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The Indianapolis Colts were led by general manager Chris Ballard for the third consecutive year and it appears that they had yet another successful haul.
Coming off a 31-13 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the NFL playoffs, the Colts knew that they had to go out and bolster their roster. The latest group of prospects that they selected in the NFL Draft should make them a more impactful and versatilte team.
At the beginning of draft night, the Colts began with the 26th-overall pick but they decided to trade down with the Washington Redskins in exchange for the 46th-overall pick and the Redskins' 2020 second-round pick. This was a necessary move that was made to bolster the organization's war chest for next year's draft.
Indianapolis ended up making selections with the following picks; 34th, 49th, 59th, 89th, 109th, 144th, 164th, 199th, 240th, and 246th. Most of the focus with their selections ultimately was placed on improving the team's talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Despite a difficult schedule during the upcoming season, the Colts should be ready to win plenty of games. They made a variety of key offseason acquisitions through through both free agency and the draft and they will have Andrew Luck healthy from the start of the season.
Here are three takeaways from the selections that the Colts made in the NFL Draft:
3. They were serious about bolstering the defense
No team selected more defensive players in the NFL Draft than the Colts and that could pay serious dividends for them. They ended up picking three linebackers, two cornerbacks, one defensive end, and one safety. While instant impact is never guaranteed, there are plenty of reasons for optimism surrounding their selections.
The efforts to improve on the defensive side of the ball was part of a larger plan that dates back to when Chris Ballard took over the reigns as the team's general manager. Indianapolis was among the league's worst on defense after the 2017 season but they have become more dynamic and deeper
The goal that Ballard had was to improve the speed of the defense by selecting prospects that are elite athletes. However, the stipulation was that those players had to possess cohesive skill-sets while also fitting the makeup of the locker room. It seems that they managed to do exactly what they set out to do with their latest draft class.
“Add speed, competition on defense — plain and simple,” Ballard told ESPN's Mike Wells. “We wanted to get athletic, fast players that fit our mold from a talent perspective, but also have the makeup that we want in our locker room. You don’t want to upset the apple cart in terms of who you bring into the building. They have to stand for the same things you stand for.”
The first selection that Indianapolis made was Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin with the 34th pick. He played one season at the NCAA Division I level and recorded 12 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 36 total tackles, and 2.0 tackles for loss during that period. While his playing experience isn't extensive, he has strong potential as he stands at 6'2″ and has great length and athleticism to go along with his size.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WyP4ikLkGw
During the scouting process, Ballard mentioned how he was impressed with Rock's performance particularly during the Senior Bowl and against a tough matchup with the University of Buffalo. The Colts widely expected to trade down from the 34th pick, but Ballard did not want to pass up on the chance to select Rock.
“Rock was outstanding at the Senior Bowl and he was great all year,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “You watch the University (at) Buffalo game and they got a good quarterback and a good wide out and he played great and he played great at the Senior Bowl and then you stack on his character, his competitiveness, his will to win, it just fit us.
While it's difficult to top selecting a player that earns a 1st Team All-Pro nod as a rookie like Darrius Leonard, Indianapolis looked to continue to bolster their linebacking corps. The selection of TCU edge defender Ben Banogu with the 49th pick will add a high potential pass rushing complement to their team.
Banogu put together an impressive senior campaign with the Horned Frogs totaling 8.5 sacks, 57 total tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 touchdown. Perhaps the most impressive statistic of all is that he recorded 60 quarterback pressures in 2019. His performance was enough to earn him a spot on the 1st Team All-Big 12 squad and to solidify his name in the minds of NFL scouts.
Ballard noted that he saw some a comparison of Jamie Collins in Banogu and that they will likely play him at the SAM role to start his career. He may not be used exclusively in that role because his versatility allows him to do a multiple of things. This was another prospect that had elite athletic tools that put together an impressive Senior Bowl performance.
“Look Ben is an intriguing athlete,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “We will probably start him out at SAM, but saying that we also think he has got a lot of rush to him. I hate comparing names but when Jamie Collins came out of Southern Miss, I saw the same type of athletic talent and I think when you watch the Senior Bowl – I mean he did some impressive things, now,” Ballard told Colts.com's Jake Arthur.
“They line him up at outside backer and rushed him, they rushed him from the three-technique, they played him at SAM, they played him at MIKE some. We think he has got a lot of versatility and his speed and athleticism and ability to run down quarterbacks is important in this league. We think he is going to be great on our turf.”
The Colts' effort to add more talent to their linebacking corps continued with the selection of Stanford linebacker Bobby Okereke with the 89th pick. The physical tools that he has compare most closely with Leonard in terms of length and athleticism and that should excite the fans given the instant success that he accomplished so far in his career.
Okereke produced 94 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles in 13 games during his senior season at Stanford. While his production shows in the box score, his impact goes beyond it. He is quite effective in coverage and that is valuable trait for any team to integrate into their current personnel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ojKtSXOtk
Something that Ballard appreciates about Okereke's abilities is the fact that he can ‘play all three spots' as a linebacker. His ability to play in coverage could give Indianapolis a different option than Anthony Walker in late down situations to combat the passing attack of the opposition, which they certainly needed at times last season.
“Any ‘backer we take, we think can play all three spots,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “Darius can play all three, Anthony Walker can play all three, Bobby can play all three. He’ll get in, and he’ll compete, and the best three will play.
“He is 240 pounds. He is a big dude, long arms, over 34 inch arms. I would be hard-pressed to find two other inside backers in the league that has got as long arms as (Darius) Leonard and Okereke.”
The Colts added to their defensive back depth by selecting Michigan State safety Khari Willis with the 109th pick. He is considered an athletic box safety that can tackle at a high level. The team ultimately ended up trading up 20 spots in the 4th round to be able to pick Willis before he was able to go to any other team. That's a high honor since Ballard rarely trades up.
Willis managed to record 84 total tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 10 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions in 13 games as a senior. Perhaps one of his top attributes is one that does not show in a box score. That would be his leadership skills. Many rave about how important he was to the Spartans' locker room and adding a personality of that nature only helps.
The Colts were high on Willis and Ballard even stated that he was willing to take the Michigan State product in the 3rd round. There seemed to be strong inconsistency regarding how teams viewed Willis on their draft boards and that may have to do with him being a box safety. The key may be if he can prove that he is more versatile than many anticipate.
“We thought about taking him in the third round. It was definitely in consideration,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “We think he’s athletic. We think he’s smart. I thought he was probably one of the better tackling safeties in this draft. We think he’s going to be a really good fit into that safety room. Not only from a talent perspective, but also from an intelligence and character perspective.”
The 144th pick was used by the Colts to select USC safety Marvell Tell III but he will be initially playing cornerback in the NFL. This appears to be a developmental selection that will require a long-term process. What enticed management to select Tell III was the great physical tools that he has in terms of height, wingspan, strength, and athleticism.
The scouting process when evaluating Tell III was unique for the Colts. They sent their cornerbacks coach down to southern California to work out the prospect as a corner rather than a safety. Ballard sees a comparison between the young defensive back and Quincy Wilson and noted that those types of players often go ‘under-appreciated.'
“We see a big, tall athlete that we thought he had a better junior than senior season for whatever reason,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “We actually sent (Cornerbacks coach (Jonathan) Gannon) out to work him out as a corner. So we’re going to give him a shot at corner. One of the things we really like – that’s why Quincy (Wilson) I think we undervalue how – these guys are valuable when they can do a lot on game day.
“Quincy Wilson has developed into not only a good corner, but he slides in (and) he plays dime. He’s highly intelligent and he can slide and play different roles for you. We think Tell has got that same type of talent. Any time you’ve got a chance to get a big athlete with long arms, good speed – we think he can do a bunch of different roles. We’re going to play him at corner to start out.”
The selections of Tarleton State linebacker EJ Speed and Mississippi State linebacker Gerri Green were the Colts' final two defensive picks. They should at least help to provide depth.
2. Their passing attack will be electrifying
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The Colts finished the regular season with a total of 432 completed passes (2nd) on 644 attempts (2nd) and that resulted in 4,461 passing yards (6th) and 39 passing touchdowns (2nd). They will likely produce even greater results during the upcoming season considering how they managed to upgrade their receiving talent.
One of the main ways that Indianapolis improved their receiving talent was by selecting Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell with the 59th overall pick. He is coming off an impressive season with totals of 90 receptions, 1,063 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in a role that featured him primarily in the slot.
The Colts' focus heading into the draft was to mostly add athletic defensive prospects to make their defense a faster overall unit. However, the reality was that they weren't going to limit themselves to making exclusively defensive selections in the early rounds. Their other main priority was to at least leave the draft with one explosive offensive threat like Campbell.
“Sometimes you just get lucky, Bill” Ballard told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I don't care what anybody says, sometimes it just works out. I wish we had this grand, master plan that said we were going to be looking at Parris Campbell with the 59th pick. At the combine, his workout was unbelievable. It was incredible. I have Frank next to me watching his workout with his tongue hanging out. So we just dove back into the office to start studying him and we thought very highly of Parris.”
.@Colts GM Chris Ballard on landing WR Parris Campbell with the 59th overall pick….
"Sometimes you just get lucky" #ColtsDraft
⬇️LISTEN HERE⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nFfEp33ddM
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 1, 2019
What is scary for other NFL teams is that Indianapolis now has more talent to complement T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron beyond just selected Campbell in the draft. They managed to retain their second most productive wide receiver in Chester Rogers while adding the 6'4″ Devin Funchess from free agency. They also will have Deion Cain and Jack Doyle healthy heading into training camp.
The options that Colts head coach Frank Reich will have with a player that possesses the breakaway speed and quickness when designing plays seem endless. They lacked an explosive gadget option to help diversify their attack and that is something Campbell will be able to bring to the team and having those options will be ‘fun' for Reich.
“It’s funny, I have said this to you guys before, but as a coach you always feel you so much love the guys you work with that I always think, ‘Hey, we don’t need anybody else. We already got the best guys in the world playing for us,'” Reich told reporters after the draft. “And then all of a sudden, now you’re giving us more? This isn’t fair. It’s not going to be fair. And then you get a guy that runs 4.31 and you just say, ‘It’s going to be fun to see these guys work together.'”
There is belief from Reich that Campbell can be an effective player beyond the ways that he was able to show during his career the Buckeyes. Based on the film that Reich watched during the scouting process, he believes that the Colts will likely use Campbell outside of the slot too and that simply not a part of his role at the collegiate level.
“Chris will tell you that the first time I saw (Campbell) on film, there were several guys, but Parris is the one who really jumped off the tape to me,” Reich told reporters after the draft. “Just his explosiveness. Playing in the slot, you see all the things he can do in the slot. But I really saw some things in him that really translated to not just the slot. He can do a lot of things. But (there’s also) the 4.31 speed, the high character, the intelligence.”
Reich is not alone in being a fan of the Campbell selection. Hilton is impressed with what the young receiver brings to the table between his speed, route running, and catching ability. He even stated that he is ready to be a mentor by being willing to ‘help out with whatever Campbell needs.'
“The rookie we just got, he's fast,” Hilton told reporters on Tuesday. “He's athletic. He's a guy that can run routes, got great hands, great after the catch. And there's guys here that they gotta step up, gotta make plays.”
There is a lot to like about the idea of an explosive receiver that stands at 6'0″ playing in a situation like Indianapolis.
1. Chris Ballard knows how to work the draft
It has quickly become apparent that Colts general manager Chris Ballard has a tremendous understanding of how to work the NFL Draft. He has traded down in the first round in consecutive drafts and that has helped the team to add a significant amount of additional draft capital.
The beginning of Ballard's reputation began during last year's draft after he traded away the 3rd overall pick for the 6th pick, 37th pick, 49th pick, and a 2019 2nd round pick. The Colts were not that active in free agency despite having a significant amount of salary cap spending room. Instead of rushing into any panic transactions, he doubled down on valuing patience.
The message that Ballard sent after trading down with the Jets was clear. They wanted to stockpile as many early round draft picks to accelerate the team building process while still being able to an elite prospect that is high on their draft board. Last year, they did exactly that as they were able to trade down and still select 1st Team All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.
“We still wanted to stay in that top position in that top 10 where we could still get a premium player,” Ballard told the Colts' official website. “We feel at (No.) 6, we’ll still be able to acquire a premium player. Plus, being able to pick up the two 2s this year and the 2 next year, that gives up four picks in the top 50 picks of the draft and then three next year — one in the first and two in the second.
“It gives us a chance to really replenish our young talent and start building a core of young talent like we need to do.”
The original trade down by the Colts last year setup their ability to trade down in this draft nicely because even if they moved down from the 26th spot, they still had the 34th pick regardless. They were ultimately able to to trade the 26th pick to the Washington Redskins for the 46th pick and the Redskins' 2020 2nd round pick.
Colts owner Jim Irsay has now had the luxury of being able to watch Ballard lead the war room during the draft process for two years. Irsay expressed his satisfaction with the general manager's performance using words like ‘self-disciplined' along with ‘wise' and ‘patient' to describe him.
“That’s the great thing about watching (Ballard) work,” owner Jim Irsay said. “He is self-disciplined enough to make sure he takes himself through the disciplined aspect of, ‘OK, this is where we are and this is what we must do.’ That’s another way of saying he’s patient, which he is.
“Wise and patient. You need that when you’re in the draft room. We want to get there and we want to get there fast as we can. But sometimes that can lead to a mistake. I was really pleased to watch everything evolve the way I think it needed to evolve organically.”
Using the NFL Draft and targeting under-heralded free agents, Ballard has been able to sure up his team's offensive line, add receiving weapons, and bring dynamic defensive talents that have made an instant impact. He is proving that it doesn't require having to sign big names in free agency to be able to build a team back to prominence.
If Ballard's picks from this year's draft end up panning out, then watch out.
