The Indianapolis Colts waited until late in the 2026 NFL Draft to add another weapon for Daniel Jones. After spending heavily on defense early, they added speedy wide receiver Deion Burks out of Oklahoma.
Burks gives head coach Shane Steichen immediate special teams value and a shifty pass catcher with big-play potential. He was somewhat overlooked and undersized, but he may only need a chance to prove he plays bigger than his size suggests.
Notably, his game will have to cash the checks his mouth is writing. In a chat with James Boyd of The Athletic, the rookie wideout made a strong claim about his game: He's a winner and the best wide receiver in this class.
Deion Burks thinks the Indianapolis Colts landed a true steal
“Explosiveness, leadership, work ethic, discipline, man. I’m a winner, honestly,“ Burks told Boyd. “I still believe I’m the best in this draft at WR and (other) WRs really can’t do what I can do, honestly.”
You certainly have to love the confidence, and while consistency and size are legitimate concerns with Burks, beggars can't be choosers. The Colts don't have depth behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, so there's certainly a path for him to take the field.
Of course, as a seventh-round selection, he has to earn his spot on the 53-man roster first. The best way to do so will be to prove that he can be a ball-winner despite being just 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds. He did so in college, hauling in 52.9 percent of his contested catches in his final year at Oklahoma, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Burks averaged 5.2 yards after the catch in his final year in college, and that's where his value should reside in the pros. He can be a poor man's Xavier Worthy for the Colts, using his light frame and elusiveness to make guys miss and give Daniel Jones another potential big-play specialist alongside Alec Pierce.
He can also provide some value as a gadget guy. He ran an unofficial 4.30-second 40-yard dash, and that type of speed and acceleration always come in handy in jet sweeps and trick plays. Again, the potential and opportunities will be there, but he'll have to earn them one day at a time.
Undersized and skinny wide receivers don't always find success in the pros. That said, Burks has come a long way since his days at Purdue. He's improved his ball security and doesn't struggle with drops as much as he did earlier in his collegiate career, showing a determination to get better and work on his flaws.
Players have to be confident, and some of them often run their mouths a bit too much. However, if Burks truly thinks he was a draft steal and can be the best in this class, he'll have to put his money where his mouth is.
Add us as a preferred source on Google