Earlier in the offseason, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard made it clear they likely weren’t going to bring back tight end Eric Ebron, who is an unrestricted free agent.
Though his 2018 season was immaculate, Ebron’s 2019 campaign was disappointing and it ended with him deciding to get season-ending surgery—a decision it seems the Colts may have disagreed upon. Now, the Colts have to find his replacement.
Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, here are four tight ends the Colts could acquire to replace Ebron:
Hunter Henry | Age: 25 | Free Agency
The Colts tight end room currently consists of Jack Doyle, who signed a three-year extension this offseason, and Mo Alie-Cox. Doyle, while great in his own right, isn’t going to be around forever. Alie-Cox is still a work in progress but a promising one. Enter Henry, who could be a gem for the Colts.
Entering free agency for the first time, there are some hopes that Henry gets to his the market. He’s an electric pass catcher and the type of talent that can help the Colts immediately while giving them a potential future at the position.
The biggest risk with Henry comes with his injury history. It hasn’t been encouraging since he entered the league. He suffered a lacerated kidney (2017), a torn ACL (2018) and a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee (2019). There is obvious risk with the injuries but that could lead to getting a discount on the market.
If the Colts want an NFL-ready tight end to make a difference in the offense, they should look no further than Henry.
Brycen Hopkins | Age: 22 | Purdue | NFL Draft
Seeing as how much Chris Ballard prefers to build through the draft, there is a likely chance they don’t go after Hunter Henry in free agency. But tight end is still a need, which means Ballard could look to address it in the draft.
Should the Colts feel it is a position that needs to be addressed early, they might not have to go too far to bring in a high-upside prospect. Hopkins would be a wonderful asset to the offense given his ability to make big plays in the passing game. Over the last two seasons at Purdue, he’s had 36 receptions of 15 yards or more.
An athletically-gifted tight end, Hopkins could be a target for the Colts in the second round of the draft and would give Indy an enticing pass catcher for whichever quarterback is under center.
Harrison Bryant | Age: 21 | FAU | NFL Draft
There are some intriguing talents in this draft class for the Colts if they wanted to address the tight end position. Already possessing two solid blocking tight ends, they could be in the market for a receiving option.
While they can’t go off of college production alone, Bryant put up some intriguing numbers at Florida Atlantic. He capped off his collegiate career with 65 receptions for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 15.4 yards per reception.
Bryant still has a lot of work to do, especially as a blocker. But the Colts need pass-catching weapons and given his history as a wide receiver, he could be an option the Colts target in the middle/late rounds of the draft.
Stephen Sullivan | Age: 23 | LSU | NFL Draft
If the Colts are looking for a Day 3 target that could be a high-upside project, they need to look no further than Sullivan. Though he will be 24 years old before his rookie season ends, Sullivan has intriguing traits that could turn him into an offensive weapon if developed correctly.
Sullivan has the speed and length to be a talented pass catcher in the NFL. The only problem is that there isn’t much to go off of in terms of production. In his three seasons at LSU, Sullivan only recorded 46 receptions in 24 career games. He was usurped by Thaddeus Moss in the tight end room and played just 299 snaps.
However, the Colts could use one of their Day 3 picks on Sullivan if they believe they have the right environment to develop him quickly. If they do, Sullivan could be a mismatch waiting to happen in Frank Reich’s offense.
