The Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiving corps has been a polarizing topic of conversation this offseason, and it all started when the front office decided to re-sign TY Hilton on a one-year deal over pursuing one of the more high-profile (and younger) free agents.
Based on the system they run, the Colts’ offense isn’t exactly crying out for a premium pass-catcher. On paper, the likes of Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr, a rejuvenated Parris Campbell, and the always consistent Zach Pascal should be more than enough.
However, if one of those players were to suffer an injury, who among the reserves would emerge as a reliable No. 4 option? If you take a look at the depth chart, Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin and Michael Strachan would be the ideal candidates.
While Patmon and Dulin have a year’s worth of experience over Strachan, who was drafted in the seventh round in April, don’t be surprised if the rookie pops at training camp.
In fact, if you hear what Colts scouts had to say in terms of what intrigued them about Strachan during the pre-draft process, you’ll buy into the hype.
The early returns of Mike Strachan with the #Colts have been strong:https://t.co/eBSwUlSjMN
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) July 8, 2021
Colts fans will love what team scouts had to say about Michael Strachan.
"“I got to West Virginia’s Pro Day, (and) here’s a guy coming from a small school (Charleston) that didn’t play (last season due to the pandemic),” said Colts area scout Chad Henry. “He’s in phenomenal shape. He’s in as good a shape as anyone at the workout.“He blows up the testing, and then they go to run routes and it was clear that this guy has been busting his butt. He put on a show. He said, ‘I can do more than just run streaks. The D-II guy who goes to the Power 5 Pro Day, and he was the star. The star of the day. And there was never a doubt the entire day.”"
Now do you feel like climbing aboard the Strachan hype train? Let’s remember we’re talking about a Division-II athlete who had his 2020 season shut down due to COVID-19. The fact the young receiver showed out at West Virginia’s pro day amid all those obstacles speaks volumes and proves the Colts might’ve gotten a steal drafting him as late as they did.
When analyzing receivers from smaller schools, Henry noted he likes to see whether they dominate their competition. Strachan did exactly that over the 2018 and 2019 seasons for Charleston, racking up 2,326 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns.
Throw his monster 6-foot-5, 226-pound frame into the mix, and it’s really easy to see why Indianapolis decided to draft Strachan … who seems to be establishing a nice rapport with Carson Wentz, per footage from the quarterback’s latest private workout.
https://twitter.com/cliffWISH8/status/1415008808485654531
That’s what we like to see!
There’s clearly going to be a learning curve with Strachan — Henry admitted as such to reporters — but if he can refine his route-running and develop a quick understanding of the playbook and how to read defenses, he could threaten for the final WR spot.
What more could you ask for from a seventh-round pick out of Charleston?
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