Indianapolis Colts: 3 new additions who will exceed expectations

The Indianapolis Colts may not have made a huge number of impactful additions in the offseason, but Chris Ballard is adhering to a “quality over quantity” philosophy that could end up helping the Colts overtake the Tennessee Titans in the standings.

The Colts may have made some moves in the 2021 NFL Draft that were baffling to some given where the mock draft wizards had some of those players ranked. However, if they hit their stride, they can be instant impact players.

Indianapolis needs to bank on one or more of those new faces starting to exceed what fans and media members expect they are capable are, as enough of those unheralded names starting to break out could be the secret ingredient that makes the Colts contenders.

These three players should help the team compete to varying degrees during the regular season, but if they exceed their projections, Indianapolis should be set up nicely for the 2021 season and far beyond that.

These 3 Colts could breakout as stars this season.

3. TE Kylen Granson

While many expected Indianapolis to improve at the tight end position before the fourth round given the play of Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox, Ballard appears to have found his man a bit later in Granson. A former high school teammate of sixth-round quarterback Sam Ehlinger, Granson might contribute instantly.

Granson was one of the premier targets for Shane Buechele and SMU’s wide-open offense, and he could slide right into an H-back role, although he could face some challenges when it comes to sticking in the pros due to his blocking.

Kylen Granson is a bit of a risk for the Colts.

Granson wasn’t asked to block much in college, and he will have to make a very steep adjustment if he has to play any snaps in-line. If he takes to that and becomes a solid blocker, he could give the Colts plenty of potential for mismatches, which would help earn him brownie points with Frank Reich.

Granson runs routes like a wide receiver, yet he has the muscle and determination as a runner to make him a lethal target in an offense that wants to get the ball out of the hands of the quarterback as soon as possible. This could also make him one of the better fourth-round picks in this class.