Colts' Pass Catchers Underrated By Pro Football Focus in Positional Rankings
On paper, the Indianapolis Colts' wide receivers might not look like the most explosive or dynamic group in the NFL, but in Pro Football Focus's positional rankings that dropped late last week, the Colts appear to be criminally underrated.
After re-signing veteran T.Y. Hilton, retaining Zach Pascal on a second-round tender, and seeing dynamic weapon Parris Campbell work back from injuries to pair with second-year receiver Michael Pittman Jr., one would think that the sky is the limit for this group, especially with new QB Carson Wentz in the fold.
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Instead, Pro Football Focus ranked the Colts' pass catchers at No. 24 in its positional rankings, slotting in between the New England Patriots at No. 25 and the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 23.
PFF's Steve Palazzolo had this to say about the Colts' pass catchers:
The Colts return their entire wide receiver depth chart that graded at 71.3 last season, good for 25th in the NFL. T.Y. Hilton led the receivers with a 75.2 receiving grade last season, and he does his best work at the valuable intermediate (10-19 yard) level. While he’s still effective, Hilton is not as explosive as he once was, and he’s best used as a complementary piece at this point in his career.
Next to Hilton are Zach Pascal and Michael Pittman, who finished with identical 62.3 receiving grades in 2020. Pascal played primarily out of the slot last season and has been a fine contributor in his three years in Indianapolis, while Pittman did a nice job as a possession receiver in the short game as a rookie. There’s still some potential with 2019 second-rounder Parris Campbell, who has played just 259 snaps in his career but is still raw as a route runner and his speed may be best used on YAC-driven plays. Tight end Mo Alie-Cox had a breakout 2020 season, catching 87.5% of his targets while grading at 79.9 as a receiver, sixth-best in the NFL. Jack Doyle has been incredibly consistent with four straight years of receiving grades between 65.0 and 68.3. Rookie fourth-rounder Kylen Granson adds some versatility as a potential H-back.
The Colts group of pass catchers is best described as solid and dependable across the board, but they need multiple players to take big steps forward in order to move toward to the top of the league rankings.
Palazzolo is correct in saying Hilton isn't what he once was, but he's still a darn good receiver at this point in his career that knows how to work himself open and make the tough catches. He was slightly hindered last year by Philip Rivers, who wanted to get the ball out quickly, taking away some deep shots from Hilton. That should change in 2021 with Wentz.
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As for Pascal and Pittman Jr., I expect to see significant leaps forward from both of the young receivers now that Wentz is in the fold. Pittman Jr. played well down the stretch and looked comfortable carrying his fair share of the No. 1 workload, while Pascal is just a terrific complimentary weapon that does everything well for the Colts.
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With Campbell, he's certainly struggled to stay healthy, but the ability is undoubtedly there. He showed in Week 1 last season against Jacksonville how good he could be. With some injury luck and a better understanding of the system in Year 3, Campbell should make a substantial leap forward, showing why the Colts thought so highly of him as a second-round pick.
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As for Mo Alie-Cox, Jack Doyle and Kylen Granson, it's not an Uber-athletic group overall, but they just consistently catch the football and move the chains. Getting a chess piece like Granson at the position should open things up even more for Alie-Cox and Doyle, and the rest of the offense as a whole.
The No. 24 ranking feels pretty low, honestly, which should provide a ton of motivation to this group in 2021. There's a great chance that if Wentz hits and guys stay healthy, this group climbs the 2022 rankings in a big way.
Have thoughts on the Colts' receiving positional rankings? Drop a line in the comments section below and let us know!
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