Colts 2019 rookies: Parris Campbell

The only offensive player taken in the 2019 draft was the wide receiver out of Ohio State. He certainly had an interesting rookie campaign.

The Colts knew they needed wide receiver help coming into the 2019 season. They tried to address that by signing Devin Funchess and drafting Parris Campbell in the second round. Campbell was supposed to help Andrew Luck be even more efficient that he had been in 2018.

But as we know, Campbell only caught passes from Luck in training camp before he decided to retire. Campbell also hurt his hamstring in training camp, and that kept him out all of preseason. It would be a precursor of things to come for the rookie from Ohio State.

Campbell was coming out of Ohio State with a senior season in which he had over 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. He has 4.31 speed and was supposed to be a vertical threat. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to show his speed most of the season.

Campbell only played 7 games in his rookie season. He missed time with an assortment of injuries, including a hamstring injury, a broken hand, and a broken foot. Because of all of these injuries, Campbell only recorded 18 catches for 127 yards and just a single touchdown.

Campbell also showed that he may have some ball security issues. He fumbled three times in those seven games, but only lost one of them. That is something he has to fix next season. They need to be able to rely on him once they get him the ball.

Ultimately, Campbell’s rookie season was a disappointment. He wasn’t on the field enough to show his skills, mostly due to the injuries. He did struggle with injuries early in his career at Ohio State, but was able to get through them. The same needs to happen in Indy.

The Colts certainly won’t give up on Campbell. His talent is just too high. But the best ability is availability, and he needs to get on the field to be an asset to this team.