Draft Rewind: Colts' Last 5 Draft Picks In Round 4
The Indianapolis Colts and the NFL are just a week away from the beginning of the 2021 NFL Draft, but today we begin focusing on Day 3 of the draft in our series where we revisit the last five picks the Colts have made in each round.
The team has had good fortunes on Day 3 of the draft — particularly in the fourth round — since general manager Chris Ballard arrived in town.
Let's take a look at some of those good fortunes and specifically the last five picks the Colts have made in the fourth round, all of whom are still with the team.
Refer to the bottom of the page for previous rounds.
QB Jacob Eason
2020 | Pick No. 122
- Colts Career Stats: N/A
- Pro Bowl: 0
- All-Pro: 0
- Colts Tenure: 2020-Present
Eason was a projected Day 2 pick in the 2020 draft who slid to the Colts early on Day 3. A raw prospect who saw action two years apart with two different college programs, the NFL's disrupted offseason due to the pandemic delayed Eason's development. With a hopefully normal offseason in 2021, Eason will get a shot to be the Colts' backup quarterback behind Carson Wentz, but there almost certainly will be competition added that isn't currently in town.
S Khari Willis
2019 | Pick No. 109
- Colts Career Stats: Started 23-of-28 games, 156 tackles (5 for loss), 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 5 quarterback hits
- Pro Bowl: 0
- All-Pro: 0
- Colts Tenure: 2019-Present
Willis became the Colts' starting strong safety midway through his rookie season and hasn't yielded his spot yet. He's become a highly important part of the Colts' defense and took a step forward as a performer and a leader in Year 2.
RB Nyheim Hines
2018 | Pick No. 104
- Colts Career Stats: Started 8-of-48 games, 226 carries for 893 yards (4.0 avg.) and 7 TD, 170 receptions (215 targets) for 1,227 yards (7.2 avg.) and 6 TD, 39 punt returns for 581 yards (14.9 avg.) and 2 TD
- Pro Bowl: 0
- All-Pro: 0
- Colts Tenure: 2018-Present
Hines has become one of the most dangerous all-purpose weapons in the entire NFL. He showed quality receiving skills as a rookie, developed into an excellent punt returner in Year 2, and became a better runner in Year 3. Hines is now more than just a pass-catching back, which should work out handsomely for him when it comes to the Colts offering him a contract extension before he becomes a free agent in 2022.
DT Grover Stewart
2017 | Pick No. 144
- Colts Career Stats: Started 30-of-62 games, 123 tackles (14 for loss), 3.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 15 quarterback hits
- Pro Bowl: 0
- All-Pro: 0
- Colts Tenure: 2017-Present
Stewart earned one of the league's best nose tackle contracts last year, and his play backed it up. He posted career highs in tackles (53) and tackles for loss (6), and was consistently disruptive to the backfield. Now that he's paired with First-Team All-Pro DeForest Buckner inside the Colts defense, the sky is the limit for "Big Grove."
RB Marlon Mack
2017 | Pick No. 143
- Colts Career Stats: Started 23-of-41 games, 539 carries for 2,383 yards (4.4 avg.) and 20 TD, 55 receptions (79 targets) for 440 yards (8.0 avg.) and 2 TD
- Pro Bowl: 0
- All-Pro: 0
- Colts Tenure: 2017-Present
Mack's NFL career has been quite the story. He came into the NFL from a gimmicky offense at USF that couldn't have been much further from a pro-style offense and backed up the legendary Frank Gore. After developing enough into a quality NFL tailback, he earned the starting spot the following year and nearly ran for 1,000 yards if not for some injuries. In Year 3, he stayed a little healthier and finally surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. After establishing himself as one of the NFL's most solid backs, he tore an Achilles tendon in the first game of the 2020 season and has now been replaced by a rookie in Jonathan Taylor who ran for the third-most yards in the NFL. In his comeback from injury, the Colts elected to re-sign Mack to a one-year deal, which will allow him to re-establish himself in the NFL's eyes, but also provide the Colts with some excellent depth behind Taylor and Hines.
How do you feel about the Colts' last five fourth-rounders? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
- Colts' Last 5 Draft Picks in Round 1
- Colts' Last 5 Draft Picks in Round 2
- Colts' Last 5 Draft Picks in Round 3
