The conversation surrounding the Indianapolis Colts has shifted to the 2021 Draft, which is somehow just eight days away, and what they should do with their first-round pick.
With gaping holes at left tackle and defensive end, most analysts are projecting Indy to address those positions with their first two selections.
We would personally be just fine if they went down that road, but we’d also endorse the prospect of trading down or completely out of the first round.
After all, there’s no telling who will be available at No. 21 overall.
At that point in the draft, they might have to choose between the third- or fourth-best prospects at those positions. In other words, the pressure on GM Chris Ballard to get that pick right would increase tenfold.
While we fully trust Ballard’s drafting ability that last thing we would want is for him to feel compelled to reach on a prospect who would fill a need. With that in mind, let’s attempt to highlight a few potential first-round picks that would absolutely infuriate the fan base.
Fans might not be happy if the Colts draft any of these players in Round 1.
3. Kadarius Toney
The Colts simply cannot justify taking a wide receiver in Round 1.
In a normal year, Kadarius Toney would be regarded as a high-end first-round prospect. Unfortunately for the former Florida star, however, he’s fallen into the second-tier of wideouts behind the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. You could even throw WR/tight end hybrid Kyle Pitts in that group if you want.
If the Colts’ roster was fully loaded for next season — that could’ve been the case had they not been ultra conservative in free agency — we’d absolutely love the idea of drafting Toney, who caught 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior last year, in the first round.
Seeing as though that isn’t the case, Indy couldn’t justify taking a wideout this early, especially considering how important the left tackle and defensive end positions are to team success.
The Colts’ refusal to spend big in free agency was going to hamstring them at some point, and being unable to add a world-class talent like Toney to their receiving corps qualifies as such.
2. Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood would be a risky first-round pick for the Colts.
The Colts’ need for a left tackle is well-documented, but it wouldn’t be surprising if four of the consensus top prospects were off the board by No. 21 overall.
We tend to see a chain reaction in the draft when one player at an in-demand position is selected and a handful more are taken within the next several picks … and we wouldn’t be surprised if that happened with the tackle position this year.
If that happened, Ballard should exercise patience and wait until the second round to draft one. The 53-year-old GM has continuously noted that he doesn’t operate in a desperate world, and selecting Alex Leatherwood would fly in the face of his philosophy.
Like any prospect, this isn’t to say that Leatherwood won’t pan out in the NFL. We just don’t think he’d be worth the No. 21 overall pick since they could potentially get their hands on him, Samuel Cosmi, Liam Eichenberg, or even Dillon Radunz in the second round at No. 57 overall.
We just saw the Giants reach on Andrew Thomas at No. 4 overall last year, and he ultimately proved to be the fourth- or fifth-best tackle in his rookie class.
That last thing Indianapolis needs is to waste a valuable selection on a tackle who ends up needing a year or two to get acclimated to speed of the NFL. Plus, there’s speculation in terms of whether Leatherwood has more of a future at guard than tackle. Can’t happen.
1. Jayson Oweh
Penn State star Jayson Oweh would be a reach for the Colts at No. 21 overall.
As previously mentioned, the Colts are in desperate need of an edge rusher. While we wouldn’t think twice about reuniting with veteran Justin Houston, it also wouldn’t hurt Ballard and Co. to start preparing for the future at the position.
After all, Houston is entering his age-32 season and the jury is still out on whether the likes of Tyquan Lewis, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu have starter potential. With all of that being said, we would strongly urge the front office to steer clear of Jayson Oweh, who’s gained steam as a first-round prospect after his picturesque pro day.
Though Oweh oozes potential, his sheer rawness would put him in the same category as Lewis, Turay and Banogu, all of whom have really struggled to find their footing in the NFL. Given that the Colts’ roster is seemingly on the precipice of being able to compete for a championship, the last thing they need is to add another reserve edge rusher to the mix.
Now, is there a chance Oweh shocks the world and hits the ground running from Day 1? Perhaps, but we can’t ignore his lack of production for the Nittany Lions. In three seasons (20 games), the young pass rusher tallied just 63 tackles, 13.5 of which went for a loss, and seven sacks.
At 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds with a 4.44 40-yard dash in his locker, Oweh is the type of physical specimen Ballard tends to target in the draft. For as great as his track record is, however, the defensive end position is something he’s really struggled to get right over the last four years.
If the Colts end up targeting an edge rusher over a left tackle in the first round, we much rather Miami star Jaelan Phillips or Michigan standout Kwity Paye be the pick. Oweh is simply too much of a development project for a team with as high of a ceiling as Indianapolis.
Colts: Evidence suggests Chris Ballard should trade down or out of first round
Recent draft evidence suggests Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard should trade down or out of the first round.