From the Horse's Mouth: Ballard, Reich, Scouts Dish On Colts' Day 3 Draft Picks

The Indianapolis Colts came away from the 2022 NFL Draft with an incredibly talented, athletic class. Judging from the latest episode of "With the Next Pick," the team couldn't be happier with their haul.

All eight players have an elite blend of size and explosion, as each had a Relative Athletic Score over 9.0 out of 10.0, with five of the eight having scored over 9.5.

The Colts like these players just as much off the field, though, as each of them is considered to be hard workers, great teammates, and overall positive influences in the locker room.

After the draft, we heard from several members of the Colts, who provided their thoughts on the team's draft class.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard, head coach Frank Reich, director of player personnel Kevin Rogers, midwest area scout Chad Henry, northeast area scout Mike Derice, and national football scout Mike Lacy give their thoughts on this year's class below.

*With so much to say, we broke this up into two parts: the Colts' Day 2 picks on Thursday and their Day 3 picks here.

DT Eric Johnson: Round 5, Pick 159

Rogers on the acquisition of Johnson:

He's kind of a similar draft pick to when we took Grover (Stewart). A little bit raw but has some physical upside. He's got lean mass, which we always talk about. Lower level of competition but he went to the Senior Bowl and flashed. We watched him against some 1A schools and he flashed. I think there's upside there to be kind of a backup to Grover, a one (technique). He flashes some three-technique stuff, too. I think our D-line coach Nate Ollie is getting excited to try and pull that out of him.

TE Andrew Ogletree: Round 6, Pick 192

Henry on how the Colts have been interested in Ogletree for three years:

Cool story. So, he's at (University of) Findlay in Ohio — and I have a good relationship with the people there — and he tears his ACL. He was trying to come back — it was 2019 — and if he came back, he was gonna come out that year (come out for the draft following the season). So they had me talk to the guy, and I walk up on him — and I'm coming from Detroit — no kidding, the guy looks like Calvin Johnson, on the hoof. I'm not saying he's Calvin Johnson but the body type he looks like him. I spent a while talking to him, and I'd seen some film already, so the first thing I told him, I said, "I want you to remember this moving forward; you're a tight end." And he was very receptive and understood, and I had the support of the staff too. So it was kind of a deal where he doesn't play that year, then the COVID year happens so his team doesn't play, then I'm thinking he's still gonna come out, then I contact the kid (and say), "Hey, what's going on with you?" He said, "I'm gonna transfer to Youngstown." Plays in the spring season, plays in the fall. You really didn't get to see him play 100% conventional tight end role until he got to the Hula Bowl. So that really helped him being there, he did some really neat things there. We did a workout with him, watched his pro day, it's been a cool process. We had him in here for a visit. He's a great kid, another super culture fit. We were really excited to get him, we think he has tremendous upside.

Henry on tight end being Ogletree's best fit:

Oh yeah, I mean this guy when I first saw him was 240 pounds and just rocked up. Like no fat at all. The way that he played, as a receiver, he wasn't a speed guy. He was kind of what I've been talking about with Alec Pierce minus the speed, where he's just bullying guys on the outside and all that. He looked like, as soon as you walk up on him, you say, "this guy's a tight end."

Henry on whether Ogletree fits best as a Y (traditional) or F (move) tight end:

I think that he has a chance to play both but if you're gonna ask me to pick one or the other, he's a Y. A) Based on the size. B) Based on not all wide receivers like to block but this guy likes to block. And he's big and strong. He's really warmed up to that element of the position in a short time. When you consider him as a Y, I think that his skill set's even better in the passing game. Some of the Fs in nowadays' game, they're running 4.5s, 4.4s even. He's not that kind of guy, but he's a good foot athlete. He was the Division 3 state basketball player of the year as a senior in Ohio. That's no joke either, you can see that. I think as a Y he's really intriguing that way.

DT Curtis Brooks: Round 6, Pick 216

Ballard on why he thinks Brooks didn't get picked until the sixth round:

I'm excited about Curtis, now. I don't know, I don't know. He was really good during the season. About a couple weeks ago I put on about three, four games, I was like, "Holy crap, look at this dude." He gets off the ball, he's powerful, he can run. Both these D-tackles, I'm really excited about.

Henry on why Brooks didn't get picked until the sixth round:

I think partially it's a scheme fit thing. He's a little bit undersized, but he's really athletic and I think really showed people that at the pro day. His workout was really good, I think that's what helped propel him to where he was.

Lacy on the acquisition of Brooks:

The production was there, right? I think he improved his numbers from last year to this year. He just continued to improve as a football player. His work ethic. The all-star game was really good for him to go out there and go against some of the better O-linemen, at the NFLPA Game. Obviously the pro day, he tested well and his testing numbers all checked out too. I think he just continued to climb and improve his stock.

Lacy on Brooks' size (6'2", 285) not being an issue for the Colts' scheme:

Normally when you're looking at a 4-3 front, you're more prone to play with undersized guys than maybe a 3-4 team like a Baltimore or Pittsburgh, they like those big behemoths inside there. Obviously, we make an exception with Buck (DeForest Buckner), right? We play with some different body types there. But he's (Brooks) kind of that undersized, twitchy, get-off-the-ball, he can run, he's athletic, he has some traits to make up for that lack of bulk, or maybe that lack of size and length.

Lacy on Brooks' production and what drew the Colts to him:

He's edgy, he's a competitor. Seeing him in camp and during the season at practice, and obviously on game day, to get those TFL numbers and those sack numbers, you've gotta have a relentless motor. Obviously, he has some talent but that motor helped get him some of that production, too this year. I trust he's gonna carry a chip on his shoulder and come here and put his best foot forward, and make sure the other teams regret waiting on him as long as they did.

CB Rodney Thomas II: Round 7, Pick 239

Derice on the acquisition of Thomas:

Rodney is a unique situation where he played linebacker for his first three years at Yale. This was the first year that he ended up played safety traditionally, and the movement skills that he has. The ball skills; he made some ridiculous plays against Cornell. And then you watch him at his pro day, his movement ability, his athleticism, it just translated to a guy that can play corner or safety for us.

Derice on whether Thomas will play cornerback or safety with the Colts after playing linebacker and safety at Yale:

We're gonna put him in at the best spot for him, so he can do both (cornmerback and safety) for us.

Rogers on drafting players with room to grow but who have loads of athletic upside and the right mental makeup:

If the traits are there and if the kid's got it in his makeup to maximize his traits, that's what you bet on. The kid out of Yale that we took, Rodney Thomas, in the seventh round. That's exactly what he is. He's long, athletic, ran well. Just a small level of competition, missed his junior year because they canceled it for COVID. You're betting on the upside, and he's a great kid, so that's the type of guy you hinge those bets on.

What do you think of the Colts' draft class? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

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