2017 Colts Rookie Class Recap: Running Back Marlon Mack
By Andrew Ites
There was a lot of hype surrounding Marlon Mack after an impressive preseason. While his numbers weren’t huge as a rookie, he definitely showed some explosiveness in his first season.
The 2017 draft class was chalk-full of talent at the running back position, which allowed the Colts to pick up an extremely productive college running back in the fourth round. Marlon Mack rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons at the University of South Florida averaging 6.2 yards per carry for his career with 34 total touchdowns.
Some Colts fans expected Marlon Mack to take the starting running back job by the end of this season, but that never came to be as Frank Gore continued to run hard all year. Nonetheless, Mack showed enough as a rookie to prove that he can be a feature back for the Colts in the future.
Mack rushed for 358 yards in 2017 at a rate of just under 4 yards per carry. He was the Colts’ third-down back for much of the year as he gained 225 yards receiving with a touchdown through the air to go with his 2 TD’s on the ground.
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Outside of T.Y. Hilton, Marlon Mack is the most explosive playmaker on this Colts offense. He needs to be more consistent, but that should come as he gains experience in the league. General manager Chris Ballard should also be focusing on improving the team’s offensive line to help Marlon Mack’s development.
With Frank Gore’s future up in the air, Marlon Mack could be in line for an increased role next season and Colts fans should be excited to see where his career goes from here.