Colts: TY Hilton has Andrew Luck praise for Carson Wentz

Outside of the left tackle position, the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive depth chart for next season is pretty much set in stone.

While they could certainly justify adding another receiver, the front office and coaching staff seems content with their current collection of pass catchers.

As things stand, the Colts have TY Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell, and Zach Pascal penciled in as their four starting wideouts. Though that group isn’t the flashiest, it should be more than enough given that the offense emphasizes distribution.

The re-signing of Hilton went a long way towards solidifying the WR corps, and it speaks volumes that he allegedly took less money to return to Indianapolis. For context, the Ravens offered him a multi-year deal that was also worth more annually.

Those juicy details were revealed during Hilton’s media session on Thursday. Among the highlights of his presser included raving about new quarterback Carson Wentz.

How excited is the nine-year pro to work with Wentz? Well, the fact that he likened some of his intangibles to those possessed by one Andrew Luck should give fans a solid idea.

Colts wideout TY Hilton thinks Carson Wentz has some Andrew Luck in him.

Hilton disclosed that he and Wentz have been texting regularly, going as far as to reveal that the former No. 2 overall pick actively recruited him to re-sign with the Colts. As evidenced by Hilton dishing out the Luck praise, it goes without saying that the excitement is mutual.

"“He can get out of the pocket, make the incredible throws,” Hilton said of Wentz. “He’s a special talent, especially when he’s standing up in the pocket, delivering throws. To be able to avoid guys and make plays with his legs or with his arms, he’s a special talent.”“His skillset is pretty unique and pretty special – his ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with his arms or legs,” Hilton said. “It can only up my game. … Because the DBs don’t like to cover for that long, so once you break away from them and the quarterback is able to extend the play and you’re wide open and it’s a big play.”"

These quotes should leave Colts fans excited for what lies ahead next season. If they somehow didn’t do the trick, however, perhaps the numbers Hilton posted in his last year with Luck as his quarterback will get you over the proverbial hump.

That year (2018), Hilton hauled in 76 receptions for 1,270 yards and six touchdowns. Despite missing two games due to injury, he finished 12th in receiving yards and posted a career-high with 90.7 yards per game, which ranked sixth among qualified wideouts.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Hilton is so gassed to catch passes from Wentz. After all, his last two quarterbacks — Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers — were extremely limited in terms of their downfield accuracy, arm strength and ability to throw on the run.

The bottom line? If Wentz is able to refine his throwing mechanics and rediscover the confidence he boasted throughout his career before last season, he and Hilton could form a similarly lethal amount of chemistry to what Hilton and Luck used to showcase on Sundays.

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