Amidst the slew of tight ends that trickle in and out of Shane Steichen's offense on a weekly basis for the Indianapolis Colts, second-year tight end Drew Ogletree has shined bright as of late. In his first professional season, Ogletree is quickly shaping up to be the talented tight end that he flashed as in training camp as a rookie.
Ogletree has seen an uptick in his overall usage within the offense over the past few weeks, culminating in a position-room high 66% of the offensive snaps. Mo Alie-Cox's visit to the concussion protocol opened the door for Ogletree and he hasn't looked back since, showcasing himself to the world with his first career touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
Drew Ogletree's first NFL TD comes at a pretty great time.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 1, 2023
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/RLzNLVfCjp
Ogletree finished the game as the team's leading receiver with 46 receiving yards on three receptions and his aforementioned first career score, that set up the PAT unit to tie the game, capping off the Colts' 23-point comeback which ultimately fell short. It was this game that solidified Ogletree as an NFL talent, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
As previously mentioned, Ogletree led the Colts tight ends in offensive snaps against the Titans with 66%. Since his season debut, he has seen an increase of snap share among tight ends in each game. Once Gardner Minshew relieved Anthony Richardson of his duties against Tennessee, Ogletree was a mainstay for the rest of the game, as Shane Steichen leaned heavily on Zack Moss and the run game.
Drew Ogletree has the best balance of being a receiving threat with a blocking prowess of any tight end the Colts have. Jelani Woods is likely the best overall receiver of the group, whereas Kylen Granson is more of the reliable, H-back-type that'll torch you underneath. However, neither compare in totality to Ogletree when comparing both sides of the coin to one's game.
Drew Ogletree has been really good for the Colts
Aside from Ogletree's talent as a receiver, which has proven to be fruitful in a short time thus far, the most overlooked aspect of his game is his ability as a blocker. Although he isn't the most physically menacing of blockers, his athleticism coupled with his prototypical 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame allows him to win his matchups quite often.
Colts zone read bluff with the sniffer tight end (Drew Ogletree) leading the way to the outside.
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) October 4, 2023
Great block by Alec Pierce on the outside as well pic.twitter.com/gQ0vqWlWeM
Admittedly, it's an incredibly small sample size and the source's data is undeniably an imperfect science, but Pro Football Focus' player grades have Drew Ogletree rated as the highest-graded tight end in the NFL with an overall grade of 85.1. This doesn't anoint Ogletree as the league's best player by mere metrics, but rather sheds light on the level of play he is currently showcasing.
Ogletree's receiving grade is the highest among 75 qualifying tight ends (86.6) and he is 11th as a blocker (66.8). In his four games played, Ogletree has in a run blocking on 63 plays, appearing in 69.8% of the team's zone blocking plays and 25.4% of its gap blocking plays.
Whenever Jelani Woods returns from Injured Reserve and makes his season debut, he will undoubtedly find his way into the lineup, if not as the starter soon thereafter. Regardless, Shane Steichen has been using each of his weapons in a variety of ways through five games already. There's no denying Ogletree's impact as of late and it would be a disservice to keep him off the field if not warranted.