The Colts rookie class is clamoring to get on the field with something to prove, and Frank Reich can help Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman take a leap.
The Colts traded their first-round pick to the 49ers for DeForest Buckner, and like many Colts fans, I was at first disappointed, as I wanted Auburn’s Derrick Brown at that spot. Many other fans wanted a top-flight receiver at that position, too.
While both were positions of need, I made the argument that we could draft a player that needed development, or we could get a superstar at his position still in his prime on a team-friendly contract.
The Colts front office is very good at evaluating talent for two reasons:
- They evaluate based on need and not want
- They evaluate character as well as football skills
Chris Ballard is a no-nonsense guy and he proved it when he let go of Eric Ebron, just one year outside of his 13 touchdown season where he dominated the AFC South. Ballard strikes me as a GM who puts the team first and makes sure everyone around him is willing to make those sacrifices; this is why Reich and Ballard make such a good team, as both have the same mentality.
Leading the team, Frank Reich is a man who makes sure everyone is on the same page and shoots for the stars when developing players. A prime example is Zach Pascal, who stepped up big time last season with T.Y. Hilton out for a few games. Pascal was a waiver pick up from the Titans in 2018 after the Titans signed him as an undrafted free agent. Pascal had five touchdowns, over 600 yards, and had a 14.8 yards per catch average.
Another player who broke out last season was Bobby Okereke from Stanford. The rookie linebacker played very well in place of Darius Leonard and made sure opposing teams knew who he was at the end of the game. Okereke gained 43 tackles with 22 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage. On top of that, he only had five missed tackles all season long cementing himself as a premiere linebacker on the Colts roster for years to come.
This year, however, the Colts focused on offensive weapons in the draft. And Reich’s culture is ready to help a few talented Indy rookies take a major step in their development.
USC wide receiver Michael Pittman leapt off the screen for Ballard and Reich. His 6-4, 220-pound frame made it that much easier to pull the trigger on draft day.
The Colts have missed a possession receiver ever since Reggie Wayne left the team in retirement. When the Colts signed Eric Ebron, I was hoping he could fill that role. He did — very well, in fact — but Ballard felt as though Ebron gave up on the team towards the end of the season. Whether or not he did, we lost a major red-zone threat, and Pittman is a player who can be that weapon for the Colts.
Watching the film on Pittman, the one thing that stands out to me is the contested catches deep down the field. Those 50-50 balls were 95-5 for Pittman; he just wasn’t going to let the defender win ’em. The rookie receiver made sure he was in the best position to win the battle and he did, consistently. Pittman became a force in the Pac-12 with 101 receptions (led the conference) for 1,275 yards (led the conference) and 11 touchdowns (second in Pac-12). His best game came against Utah, where he piled up 232 yards on 10 catches and a long touchdown. On the season, he had a 12.6 yards per catch average and a 98.1 yards per game average, which ranked third in the Pac-12.
Pittman is a player who is a ball hawk and will always put himself in a position to make the catch. Red zone threats are important to a team because they offer big bodies in tight windows such as fade routes and crossing routes in the end zone. Combine that with Philip Rivers and his ability to get the ball deep and the accuracy he showed last season, and the Colts offense is going to be hard to defend.
When the Colts drafted Taylor, I, like many Colts fans, scratched my head and asked the obvious question: “Why?”
We already had Marlon Mack and Nyhiem Hines, along with Jordan Wilkins, combined with our offensive line. Why did we need to draft a running back? But sometimes, players are there when you want them the most. Chris Ballard targeted Taylor, and it showed in the Colts miniseries on the 2020 NFL Draft, ‘With The First Pick.’ It wasn’t only Ballard, but it was the entire Colts training and coaching staff that talked very highly of the Wisconsin running back.
It’s safe to say that Taylor is one of the great running backs in NCAA history, boasting over 6,000 yards in three seasons in the Big Ten. His junior year, he rushed for 2,003 yards on 320 attempts for a 6.3 yards per rush. He scored 21 touchdowns on the ground and five through the passing game, along with 250 yards receiving. Taylor also led the Big 10 with a 146 yards per game average and scored 26 total touchdowns. Taylor is a speed machine and can outrun everyone in the NFL if he has the chance. Having him behind the offensive line we have and the number of holes they can open up is going to be scary for opposing defenses.
What drew me to Taylor is his love for the game. A few weeks ago, Taylor talked to the media and explained how he was ready to get to work with Rivers and the rest of the offense. Taylor is a bright young man with plenty of character and football talent. The Colts will have a backfield for the ages this season. Imagine on third down and four with Hines, Taylor, Doyle, Hilton, Pittman, and Pascal on the field at the same time; that’s a hard offense to defend for opposing defenses.
This year, the 2020 draft class has plenty of talent and looks to be dominant on the field for the Colts, making sure they can make another playoff run deep into January. And it’s all thanks to Reich and Ballard’s keen sense of need and culture fits.
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