The Indianapolis Colts could go in one of several different directions with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, especially now that the Carson Wentz trade has crossed quarterback off their list of potential targets.
The secondary could be an area that Chris Ballard hits early and often in this draft, as the likely departures of Malik Hooker and Xavier Rhodes will leave Indianapolis very vulnerable at that spot unless replacements are added as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, this draft isn’t the best with regard to secondary talent, as Caleb Farley, Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn, and Trevon Moehrig make up a top-four that likely will stand head and shoulders over the rest of the DBs in this class.
If the Colts want to add secondary talent despite the fact that the top four defensive backs will all likely be off the board by the time pick No. 21 comes around, Ballard’s best course of action would be to trade down in the draft, get back some of the picks he lost in the Wentz deal, and try to conduct a DB-heavy draft.
The Indianapolis Colts could draft one of these 3 defensive backs.
No. 3: Hamsah Nasirildeen, SAF, Florida State
Calling Nasirildeen a safety is doing him an injustice, as the 6-4, 220 pound Swiss Army knife could be equally suiting to playing linebacker in the pros. While his size says linebacker, his speed and ability to cover ground in zone coverage scream safety.
Nasirildeen only played
during his final season with the Seminoles, and he does look like a textbook “tweener” that might struggle to stick at safety or linebacker, but Matt Eberflus should be able to work well with him. With his stock slipping a tad, Indy could get him later in the draft than anticipated.
How could Hamsah Nasirildeen help the Colts?
The success of Jeremy Chinn, who competed with Chase Young for Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Carolina Panthers, could give Indianapolis a blueprint on how to use him. In obvious running situations, he’s a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. On passing downs, he’s an extra DB.
Nasirildeen might not be the most refined player, but he is someone that simply makes plays whenever he is on the field. In a league that is moving more towards that positionless style of defense, Nasirildeen could get tons of snaps as a rookie.
No. 2: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
Ballard has shown that he is keen on drafting players that have contributed to winning programs over his tenure as GM, and Holland was a lynchpin in a very tough Oregon defense over the last few years. Holland helped the Ducks win the Pac-12, all the while showing off the traits pro scouts want to see.
While Holland has proven to be a solid tackler, what really stands out is his ability to drop back in zone coverage and show off his fantastic ball skills. Holland is built like the type of safety Eberflus would love to slot into the starting lineup.
How could Jevon Holland help the Colts?
If you were going to draw up a Cover 2 safety on a board, he would look something like Holland. While he was a bit up and down at Oregon this year, which allowed Moehrig to leapfrog him in the safety rankings, he could become a high-level starter right away.
Hooker was thought to have been the answer at safety, but he wasn’t on the field frequently enough to justify being brought back for a second contract. With Holland and Julian Blackmon on the squad, safety would be checked off as a positional need for the next decade.
No. 1: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
While Stokes was often competing for the spotlight alongside fellow late Day 1/early Day 2 draftee Tyson Campbell, it’s Stokes that has the much higher ceiling as an athlete, as proven during a pre-draft workout that made alarm bells go off all over the scouting community.
Stokes ran a 4.25 40-yard dash at a local pro day. While the lack of the NFL Combine could lead to some potentially exaggerating times, the fact that Stokes was anywhere near that time despite weighing almost 200 pounds should make him almost a lock to get picked in the end of the first round.
How could Eric Stokes help the Colts?
More than just a speed demon, Stokes’ production in the best conference in college football should get plenty of teams interested in his services. While he and Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II are likely battling it out for the CB4 title behind Horn, Stokes’ acceleration might make him the favorite to win that competition.
An incredibly sticky man coverage corner with the physicality to hold his own in the run game, Stokes might start as a rookie. Indianapolis has proven to be very reliable in the early rounds, and Stokes looks like one of the safest bets in the draft.