The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2014 NFL Draft with just five picks due to a pair of trades with the Cleveland Browns. This seriously limited the team’s options and hurt their chances to pick up a lot of talent in what was one of the deeper draft classes in recent memory. At last year’s draft, the Colts moved their 2014 first rounder to pick up the Browns fifth round pick, and selected Montori Hughes. Hughes would play just 74 snaps as a rookie defensive lineman for Indianapolis. The first round pick was moved for Trent Richardson, who was a giant disappointment in Indy. Well Hughes and Richardson could get better, as judged today, those two deals must be seen as mistakes, and this hurts the Colts draft grade.
2014 Indianapolis Colts Draft Picks
2 (59) – Jack Mewhort, OL, Ohio State;
3 (90) – Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss;
5 (166) – Jonathan Newsome, DE, Ball State;
6 (203) – Andrew Jackson, ILB, Western Kentucky;
7 (232) – Ulrick John, OT, Georgia State
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2014 Colts Draft Grade – 5/10
Colts Draft Review
The Best Player: The Colts made their first pick in the second round, and filled a major need in taking Jack Mewhort out of Ohio State. While Mewhort was a tackle in college, he projects as a guard in the pro game, and the Colts really needed help at the position. Mewhort may lack the mobility to play tackle, but he’s got the size and the ability to be a very valuable interior lineman to help the Colts improve the run game and protect the face of the franchise in Andrew Luck.
The Head Scratcher: Trading a 4th round pick in a much deeper draft class for a 5th round pick in the weaker 2013 draft class is a big head scratcher. Look we get that getting a pick a year earlier has value and usually means you move up a round, but thats just a guideline. It was foreseeable during the 2013 draft that the 2014 class would be much stronger, so this move made little sense at the time, and makes none after seeing Hughes lack of production last year.
The Surprise Pick: Andrew Jackson was surprising in that I thought the Colts had a major need in the secondary that went unaddressed while they took an inside linebacker, a position that just wasn’t as weak as Corner Back and Safety in Indianapolis. I question if Jackson is more than just a special teams player as well, he played weak competition and while he was a good player, he wasn’t a dominant one at Western Kentucky.
Best Value Pick: I really like Donte Moncrief and thought he was a mid-second round talent. Getting him at the tail end of the third round is excellent value. The Colts have really rebuilt their receiving corps this off-season and adding weapons will certainly help Andrew Luck as he moves up and becomes an elite NFL QB. Moncrief has outstanding hands, and will be a very good safety valve, and possession receiver while Ty Hilton stretches the field.
The Steal: Ulrick John has the potential to develop into an effective offensive tackle. He isn’t ready to play this year as he lacks physical strength, but he has a great frame, and good technique. With a year in the weight room the Georgia State product could be ready to make serious contributions on the Colts offensive line in 2015.
Most Likely to Make an Impact in 2014: Mewhort should start for the Colts, and I don’t think we can say the same of any other player in this class. Moncrief faces competition from Reggie Wayne, Ty Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, and Da’Rick Rogers to see the field right away. While I really like Moncrief, I think he ends up the 4th or 5th receiver as a rookie, so Mewhort will have a bigger impact.
The Bust: Is there any other way to explain a trade for a running back who flat out sucked in Indianapolis, and giving up a first round pick to do so? Especially in a year where the value of Running Backs has never been lower in the NFL. The only bigger mistake than trading a late first rounder for Trent Richardson, was Cleveland picking him 3rd overall to begin with.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Camp: Moncrief’s numbers in his final year at Ole Miss weren’t great. He got bogged down on a losing program, with a bad quarterback and it seemed to affect his on the field effort at times. At camp he shows what he can do with a real QB. Four wide offensive sets will be fun for Luck.
Honorable Mention goes to Jonathan Newsome. He won’t be an every down player, as he will struggle against the run, but Newsome can rush the passer and will show that ability in camp. Expect him to win a role as a pass rush specialist, even as a rookie.
Verdict: As stated, the biggest problem the Colts had in this draft was the lack of picks. The grade would be better if the traded picks had been used in productive ways, but both trades look bad, and that really has to be factored in here, and is main reason for a low draft grade at just 5/10, one of the lowest scores we gave out this year.
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