Colts' Late Round Rookie Emerging as Pass Game Threat
The Indianapolis Colts selected tight end Will Mallory with the 162nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Mallory joined a fairly deep tight end room in Indianapolis that already featured four players-- Jelani Woods, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, and Kylen Granson-- that would make the opening day roster.
Despite that heavy competition, Mallory was also able to make the Colts' initial roster this season as the fifth player at the position. He was bumped up to fourth on the depth chart following the IR designation for Woods, and has occasionally seen bumps to third due to injuries to guys in front of him.
Mallory saw an inconsistent amount of snaps in the first half of the 2023 season, totaling just 53 on offense in the teams' first 10 weeks of action (including five weeks of being a gameday inactive player). He hauled in five receptions on eight targets for 62 yards in that stretch of games. Since the bye week, however, things have seemingly changed for the young player.
The Colts came out of the week 11 bye with a plan to get Mallory more involved in the offense. He has seen a steady uptick in snaps over the past three weeks, and as a result, the production has climbed up as well. After appearing in roughly five snaps per game over the first 10 for the Colts, Mallory has averaged exactly 20 per game over the last three.
The receptions and the targets are also on the rise for the young player. He has nine receptions on 12 targets for 79 yards since the Colts' bye. Mallory is coming off his best game of the year this past Sunday, where he hauled in all five targets for 46 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Here is what Mallory had to say following the Bengals' game about his overall impact in the offense:
Whatever the limited snaps I get, I’m just planning on going in there and making a play, and doing whatever I can to help. There’s a lot I’ve got to keep working on, but whenever I get in there I just want to help the team so I’ve just got to keep improving.
Looking at the film, it is easy to see why the Colts have started to utilize Mallory more in the passing game. He may not be a massive speed threat at the position, but he is an excellent zone beater that understands how to win with leverage. He also has fantastic hands, grabbing just about every catchable pass thrown in his direction.
This is obviously an extreme comparison to make because Mallory still has a long way to go in his career, but these two defining traits for the young player are eerily reminiscent of what made Zach Ertz effective in Philadelphia for so many years:
Overall, Will Mallory has started to step up in a Colts' offense that desperately needs to find some juice in this final stretch. Quarterback Gardner Minshew is all about finding reliable targets over the middle of the field and Mallory has been exactly that during these past three weeks.
In a tight end room that has been plagued by inconsistencies and injuries, Mallory is establishing himself as a player to watch during this final month for the Colts.
Need your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and I hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Horseshoe Huddle on YouTube for daily Colts live-stream podcasts!
