Colts Land Pair Of Underclassmen In NFL.com Three-Round Mock Draft
Without a first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft due to the Carson Wentz trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves in a tough spot ahead of late April's draft with a number of holes to try and fill on both sides of the football, yet just precious few draft picks at their disposal.
Not only are the Colts staring down another search for a quarterback and a left tackle for the second offseason in a row, the franchise is also in dire need of some speed and playmaking at wide receiver, tight end, pass rush and cornerback as well.
Free agency could provide some answers, assuming Colts' GM Chris Ballard and the rest of the front office are more aggressive than previous years, but once again it will come down to how the draft shakes out for the Colts.
That leads to NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter and his three-round mock draft that he released last week. Though the Colts don't have a pick inside the top 35 once again, the blue and white sure did land a pair of talented playmakers on both sides of the football with the No. 47 and No. 82 overall picks in Reuter's mock draft.
At No. 47 overall, Reuter has the Colts selecting Washington redshirt junior cornerback Kyler Gordon, who unofficially measures in at 6-foot, 200 pounds, and whom NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares favorably to veteran Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones.
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Here's what Zierlein had to say about Gordon early on in the process.
"[A] cornerback who comes with an elite, high-performance engine but a GPS still in the process of loading. Gordon's dynamic athletic qualities will show up in testing, but more importantly, they are all over his tape. His blend of play strength and explosive burst affects the passing game from press, off-man and zone coverages. He plays with an alpha demeanor and hitting is definitely part of his overall package. Gordon lacks polish and needs to play with better route recognition and anticipation, but if those elements click, his ball production could be near the top of the league as one of the top playmakers in the game."
At No. 82 overall, Reuter has the Colts addressing the wide receiver depth chart, grabbing talented Alabama product and junior wide receiver John Metchie, who hails from Brampton, Canada.
Metchie unofficially measures in at 6-foot, 195 pounds and is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Crimson Tide's 41-24 win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in mid-December.
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Here's what Zierlein had to say about the Alabama speedster.
"NFL slot projection with good polish but a lack of noteworthy elements in his game. Metchie has decent size but average play speed. He's proficient in more sophisticated routes but lacks explosiveness to separate and will have to prove he can become a more physical wideout to win contested catches at the pro level. He can play multiple receiver spots and has the ability to take what the scheme provides him. As long as his recovery from an ACL tear goes smoothly, Metchie has a chance to become a starting slot receiver with a relatively modest ceiling."
Though it's tough to predict the Colts' mock at this point — or at any point — in the process, if Indianapolis were hypothetically able to come away with this haul with their first two picks, you'd be hard-pressed to not be rather pleased with that draft haul.
Gordon should be able to step in and start Day 1 in Indianapolis, especially due to his physicality for the position. As for Metchie, assuming he's able to recover in time for the start of the season, one would assume he'd slot right in as the No. 2 opposite Michael Pittman Jr. barring any type of veteran free agent addition by Ballard and Co.
Have thoughts on the Colts' haul in Chad Reuter's three-round mock draft for NFL.com? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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