Colts Sign Back Half of Draft Class to Rookie Contracts

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Friday that they have signed four of their eight members of the 2022 NFL Draft class.

As rookie minicamp begins on Friday, defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, tight end Drew Ogletree, defensive tackle Curtis Brooks, and cornerback Rodney Thomas II have signed their rookie contracts.

Johnson was selected in the fifth round with the 159th-overall pick out of Missouri State. He is a mid-round, small-school prospect but may be able to carve out a rotational role as a rookie. Also behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are R.J. McIntosh, Chris Williams, and Brooks, none of which are established players. Director of player personnel Kevin Rogers spoke about Johnson after the draft:

He's kind of a similar draft pick to when we took Grover. 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.

Ogletree was selected in the sixth round with the 192-overall pick out of Youngstown State. Sixth-rounders aren't always exciting but Ogletree's potential is undeniable; think 2022's Mike Strachan. Ogletree has an elite combination of size and athleticism, and his background as a receiver makes him an even more dangerous pass-catcher. The Colts think they can develop him into a tight end that can handle all the responsibilities of the position. Midwest area scout Chad Henry spoke about Ogletree after the draft:

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.'

Brooks was selected in the sixth round with the 216th-overall pick out of Cincinnati. Coming in as a sixth-rounder, Brooks has the potential to be the Colts' steal of the draft. He was very productive last year for the Bearcats, totaling 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss but concerns about his lack of ideal size and already being 24 years old gave some teams pause. National football scout Mike Lacy spoke about Brooks after the draft:

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.

Thomas was selected in the seventh round with the 239th-overall pick out of Yale. He joins a deep group of cornerbacks for the Colts but has time to develop. After playing extended time at linebacker before becoming a safety in his final season at Yale, he now takes his size (61", 196) and athleticism (9.57 RAS) and converts to cornerback. Former northeast area scout Mike Derice spoke about Thomas after the draft:

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.

The remainder of the Colts' 2022 draft class that is yet to be signed is second-round wide receiver Alec Pierce and third-rounders, tight end Jelani Woods, offensive lineman Bernhard Raimann, and safety Nick Cross.

The Colts also announced their 22-man undrafted free agent class on Friday.

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

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