pitts (6) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports“We’ve got some good young guys,” said Pagano during the team’s offseason program. “Guys did a nice job. Personnel department finding some young players that look to have good speed, good size, and good hands–catch radius all things that you’re looking for.”“It’ll be really interesting to see how that shakes out,” added Pagano. “(Chester) Rogers is doing a nice job, we’ve got a big, tall guy in MeKale (McKay). There’s some talented guys out there, (Tevaun) Smith is doing a nice job. It’s going to be a real competitive deal come training camp.”"

While nothing is guaranteed, Smith appears to have the physical tools–namely size, speed, and soft hands to really become a wide receiver sleeper for the Colts. He’s certainly a player to watch as training camp approaches.