By Position

[Warhorse]

Ok. So since we're all bunked in, might as well keep talk about the draft rolling. Thanks to Stallyns for being the constant here. We've got some more members, and others are adding in from other teams. Appreciate it all.

 

Chris Ballard has drafted for the Colts 3 years. Now, I know that free agency affects this conversation, but I wanted to talk specifically about CB's drafting abilities, and how that relates to each position that they have drafted. Since 2017, here is a list of the positions drafted:

1. QB - 0
2. WR - 3 - (59, 159, 185)
3. TE - 0
4. RB - 2 - (143, 169)
5. OC - 1 - (246)
6. OG - 2 - (6, 37,)
7. OT - 2 - (137, 240)  Total offensive players - 10
8.  
9. IDL - 1 - (144)
10. DE - 3 - (64, 80, 199)
11. LB - 8 - (36, 49, 52, 89, 161, 164, 221, 235)
12. S - 3 - (15, 109, 144)  Total defensive players - 15

 

Rather than talk about which positions he has focused on, which takes in to account who was here when he took over and free agency........I want to discuss his success rate at each position....taking into consideration the slots he chose for each position. 

QB - Luck was in the saddle when he started. No choices yet. Hard to envision a high choice this year after signing Rivers. We may however get a glimpse of a developmental QB this year. 

WR - None taken his first draft, and each of his selections have slotted higher each time. It appears that he is reaching higher to get it right. Is this the year he uses his highest slot on a WR? 

TE - Our TE stable has been productive since CB took over....but last year it fell off. Ebron showed his colors and is gone. Jack is Jack, but I don't see him raising his game at this time. I see a TE early. 

RB - Also a position that has never been chosen early in the draft, but CB has done a great job of finding talent late. I would be surprised if the Colts went RB before the fourth. 

OC - CB had the luxury of Grigson choosing Kelly the year before he took over. Long term depth at the position is needed. Is this the year? One selection at #246 will not get it done.

OG - It is obvious that CB values the G position. Thank the universe. Our line was transformed with the high slot selections of Nelson and Smith. I predicted early that Smith would go T. 

OT - Again, the OT position was solid when CB took over, and thankfully, AC resigned for 2 more years. I see an OT selected in the first 4 picks.

IDL - CB did great with his selection of Grover Stewart, but that was the only selection. Makes sense that Buckner was added. 

DE - Two of his 3 selections at DE have not made the grade. Lewis is still a WIP, but the light is dimming soon if he can't get fully healthy and make the jump. This position could be improved. 

LB - Goodness....8 selections. CB values the LB position...much like the Patriots and Steelers. I love it. Polian's weak heel was devaluing LB's. I don't see a LB early in this draft. 

S - CB values S as well, and Hooker is a top player if he can remain healthy. Tell and Willis were good adds. 

 

So it appears that defense has had the biggest focus, and much success has been found for O-line, LB & RB....but the CB hopefully can do a better job at WR...and get the TE and QB selections right when he chooses to do so. 

 

Your thoughts?

 

[Wyld Stallyns]

2017 - Mack, Hooker and Walker are the best picks. Grover Stewart and Nate Hairston(now with Jets) have been good. Wilson has shown flashes but has been limited in playing time because of his lack of showing out in practice. Terrell Basham and Zach Banner were horrible (B) 

2018 - Nelson and Leonard are on course to be Hall of Fame talents. Braden Smith has been very good. Kemoko Turay and Nyheim Hines have shown flashes and could break out this year. Adams and Franklin have been special teams mainstays. Tyquan Lewis is following the Quincy Wilson model for ruining his career. Wilkins and Fountain are unknowns at this point. And the staff gave up on Deon Cain. (A+)

2019 - Ya-Sin, Okereke and Willis got a lot of playing time and showed some mistakes that they can learn from but also played at high levels at times. Everyone else is a work in progress. (C+) 

Ballard said he was going to build up the trenches on both sides of the line. So until 2019  we saw no CBs drafted and no WRs before the 5th round. As mentioned, Ballard did have the luxury of Grigson drafting Kelly, Haeg and Clark before he got here but made the mistake of seeing great camaraderie amongst the OL and thinking it would translate on field. It didn’t.

Ballard has made some very shrewd signings in free agency. Sheard, Hunt and Simon in his first year. Autry and Ebron in his second year and Houston last year.

Ballard has also shown that he will put all of the guaranteed money in a contract in the first year or two of the deal so if he needs to cut bait with a player he can do so with no dead cap (see Simon and Hunt). Buckner’s contract has an easy out after the third year (2022 season) if he were to regress and some point. 

QB (inc) 3rd round? Dev player 

HB (B-) late round 

WR (D) 2nd round 

TE (inc) 4th round or later 

OL (A) 2nd round 

DL (C-) late round 

LB (B-) late round 

CB (C+) 2nd round or later

S (C+) 5 th round 

[coffeedrinker]

On 3/20/2020 at 4:26 PM, Warhorse said:

Ok. So since we're all bunked in, might as well keep talk about the draft rolling. Thanks to Stallyns for being the constant here. We've got some more members, and others are adding in from other teams. Appreciate it all.

 

Chris Ballard has drafted for the Colts 3 years. Now, I know that free agency affects this conversation, but I wanted to talk specifically about CB's drafting abilities, and how that relates to each position that they have drafted. Since 2017, here is a list of the positions drafted:

1. QB - 0
2. WR - 3 - (59, 159, 185)
3. TE - 0
4. RB - 2 - (143, 169)
5. OC - 1 - (246)
6. OG - 2 - (6, 37,)
7. OT - 2 - (137, 240)  Total offensive players - 10
8.  
9. IDL - 1 - (144)
10. DE - 3 - (64, 80, 199)
11. LB - 8 - (36, 49, 52, 89, 161, 164, 221, 235)
12. S - 3 - (15, 109, 144)  Total defensive players - 15

 

Rather than talk about which positions he has focused on, which takes in to account who was here when he took over and free agency........I want to discuss his success rate at each position....taking into consideration the slots he chose for each position. 

QB - Luck was in the saddle when he started. No choices yet. Hard to envision a high choice this year after signing Rivers. We may however get a glimpse of a developmental QB this year. 

WR - None taken his first draft, and each of his selections have slotted higher each time. It appears that he is reaching higher to get it right. Is this the year he uses his highest slot on a WR? 

TE - Our TE stable has been productive since CB took over....but last year it fell off. Ebron showed his colors and is gone. Jack is Jack, but I don't see him raising his game at this time. I see a TE early. 

RB - Also a position that has never been chosen early in the draft, but CB has done a great job of finding talent late. I would be surprised if the Colts went RB before the fourth. 

OC - CB had the luxury of Grigson choosing Kelly the year before he took over. Long term depth at the position is needed. Is this the year? One selection at #246 will not get it done.

OG - It is obvious that CB values the G position. Thank the universe. Our line was transformed with the high slot selections of Nelson and Smith. I predicted early that Smith would go T. 

OT - Again, the OT position was solid when CB took over, and thankfully, AC resigned for 2 more years. I see an OT selected in the first 4 picks.

IDL - CB did great with his selection of Grover Stewart, but that was the only selection. Makes sense that Buckner was added. 

DE - Two of his 3 selections at DE have not made the grade. Lewis is still a WIP, but the light is dimming soon if he can't get fully healthy and make the jump. This position could be improved. 

LB - Goodness....8 selections. CB values the LB position...much like the Patriots and Steelers. I love it. Polian's weak heel was devaluing LB's. I don't see a LB early in this draft. 

S - CB values S as well, and Hooker is a top player if he can remain healthy. Tell and Willis were good adds. 

 

So it appears that defense has had the biggest focus, and much success has been found for O-line, LB & RB....but the CB hopefully can do a better job at WR...and get the TE and QB selections right when he chooses to do so. 

 

Your thoughts?

 

Thanks for the work.  I agree with most, so I will just post the few things I disagree with.

 

I don't think Hooker is a top safety, I think Hooker is very mediocre and will not be extended after his rookie contract and it will be interesting to see if the tam exercises their 5th year option.  So I will not be surprised to see a safety drafted early, especially if someone like Jeremy Chinn or Ashtyn Davis is available at pick 44.

 

One, I think the Colts know who they want to draft at QB and if I were to guess right now, I'd say it's going to be Jalen Hurts and probably at pick 34 and a lot of fans will cry that it's way to early.  After that I think it will be BPA with with a focus on skill position in 2,3 and 4 and then oline in 5 and 6.  There are some great lineman, IMO, that will be good replacements for Haeg and Andrews.  Throckmorton is a guy that has already played all 5 positions along the line and Runyan Jr. could play anywhere along the line.  Then you have a couple of good guard prospects that could take over for for Glow in 2021, guys like Dotson from Louisiana (not LSU) who plays with an aggressive streak like Big Q and Onwenu, whom I think is a sleeper in this draft, is a massive guard who is surprisingly athletic.  Needs technique work though, he has a slow hand punch and lazy arms but if he can get a consistent punch off the snap, I think he has the potential to be a great guard in the NFL.

 

Lastly, if the Colts come out of this draft without drafting a WR I will be a bit disappointed because there are a couple of WRs whom I think would be great for the Colts, but I won't be surprised.  I a firm believer that young players develop and get better and that is what I think will happen with Fountain and Campbell.  I didn't want to buy the hype last year about Fountain because I thought he looked really, really bad as rookie, not just the miss in the playoffs but even in the preseason.  But for as bad as I thought he looked as a rookie, he looked that good last year in his one and only preseason game and it was against the 1s and 2s.  He showed a good feel for routes, the ability to know when to get open and soft hands.  With Campbell I saw a player who needs to learn the nuances of being a WR and how to read coverage but, with him I saw a very good route runner and the speed and quickness we expected based on his combine.  Combined with Hilton and Pascal I think the Colts have a good group of WR.  Adding a guy like Claypool or Mims would be icing on the cake, IMO.