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Colts Draft: All Build-A-Ballard Offense
These NFL draft prospects fit what the Indianapolis Colts and Chris Ballard look for at each offensive position.
The Indianapolis Colts will be on the clock in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft in just under 20 days, and the Build-A-Ballard series has got you covered with all the information that you need to be prepared for the big day. This is the series that looks at the athletic testing of every Colts’ draft pick since 2018 in order to identify trends and types at each position.
This series is far from the written gospel on who the Colts are going to select in the draft, but it has produced several hits over the years. Alec Pierce was the Build-A-Ballard WR1 in 2022 while JuJu Brents was the Build-A-Ballard CB1 in last year’s edition. This year's Build-A-Ballard will be broken down by position in the Indy Draft Guide, but today’s piece will take a look at the top tier performers in this class by position.
This is part one of a two part series looking at the All Build-A-Ballard team. Tomorrow’s piece will be all about the defense, but today our focus is on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback: Joe Milton, Tennessee
The Colts are not in the quarterback hunt this draft season, thankfully, but Ballard does have a type at the position. He had Anthony Richardson as his top target in this past draft and was part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ early scouting process into Patrick Mahomes. He loves traits at the quarterback position, and is more than willing to risk it all on the player with the super high ceiling.
Milton is nowhere near the prospect that Richardson was last season, but there is no denying his athletic gifts. Standing in at 6’5” 235 pounds, Milton has one of the biggest arms ever seen at the college game, and his explosiveness is mighty impressive for a player of his stature. Milton isn’t a perfect fit for what Ballard typically targets at the quarterback position, but he is certainly the top fit in this draft class for that mold.
Honorable Mention: Jordan Travis, Florida State
Running Back: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue
Running back was a toss up between two local prospects with Tracy just barely getting the victory. The deciding factor in this race was Tracy’s history as a wide receiver before transitioning over to the running back position. Ballard loves position change players, so a player like Tracy making the move from receiver to running back look seamless is bound to catch his eye.
Tracy hits every single Ballard metric at the running back position, running a 4.48 forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine at a solid 209 pounds. He also posted elite scores in both the vertical jump and in the broad jump, two tests that the Colts’ value tremendously. On film, Tracy is a fluid mover that understands how to find space and create yardage. Those traits combined with his background at receiver make him an upper tier-one fit for the Colts in this draft (Indy also hosted Tracy for their local pro day on April 8th).
Honorable Mention: Isaac Guerendo, Louisville
Outside Receiver: Rome Odunze, Washington
Odunze is the prototypical Ballard wide receiver in this draft class. Every single measurement that Ballard potentially uses in evaluating receivers is passed by Odunze with flying colors. The Colts almost certainly love Odunze in this class, the only problem is that he’s unlikely to be available by the time they are on the clock in the first round.
Odunze came in at a solid 6’2” 212 pounds at the NFL Combine. He ran a strong 4.47 forty yard dash while also posting great explosion scores in the jumps. Production wise, Odunze was the top pass catcher in one of the more prolific passing offenses in college football the past two seasons that also featured two other NFL-caliber pass catchers. He simply checks off every single box that there is to check off for the Colts.
Honorable Mention: Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Slot Receiver: Ricky Pearsall, Florida
The Colts are unlikely to draft a slot receiver in this draft, after taking Josh Downs in the third round last year, but one option that could intrigue them is Florida’s Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall came in a tad undersized for the typical Ballard mold, but he checks off every other box that the team looks for in draft prospects. Plus, he was Richardson’s top target at Florida, so that connection could mean something for the Colts in this draft process.
Pearsall had a dominant pre-draft cycle, posting a blazing 4.41 forty yard dash to go along with a 42-inch vertical jump and a 129-inch broad jump. He was the top option for a Florida program with few notable pass catchers over the past two seasons, and his play took a step forward each and every year. His reliability and his hands are also major pluses to go with his high-end traits.
Honorable Mention: Xavier Worthy, Texas
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Tight End: Ben Sinnott, Kansas State
Tight end was one of the easier positions to identify in this draft class, as no other player had a similar profile to Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott. Sinnott is a former fullback that made the switch out to tight end this past year for the Wildcats. That move ended up paying dividends for him, as he racked up career highs in both yards and touchdowns as a senior.
Sinnott posted an elite number in the forty-yard dash (4.68 seconds) and had otherworldly numbers in the vertical jump (40 inches) and the broad jump (126 inches). That explosive potential sealed up in a player that has experience in a system where he played both fullback and tight end is very intriguing to a team like the Colts. Sinnott’s fit is perfect not only for Ballard’s typical type but also for Shane Steichen’s style of offense.
Honorable Mention: Brock Bowers, Georgia
Offensive Tackle: Frank Crum, Wyoming
The Colts have a very clear type at offensive tackle… and that type is an all-time great pre-draft tester. A sample size of Bernhard Raimann, Jake Witt, and Blake Freeland is an absurd standard for any draft prospect to reach, but there was one player in this class that fit the bill. That player is a real estate agent in the great state of Wyoming.
Frank Crum shocked the football world with his pre-draft workout at the NFL Combine this year. Coming in at 6’8” 313 pounds, Crum ran a 4.94 forty yard dash and posted 90th percentile scores in the explosive drills. Those movement skills are rare for any offensive tackle, let alone a player of his size and weight. Crum’s film leaves much to be desired but Ballard loves to take his shots on these types of athletes on day three.
Honorable Mention: Tylan Grable, UCF
Guard: Brandon Coleman, TCU
The scouting community is fairly mixed on whether Coleman should be a guard or a tackle at the next level, which makes him even more of a fit for what the Colts look for on the interior. A majority of the Colts’ draft picks at this spot have at least some experience playing tackle in their career, and Coleman spent a majority of his TCU stint as a left tackle (before moving to guard this past season).
Coleman had a fantastic workout posting excellent times in the explosion drills and in the agility drills. He aced everything he needed to do at the Combine, and his wealth of experience at the college level is something that the Colts clearly value at the position. He had an up and down final season with the Horned Frogs but Coleman has the versatility, the experience, and the athleticism to be a day three target for the team.
Honorable Mention: Jarrett Kingston, USC
Center: Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
One of the top overall fits in this entire draft class for the Colts is Arkansas’ Beaux Limmer. Every single trait, from athleticism to experience to leadership, he passes with flying colors on paper. Limmer is the ideal Colts’ target at the center position and he seems like the perfect developmental option to add in behind Ryan Kelly for the 2024 season.
Limmer wowed scouts at the NFL Combine with an absolutely elite workout. He posted the best vertical jump among all centers since 1999 (36.5 inches) and nearly broke the record in the bench press drill as well (39 reps of 225 pounds). On top of that, he also posted elite numbers in the agility drills, the broad jump, and in the 10-yard split portion of the forty yard dash. Limmer is a true workout warrior that backs it up with strong play on film. He is easily one of the biggest Ballard fits in this entire draft.
Honorable Mention: Graham Barton, Duke
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