The 2016 NFL Draft has come and gone. That means it’s time to evaluate how all 32 teams did in addressing their positions of need. Here, we take a look at the Indianapolis Colts 2016 NFL Draft class.
The following players were selected by the Colts in this year’s draft:
1st round (18th overall): center Ryan Kelly (Alabama)
2nd round (57th overall, from Packers): free safety T.J. Green (Clemson)
3rd round (82nd overall): offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark (Texas Tech)
4th round (116th overall): defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (Texas)
4th round (125th overall, from Packers): inside linebacker Antonio Morrison (Florida)
5th round (155th overall): offensive tackle Joe Haeg (North Dakota State)
7th round (239th overall): linebacker Trevor Bates (Maine)
7th round (248th overall, from Packers): center Austin Blythe (Iowa)
The Colts traded their second round pick to the Packers in exchange for Green Bay’s second, fourth and seventh round picks in this year’s draft.
Perhaps the biggest need the Colts needed to take care of in this draft was offensive line. And they certainly made sure to do so. Of their eight overall picks, four addressed this position. The other four helped add depth to the defensive front seven. Defensive end Kendall Langford and outside linebacker Robert Mathis, despite leading the team in sacks last year, are on the wrong end of 30. And inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman signed with the Bears in free agency. So adding bodies on that side of the football was a must as well.
Draft Grade: 8.4/10 (B-)
Indianapolis Colts 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Ryan Kelly
It’s hard to argue that the player Indy selected first in the draft takes this honor. Not often do you see a center going this early, but Ryan Kelly was well worth the pick. Kelly excelled at the position for Alabama after taking over from Rimington Trophy (nation’s best center) winner Barrett Jones as a sophomore. And he anchored an offensive line that created plenty of space for Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry to run through as the Crimson Tide rolled to the 2015 national title.
Kelly is a versatile lineman that can play all three positions up front. And he should be an upgrade at center. Incumbent starter Jonotthan Harrison was ranked 25th at the position according to Pro Football Focus last season. That, combined with his ability to potentially line up at guard as well, has general manager Ryan Grigson excited about his potential.
“He’s a little over 6-4, 313 pounds, so it’s not a typical kind of sawed-off center that you a lot of times see,” Grigson noted in discussing the draft class. “He has guard size that’s playing center, but moves like a premium center. Really excited with him.”
The Head-Scratcher: This isn’t as much related to what the Colts did in the draft as much as what they didn’t do. Not a single skill position player was selected by the team. As such, they appear to be standing pat with a group of running backs that includes a soon-to-be 33-year-old Frank Gore as well as two journeymen players in Jordan Todman and Robert Turbin.
Their depth at wide receiver and tight end is also a bit limited heading into 2016. Dwayne Allen is the only tight end on the roster that had any appreciable stats in 2015 now that Coby Fleener departed for the Saints. He had just 109 receiving yards and a touchdown last season. And perhaps adding another target in the receiving corps to compliment T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief might have helped.
That said, the Colts have signed a running back, two tight ends and six wide receivers as undrafted free agents over the past few days. Those players will certainly have an opportunity to make their mark and claim a spot on the final 53-man roster.
The Surprise: Austin Blythe
It’s not often that you see a team pick two centers in the same draft. But that’s exactly what the Colts did. They began and ended the draft taking a player at that position. Kelly we’ve already talked about. But they also selected Austin Blythe out of Iowa in the seventh round. Blythe started all four years for the Hawkeyes and is part of a program that has produced plenty of NFL-caliber linemen. Like Kelly, he’s a versatile player that would have no problem moving to guard if need be. He doesn’t have prototypical NFL size but possesses a ton of strength and was extremely durable in college.
The Steal: T.J. Green
The Colts were bottom quarter of the league in opponent yards per play and third down conversion percentage. This indicates the need for a playmaker on defense that can lock down opposing receivers and be a force in blitz packages. T.J. Green exhibited this skill set and then some for a Clemson team that made it all the way to the national title game last year.
Green also had a phenomenal Combine that enhanced his draft stock. His 4.34 40 time was best among safeties and over a tenth of a second faster than the number two player at the position. He possesses great size for the position at 6’2″ and 209 pounds. All these qualities make him a huge get for the Colts late in the second round.
Most Likely To Turn Heads in Training Camp: Antonio Morrison
The Colts received two additional picks this year in the day two trade with the Packers. The first of these was spent on inside linebacker Antonio Morrison out of Florida. The free agency loss of Jerrell Freeman meant Indy had a glaring need on the inside of their linebacking corps. Though picking Morrison in the fourth round could be classified as a reach, he certainly adds depth to a clear position of need.
Morrison’s play speed belies his less than impressive Combine data that included a 5.01 second 40-yard dash. He also demonstrated great leadership qualities while at Florida so could be a good locker room presence. With more NFL quarterbacks demonstrating mobility outside the pocket, look for him to be utilized as a spy in certain situations.
The Rest: The Colts got an imposing presence with great length by drafting Le’Raven Clark in the third round. Clark started a whopping 51 games for Texas Tech and could have an immediate impact at the next level. The big question with him is do you put him at tackle or move him inside to take advantage of his run-blocking capabilities.
One round after taking Clark, the Colts bolstered the interior of their defensive line by selecting Hassan Ridgeway. The 6’3″, 303 pound product out of Texas is an athletic defensive tackle who’s extremely tough to block. He has the potential to contribute right out of the gate in defensive coordinator Ted Monachino’s 3-4 base scheme.
In the fifth round, Indy continued to shore up the offensive line by taking tackle Joe Haeg out of North Dakota State. Haeg is used to providing protection to star quarterbacks. After all, the past few years saw him pass block for none other than this year’s second overall pick Carson Wentz. The theme of all four offensive linemen taken by the Colts is experience and durability. Haeg was no different, starting 60 games for the Bison and winning an FCS national title in all four of his seasons in Fargo.
Trevor Bates was taken in the seventh round to address the Colts’ needs at linebacker. Though he played on the perimeter at Maine, some scouts worry he lacks the length to play outside linebacker in the pros. And the team speed he saw at FCS level pales in comparison to what he’ll be exposed to in the NFL. Nevertheless, he’s a tough, instinctual player who shouldn’t have much of an issue moving inside.
Bottom Line: The theme of the Indianapolis Colts 2016 NFL Draft was putting in pieces aimed at protecting Andrew Luck. It’s something that was missing quite often last season. By drafting four offensive lineman, suffice it to say that Indy’s war room didn’t shy away from addressing this need. Colts owner Jim Irsay emphasized in comments following the draft that the unit is much better heading into the 2016 season as a result.
“Obviously, the offensive line has been strengthened in a major way,” he told Colts.com. “It gives us a lot of options in terms of who we want to play guard, (and) who we want to play tackle. We feel like we are a much improved football team.”
