Leading up to the NFL Draft, Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts made it clear the type of players they’d select and what strategy they’d follow.
Teams typically like to keep their cards close to their chest leading up to the NFL Draft. They never want to tip their pick or give other teams any idea what direction they will go.
The Indianapolis Colts did their best to follow suit. While many expected Indy to open their draft with pass-catchers, the team never gave concrete info of what position they would go to.
However, if anyone was paying close attention to the Colts in the months before the Draft, it was clear the type of players Indy was planning on selecting.
In the first episode of the Colts Draft Series “With The Next Pick,” Ballard is seen talking to a room of Indy’s scouts and says, “I want to make sure we’re getting the best guys with traits. Let’s bet on the traits, let’s bet on high-end traits.”
Chris Ballard is going to bet on high end traits pic.twitter.com/SnYZzqhhR6
— Not Chris Shepherd's Burner Account (@NotShepsBurner) April 24, 2022
Colts told everyone they would bet on traits in the Draft
When Ballard says traits, he’s referring to size and athleticism. Players with big frames that perform well in speed and explosion tests.
It would seem like an obvious approach for all NFL teams to want the biggest guys that run the fastest and jump the highest but that’s not always the case. Some teams prioritize game film or college production over measurements and testing numbers.
The Colts aren’t one of those teams. While they obviously are going after guys that excel on the field as well, it’s now clear that size and athleticism are top factors for the scouting department.
Chris Ballard + Frank Reich presser...
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 30, 2022
On seeking athleticism: Ballard: "If they're not at a certain level, they're probably not going to make our (draft) board."
Indy’s first pick, Alec Pierce, is a 6-foot-3 wide receiver that runs a 4.41 40-yard dash and has a 40.5-inch vertical. Jelani Woods, the second selection, is a 6-foot-7, 260-pound-tight end and ran a 4.61 40.
Bernhard Raimann is a left tackle that played tight end just two years ago and Nick Cross is a safety that ran a 4.34 40. Top to bottom, the Colts may have the most athletic draft class of any team.
That’s not by coincidence. Indianapolis has made it clear that was the plan all along.
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