With the NFL scouting combine on its way out, the Indianapolis Colts now have some official measurements to add to the tape they’ve been watching on the majority of prospects entering the 2020 NFL draft.
There is still a lot left in the process for the Colts. They have to go back to the tape, compare the measurements and scores with what they see on film, talk to these players that might be on their draft board and a number of other objectives before April 23 hits.
Free agency will also have a lot to do with how the Colts go about their draft process but it isn’t yet clear what will happen as we still have a few weeks left until the market opens.
Using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, here is a seven-round mock draft for the Colts following the combine:
No. 13 | Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama
I know, I know. The Colts need a quarterback, and I ultimately think that’s the best way to go about their draft regardless of what happens over the next few months. However, the possibility of the Colts not addressing the quarterback position heavily is just as high as using this pick on a signal-caller.
General manager Chris Ballard has stated all offseason the need to get more explosive. It doesn’t come in a better package than Ruggs. Some might believe he’s just a burner, but that narrative should be put to rest. His combine numbers only backed up what he was putting on film.
We knew Ruggs would crush the 40-yard dash, which he did by posting a 4.27 time. But he also tested in elite percentiles in other important measurements:
- Broad jump: 131″ (94th)
- Vertical jump: 42″ (97th)
- Hand size: 10 1/8″ (90th)
The Colts don’t like to invest heavily into wide receivers in the first round, but the ceiling for Ruggs is Tyreek Hill. Ballard desperately needs that type of talent in Frank Reich’s offense.
This pick could certainly address the defensive line, but Ruggs’ impact might go further because of the complete lack of explosiveness on offense.
No. 34 | Damon Arnette | CB | Ohio State
Arnette seems like the type of cornerback for Ballard to target at No. 34, which would be the second season in a row for the Colts. Physical and lengthy, Arnette would slide perfectly into the zone-heavy scheme that Matt Eberflus likes to run.
Even beyond those other traits, what might intrigue Ballard the most with Arnette is his ability to make a play on the ball. Because he’s able to apply sticky coverage and stay physical throughout the route, Arnette has shown plenty of prowess with his ball skills. Over the last four seasons at Ohio State, Arnette recorded five interceptions and 22 passes defended.
There will be concerns about his arm length, which measured in at 30 inches. And his 4.56 in the 40-yard dash isn’t all that impressive. But Arnette makes up for it with physicality and solid footwork at the line of scrimmage.
With Pierre Desir struggling in 2019 and with Kenny Moore and Rock Ya-Sin emerging as viable starters in the NFL, the Colts can add Arnette to the secondary to form a strong young corps of cornerbacks.
No. 44 | Justin Madubuike | DT | Texas A&M
Upgrading the interior defensive line is one of the biggest needs for the Colts this offseason. There is a high chance Ballard targets this position during the first round—probably as high as any position on the roster. But they also have plenty of money to work with in free agency and with some viable starting options available there, they can wait and take a high-upside prospect to pair with the room.
Enter Madubuike. An explosive athlete with the tape that shows the innate ability to get upfield. Working in the Colts’ one-gap front, Madubuike would be a strong fit at the three-technique while also possessing the size to slide over to the nose tackle position in certain packages. Working with power and some agility, Madubuike would be an ideal prospect to target if the Colts wind up adding a starter in free agency.
Madubuike also has the production to back it up. His explosiveness allowed him to record 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks during his final 24 games at Texas A&M.
There may be some development needed in the nuances of his game, and there will be limitations. But ask him to get upfield and collapse the pocket, and the Colts will be more than happy with his pick.
No. 75 | Anthony Gordon | QB | Washington State
As stated earlier, the Colts need to address the quarterback position. Even with that said, there is a chance that not much is done to the room. However, there is a quarterback prospect who might be a strong fit for Frank Reich’s offense, and the Colts wouldn’t have to pay up for him.
While Jordan Love will get all the rage as the perfect prospect for the Colts-and deservedly so—Gordon shouldn’t be blindly kicked to the side. In his “Finding the right fit” piece for our friends over at Touchdown Wire, Mark Schofield had this to say about the pairing of Gordon and the Colts:
“As Gordon says, every team has a variation of Y-Cross in their playbook. But in Indianapolis, Gordon would get the chance to run the ideal system for him: A West Coast rooted system that plays to his strengths of reading underneath coverages, attacking leverage and getting the ball out quickly.”
If there is one constant in Reich’s offensive scheme, it is the Y-cross. Whether it’s running a Yankee concept with max protect or working a hi-lo read over the middle of the field, the Y-cross is a huge part of Reich’s offense.
Gordon comes from the Air Raid, which is a bit different than what the Colts run, but he could be the quarterback to target if they decide to wait.
No. 112 | Ezra Cleveland | OT | Boise State
The Colts received some good news before the combine in that veteran left tackle Anthony Castonzo will be returning for at least another season. While this is great news for the entire offense, the Colts must begin looking at prospects to supplant him.
As much as Ballard likes building up the trenches and he could do so earlier in the draft, Cleveland might be someone to target at the beginning of Day 3. There are some big developments that need to take place—the biggest of which might be adding size and strength. Fortunately, Cleveland should have the time to do so working behind Castonzo and right tackle Braden Smith.
What intrigues most about Cleveland is his agility and athleticism, two traits that are a must in offensive line prospects. His 4.46 in the 20-yard shuttle tested in the 94th percentile while his 7.26 in the three-cone tested in the 98th percentile. That type of agility doesn’t come around often in the NFL.
Taking that athleticism and cleaning up his technique while adding some strength would pay off in a massive way for the Colts.
No. 142 | Harrison Bryant | TE | FAU
One of the more underrated needs for the Colts comes at the tight end position. They still have Jack Doyle, who can do it all. Mo Alie-Cox still has upside but is still developing. Outside of that, there isn’t much to go off of.
With Eric Ebron likely hitting free agency this offseason, the Colts need to find a move tight end to add to the room. Bryant has the production and the tape to back up this pick even if he didn’t have the strongest of showings at the combine. That might even help the Colts snag him on Day 3, especially since the tape shows a more explosive player.
There are developments that will need to happen with Bryant, but he’s still one of the best options if the Colts want to grab a move tight end to work behind Doyle and Alie-Cox.
No. 173 | D.J. Wonnum | EDGE | South Carolina
When looking at mid-late Day 3 prospects, there are certain traits that teams look for. For some, it might be size and explosiveness. For others, it might athleticism. The Colts likely fall into the latter category where they like to have a foundation of athleticism to build around.
The Colts have a lot of upside on the edge as it is. Kemoko Turay was on his way to a strong season before a season-ending injury while Ben Banogu showed flashes in limited playing time. Justin Houston had his best season in a few years, and the Colts are likely to be active in free agency in some capacity at the position.
Wonnum presents the Colts with an explosive and athletic profile to build around with a Day 3 pick. His broad jump (93rd), vertical jump (81st) and three-cone (69th) were in percentiles that indicate he could be a solid project to work on.
Couple that with his high motor, and Wonnum looks like a strong candidate for the Colts in the sixth round.
No. 204 | Tyrie Cleveland | WR | Florida
Typically the Colts would have one more pick before this, but they had to give it back to the New York Jets as the conditions of the trade weren’t met. Though it hasn’t been made official, it was confirmed on both sides.
So with one fewer pick to work with, we decided to go with some upside at the wide receiver position. One of the best athletes in the class, Cleveland is the exact type of wide receiver Chris Ballard likes to target on Day 3. He has solid size (6’2, 209) and speed (4.46 40) to go along with a long wingspan (78″) and explosive traits—90th percentile in vertical jump and 83rd percentile in broad jump.
Cleveland might be viewed more as a deep threat with upside than a nuanced route runner, but the Colts need more speed and explosiveness on this side of the ball. Come Day 3 of the draft, he fits the mold that Ballard likes in his developmental wide receivers.
