Marlon Mack Receives High Praise from Chuck Pagano
By Andrew Ites
The Colts need an infusion of talent at running back, and they may have found their man in Marlon Mack.
Frank Gore expressed some frustration about his tenure in Indianapolis, and how they haven’t been able to compete for a championship since he’s been with the Colts.
The Colts have been looking for the heir apparent to the 34-year-old Gore, who can’t have many miles left on his legs.
This 2017 draft class was perfect for a running back-needy team like the Colts as it was chalk-full of talent at the position.
While the Colts passed on top-tier talent like Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey to address some other needs, they still found an incredibly talented back in the fourth round in Marlon Mack.
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Mack was a key piece of an explosive offense at South Florida where he rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons averaging over 6.6 yards per carry in his final two years with the Bulls.
Mack’s talent is apparently transitioning well to the next level as Chuck Pagano called him a “special player” after seeing him in action at training camp.
"“He’s popping out there. He’s a talented guy. He’s showing great athleticism, great vision,” said Pagano. “We were doing one-on-one pass protection drills against the linebackers, and he’s physical. He’s got toughness. He’s not afraid to stick his face in there and pick up blitzers.”"
The Colts’ front office knew Mack had great athleticism, but his toughness was a bit of an unknown quantity heading into the draft.
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Toughness is Pagano’s most prized attribute in a player, and it looks like he’s found it in Mack early on in training camp.
This Colts offense ranked 23rd in yards per carry last season averaging only 4.0 yards per attempt. Mack should be able to take some of the load off of Gore’s shoulders, and provide a big-play threat in this running game.