Colts 2018 Draft Analysis: Deon Cain

The Colts drafted their second wide receiver of the draft in the sixth round, taking Deon Cain. How much of an impact can he make to the receiving corp?

The Colts took wide receiver Deon Cain out of Clemson with their sixth round pick. Cain was the second receiver that the Colts took, also taking Daurice Fountain in the fifth round. Cain joins a wide receiving room that doesn’t have very much depth in it.

Cain went to Clemson, which is a powerhouse in college football. He took home a national championship in 2016. He also played some of the highest competition in football because of that, so his adjustment to NFL speed shouldn’t take as long as it might for other players.

Cain never really but up big receiving numbers, with gaining the most yards, 734, in his junior season. But he did tally 724 yards and 9 touchdowns in his sophomore year. But he caught 20 less balls his sophomore year, tallying 38 as opposed to 58 in his junior campaign.

So what does that mean? Cain was more of a big play threat in his second year. He got more yards on less catches. Teams tightened their coverage of him after that year, so he couldn’t break free as much. Clemson also switched quarterbacks from Deshaun Watson to Kelly Bryant last season, so the passing numbers weren’t as gaudy.

Colts fans should watch Cain with great interest. He was the number one wide receiver last year for the Tigers, so he has some skills. He could be a receiver that gives Indy something in his first year. Don’t expect huge numbers, but he can make some clutch catches in some tight games.

Next: Colts 2018 Draft Analysis: Jordan Wilkins

This was a good pick for Chris Ballard. This late in the draft, you can afford to take flyers on players who have potential. Cain is certainly someone with potential.