The Colts were one of the youngest teams in the NFL this past season. Which of the young players on the roster have the chance to be the most successful?
The Colts have plenty of young guys on both sides of the ball. All of them are still learning the ropes of the NFL and learning how to improve their skill sets. But which of the young guys look to have bright futures as opposed to being busts?
One of those promising players is Ryan Kelly. He might be the most important young player on this Colts team. He is the anchor at center and was Indy’s first round pick in 2016. Kelly is a smart, strong young lineman. Unfortunately he was injured a large part of this year, having a broken foot and then later a concussion. If he is healthy, he can be a very good lineman.
Another promising player on the offensive side of the ball is Marlon Mack. As noted before, he is an explosive runner and hits holes with plenty of burst. Mack also has good hands out of the backfield as a receiver. He is a big play waiting to happen.
On the defensive side of the ball, no one has more potential than Malik Hooker. Having watched him personally at Ohio State, he is a play-maker at safety. In the one season he played at OSU he had seven interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. This season with the Colts he had three picks before tearing his ACL. He has the potential to be an Ed Reed type safety for the Colts and be a perennial Pro Bowl talent.
Next: Should the Colts Trade Down in the Draft?
The Colts are going to have to have consistent improvement from all of their young players if they want to compete for division titles. They need to continue to develop them, and if they do, they can be a very good football team down the line.