With training camp around the corner, Colts fans need to keep an eye on these young studs.
The Indianapolis Colts have yet to see any starters opt out of the 2020 season, though linebacker Skai Moore informed the team on Tuesday that he’d be sitting next year out.
That means Philip Rivers will be getting to work with all of the usual Colts starters plus the impressive incoming rookie class that’s ready to create some more competition in training camp. Speaking of that, the practices are soon to be underway once the COVID-19 safety protocols are met.
Indy fans know the team’s draft picks are ready to turn heads on the coaching staff, but what about the undrafted crop? Don’t forget the Colts made some smart pickups shortly after the draft, so here’s who to look out for on that front.
3. Carter O’Donnell
The Colts signed O’Donnell after he was taken in the third round of the CFL draft.
The Colts have arguably the best offensive line in football, and they just added one of the most promising young prospects who could be a big part of their future. Carter O’Donnell was signed as a UDFA after being selected in the third round of the Canadian Football League draft.
The Calgary, Alberta native was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl as one of the two U Sports (highest level of amateur play of Canadian football) representatives. He played for the Alberta Golden Bears from 2016-2019 and impressed scouts at the Shrine Bowl. He stands at 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds and could potentially play both tackle and guard.
There’s a slim chance he does serious damage and cracks the starting lineup, but if someone goes down with an injury, don’t be surprised if he gets reps given his versatility and skill set.
2. Rodrigo Blankenship
The former Georgia Bulldogs kicker is ready to impress the Colts.
Adam Vinatieri is all but officially gone, so the Colts will likely welcome a new starting kicker for the entirety of the 2020 season. Though Chase McLaughlin impressed after stepping in for Vinatieri last year, undrafted rookie Rodrigo Blankenship was one of the best college kickers of all time.
He was noticeably angry when no team decided to take a chance on him through seven rounds, so you better bet he’ll be heading into training camp with a chip on his shoulder. Though extra-points will be much tougher in the NFL, the former Georgia Bulldog was 200 for 200 on XPs in his collegiate career!
On top of that, he converted 82.5% of his field goals from 2016-2019 and is 16th on the all-time NCAA scoring list with 440 points to his name. And let’s not forget kicking in college is surely harder than it is in the NFL, with the wide hashmarks and tremendously loud environments in stadiums that fit between 80,000 and 100,000 fans.
Training camp should be a breeze for the 23-year-old.
1. Kendall Coleman
The Colts grabbed Kendall Coleman and got a steal after he went undrafted.
If not for a disastrous 2019 season from the Syracuse Orange, who knows what would’ve happened to Kendall Coleman’s draft status. After a 10-3 season that finished with a bowl win in 2018, the Orange stunk it up in 2019 and went 5-7 in a largely weak ACC.
Unfortunately for Coleman, he regressed a tad too. After registering 10 sacks and 32 tackles (12 for loss) in 2018, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound pass rusher followed that up with four sacks and 48 tackles (10.5 for loss) in 2019. Not bad! But also not nearly as groundbreaking as his junior year.
Colts legend Robert Mathis thinks Coleman is going to be the “steal of the draft” thanks to his speed and aggressiveness. We’ve seen the man burn offensive linemen, crush quarterbacks and chase ball carriers down the field. That’ll play in the NFL, especially if he gets some help from a stacked Colts front seven.
Many thought Coleman would’ve at least been a late-round pick given his size and speed, but the he fell in the Colts’ lap. Get ready to watch this kid possibly be part of the defensive line rotation in 2020.
Colts: Anthony Castonzo explains why he nearly opted out of 2020
Indianapolis Colts star OL Anthony Castonzo explained to the gathered media in Indy why he almost skipped the 2020 NFL season.