As Indianapolis Colts veteran tight end Jack Doyle enters the final year of his current contract, the team will eventually be looking to replace him. No need to look too far, though, as Doyle has a candidate that could replace him perfectly—undrafted rookie Hale Hentges.
While it remains to be seen if Hentges will make the roster, extending the streak to 20 consecutive years of at least one undrafted rookie making the cut, Doyle feels the Alabama product is a carbon copy of himself. And possibly a better one.
Everyone was already thinking it, but Doyle confirmed it following Saturday’s 21-18 loss against the Cleveland Browns. Hentges is a younger version of Doyle.
He won’t flash like Eric Ebron in the passing game, but Hentges will surprise defenses with reliability as a receiver. It’s been a consistent talking point of offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni to praise how much of a pleasant surprise Hentges has been in the passing game.
What makes Hentges most like Doyle is his run blocking. He’s a consistent technician when it comes to moving defenders off the ball, and it’s a big reason why he potentially has a future with the Colts—even if he fails to make the 53-man roster initially.
Hentges was solid in both aspects during Saturday’s preseason loss. He finished catching all four of his targets for 34 yards. His four receptions trailed only Deon Cain’s seven. Though he was called for a holding penalty that negated a Phillip Walker zone-read touchdown, it was a solid outing in the blocking department for the rookie.
With two games remaining in the preseason, it remains to be seen if Hentges will make the final cut. But if looking toward the future, the Colts could have their second coming of the aforementioned Doyle right in front of them.
