The College Football Playoff will showcase some of the best draft prospects that the Indianapolis Colts should be keeping an eye on.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally one of the most exciting days in college football; not just for football fans, but for NFL scouts and executives. Since the college football championship added semifinals to include the top four seeds, the playoffs have been a hotbed for NFL scouts to evaluate talent. Last year, players like Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson, Sauce Gardner, Evan Neal, Jameson Williams, and Jordan Davis showcased their abilities against the best in college football in front of scouts and executives. What was the result? Each player listed was selected in the top half of the first round.
Draft guru and Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard should be in attendance with the rest of his scouting staff to watch the players, and he should be licking his chops. Already on thin ice for the performance of his team, Ballard knows that he needs another home run draft. The four teams in the College Football Playoff, Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State, are no strangers to producing NFL talent either.
Ballard will be picking in the top 10 of the first round for the second time in his tenure; his other top-10 pick is Quenton Nelson at No. 6 in the 2018 draft. With the draft position likely to be similarly high as the 2018 draft, Ballard and his team are in a good position to try and replicate the production of his historic draft class. Here are some prospects that Indianapolis’ scouting teams could be focused on based on their current needs.
A quarterback for the Colts
CJ Stroud is likely to have the most eyes on him. He’s the best quarterback playing for the championship and is rumored to be declaring for the NFL draft, despite having more years of college eligibility. Stroud is favored to be the number one quarterback by many and top three by the rest. Stroud’s passer rating ranks first in college football at a ridiculous 176.2 and completed 66.2% of his passes.
Stroud ended the regular season with 37 touchdowns to just six interceptions, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. Many believe that Stroud will still be on the board at pick 5, which the Colts currently hold. If the Colts still need a franchise quarterback by the time their pick needs to be in, and Stroud is on the board still, Indy needs to pull the trigger.
Offensive draft prospects in the CFP for Colts
Paris Johnson Jr. is a tackle for Ohio State and is widely seen as one of the best tackles in the draft. Johnson is next in line of a long successful history of the Buckeyes’ ability to mold pro-ready linemen. The Colts struggled to protect quarterback Matt Ryan and have currently given up the second-most sacks in the NFL. This is despite having the most expensive contracts in the league. For being the highest-paid offensive line in football, perhaps it is time for a change of guard with some of the vets.
Drafting Johnson to play left tackle would allow the Colts to slide Bernhard Raimann to a guard position which he may be more suited for in the NFL. If the Colts have a top-five pick and opt to go tackle, it’s unlikely they’ll choose Johnson over Peter Skoronski, so drafting Johnson is likely only realistic if they end up trading down for more picks.
Quentin Johnston is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in this year’s draft. The only way that the Colts would take Johnston is if they trade back and he’s still there with their next pick. The Colts will roll into the season with strong Michael Pittman Jr. and emerging Alec Pierce. Assuming Parris Campbell walks in free agency, Johnston would be a terrific replacement and would pair excellently across from Pittman.
In order for this to work, the Colts would have to address their offensive line first to give Matt Ryan time in the pocket. But it’s hard not to dream about a strong offensive line with a veteran quarterback who gets to choose between throwing to Pittman, Pierce, or Johnston. If the Colts can shore up their other needs on offense, perhaps Johnston’s presence could send this offense over the top.
Olusegun Oluwatimi is the only prospect in Bleacher Report’s top 100 that would potentially provide value to this Indianapolis team. Where Oluwatimi provides value is at right guard, where the Colts have started multiple players. Indianapolis touts a lot of talent on the line. Even though Raimann may be a better fit at the guard position, he’s getting better at the left tackle spot. If he remains there with five-time pro bowler Quenton Nelson at left guard, Ryan Kelly at center and Braden Smith playing a solid right tackle, inserting Oluwatimi at right guard could possibly bring this offensive line back to the prominence it used to hold.
Admittedly, Oluwatimi is not likely going in the first round. He certainly won’t be going as high as the Colts’ first pick. However, Oluwatimi could be a sneaky option for a team to trade back into the first round to get him with a fifth-year option. Oluwatimi is possibly the prospect on this list with the most to prove on this list in the playoff. If he ends up performing well in a potential matchup with Georgia’s front defense, his draft stock could skyrocket.
Defensive draft prospects in the CFP for Colts
Nolan Smith is an edge rusher for a stacked Georgia Bulldogs defense. College statistics need to be taken lightly as they sometimes don’t speak to the talent of a player. Smith’s 14 solo tackles and 3 sacks don’t jump off the page. However, it can be argued that Smith is the fastest and most electric player on the field when on defense, which is the best in the country. With an electrifying skillset and a 6-foot-3 235-pound frame, some are wondering if Smith can jump Will Anderson for the best edge rusher in the SEC.
If Smith has a productive showing in the playoff and shows out at the NFL combine, being the first edge rusher off the board is a real possibility. If San Francisco’s defense this year has taught us anything, there’s no such thing as too many edge rushers. With Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo coming alone on their own, Smith would be a terrific addition to an already emerging defensive front. As it stands, the Colts rank sixth in the NFL in sacks. Adding Smith could make them even better and could overwhelm offenses.
Jalen Carter is unquestionably the biggest difference-maker for the talented Georgia defense. At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Carter has 13 solo tackles and three sacks to go with two forced fumbles. Even though his stats aren’t jumping off the page, Carter has been wrecking offensive lines in the SEC, often facing double teams. Carter’s ability to put pressure on linemen is a major reason why opposing offenses have averaged less than 13 points per game against Georgia.
Carter needs to be the selection if QB is already addressed and they find themselves taking the best player available, though he may not even make it to the Colts’ selection. The Colts don’t need a defensive tackle since they already have two of the best in DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. It needs to be considered though that both players are aging by the year and are soon-to-be free agents. Perhaps Indianapolis should draft a replacement and let him learn under some of the game’s best.
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