30 Days of Colts' Fits: Cade Otton, TE, Washington
The 2022 NFL Draft is officially just a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.
The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on, or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.
Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is Washington tight end Cade Otton.
Background
Otton is a former three star recruit that chose to attend Washington over offers from Idaho and Nebraska. After redshirting for his freshman season in 2017, he was able to have an major impact on the program.
He enjoyed a nice breakout in the Covid shortened 2020 season, where he caught 18 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. He was named First Team All-Pac 12 for his season and was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award (an honor given to the nation's top tight end each year).
Overall, Otton totaled 91 receptions for 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns in 31 games with the program. He was also recognized as one of the better blocking tight ends in the country during his time with Washington.
Size/Testing Numbers
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 247 pounds
Arm Length: 32 3/4 inches
Testing Numbers: Bench Press: 17 reps (ankle injury limited his workouts)
Ability on Film
Otton is a pro-style tight end that could seamlessly fill the void left by Jack Doyle in the Colts' offense. He offers great size and strength for the position, and his ability as a blocker would do wonders for the Colts' rushing attack.
While he is known for his ability in the run game, Otton is surprisingly impactful as a pass catcher (despite his below average athleticism). He is a savvy route runner that understands how to find space against zone coverage. He is also a pain to tackle after the catch, which is shown in this clip below.
While Otton does bring a stable floor as a pass catcher, his main calling card early in his NFL career will be as a blocker. He is a strong run blocker that can even hold his own in the pass game against defensive ends (if need be).
Washington utilized Otton in a variety of ways with his ability as a blocker. They used him as a sixth lineman in pass protection, and also let him set hard chips against top pass rushers (like Aidan Hutchinson below). In the run game, he is strong on his combo blocks and excels on traps and wham plays (something that the Colts use their tight ends on all the time).
Fit with the Colts/Team Interest
The Colts have a pretty major void in their tight end group with the departure of long-time starter Jack Doyle this offseason. While there is no replacing his impact on this team, Otton is the closest thing that the Colts can find in this draft.
His impact as a blocker is eerily reminiscent of Doyle's, and he wins in similar ways in the passing game. While Otton wouldn't be a carbon copy of Doyle in the Colts' offense, he would be used in mostly similar ways.
I haven't been able to find any direct link or interest from the Colts in regards to Otton, but I don't doubt that the team would be interested in adding a player of his skill set to the offense.
Overall, Otton is an NFL-ready tight end that can provide an impact on day one. If the Colts want to add a dependable player to that position group, Otton is certainly the guy.
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