Colts take LB EJ Speed with 164th pick

The Colts made a bunch of defensive selections, and one of those was EJ Speed out of Tarelton State.

Chris Ballard said he had some guys with character concerns on his draft board. Now we know he wasn’t lying. The Colts decided to take a chance on linebacker EJ Speed out of Tarelton State late in the 5th round. They see it as a worthwhile gamble that late in the draft.

Speed was arrested for organizing criminal activities last fall, but the charges were ultimately dropped. It was said that Speed was just around the wrong crowd and got caught up in something. Speed has said he is a changed man and changed the people he hangs around with.

The Colts hope that he is telling the truth. But truth be told, this is just a flier. Speed started out in school as a quarterback and then a wide receiver before moving to linebacker. He has a lot of work that needs to be done with him, which is typical of guys taken this late.

But this is a gamble that could see dividends. He is a guy with a lot of physical talent, but not a lot of polish. He is going to be a project. Quite honestly, he is a borderline guy to make the team. The Colts have too many guys on defense now to take on a project like him.

It will be interesting to see how Speed is used in training camp. He will get some reps to see if he is worth keeping, but needs to play well in the preseason to earn a roster spot.