According to Pro Football Focus, Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Henry Anderson and offensive guard Jack Mewhort are on the cusp of making their Top 101–an annual ranking of the league’s best players.
The tandem was named among PFF’s Top 10 players under 25 poised to make next season’s list at #1 and #7 respectively:
"1. Henry Anderson, DE, ColtsI think if he had played the full season, Henry Anderson would have made the list after just his rookie year. Throughout their final seasons in college, I believed Anderson was a better player than Jets DE Leonard Williams, despite the disparity in their draft stock. Both players had excellent rookie years and were neck-and-neck in grading terms at the time Anderson went down injured, robbing us of a fascinating grading battle down the stretch. Anderson is a disruptive interior player for the Colts who was performing very well against the run, but should be able to bring pressure as a pass-rusher, too, in year two. If he can do that, I’d expect to see him make this list.7. Jack Mewhort, G, ColtsThe Colts have had a poor O-line for some time now, but Jack Mewhort was a bright spot for that unit last season. Starting 14 games at left guard and two at right tackle, Mewhort didn’t allow a sack all season, and actually played reasonably at tackle as well as inside at guard. He ended the year with 1,129 total snaps and was very good as a run-blocker. That season was a definite improvement over his rookie year, but we have now seen back-to-back positively-graded seasons from Mewhort and his trajectory is trending in the right direction. He doesn’t need much of a step forward over the next season to force his way onto the list."
While Anderson saw his rookie year cut short with a season-ending knee injury, he was one of the Colts best defensive lineman prior to that point. He made the first 9 starts for the defense and was among one of the league’s best run-stuffing 3-4 defensive ends.
Currently, Anderson is rehabilitating from his torn ACL, and it’s no guarantee that he’ll be ready to go by the regular season opener.
However, when he does return, it’ll no doubt be a great addition for the Colts defensive line again. The 2nd year pro could be a building block for the team’s defense and a star in the making for years to come.
On the other hand, Mewhort is one of the league’s most underrated offensive lineman. While collectively the Colts offensive line has struggled, Mewhort has been one of the NFL’s better starting offensive guards all things considered.
Entering his 3rd season, Mewhort could make the jump from “good” to “great” this season, as the former 2014 2nd round pick of the Colts has gotten better every season and remains rock solid on the left side of the offensive line.
Mewhort held his own as a starting right tackle last season, but once he was re-inserted at starting left guard, he immediately became a high-end starting offensive guard for the Colts yet again.
Specifically, he ranked as PFF’s 9th best starting offensive guard with a +85.6 grade overall.
While much has been made that the Colts lack young stars outside Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton, it’s good to know that there are at least some younger building blocks for both the offense and defense with Mewhort and Anderson, who could eventually develop into stars in their own right respectively.