We continue our training camp previews looking at the Indianapolis Colts linebacker corps and one of the late-round picks from April’s draft.
Name: E.J. Speed
Position: LB
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 230
Age: 24
Year Drafted: 2019 (fifth round)
Background
A surprise selection in the 2019 draft for the Colts, Speed was picked to add even more depth to a linebacker corps that is undergoing some immense changes.
Coming out of the Division II school at Tarleton State in Texas, Speed showed out during his pro day—posting numbers that immediately caught the Colts’ eyes.
In 12 games during the 2018 season, Speed recorded 106 tackles (55 solo), 12.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks with five passes defended.
2019 Outlook
As a fifth-round pick, Speed isn’t guaranteed anything. He will be competing with the rest of the linebacker room working mostly at the WILL position behind Darius Leonard.
Because Speed is such a tremendous athlete, he will have a bit of an advantage to make the team. However, he still has to show he belongs on an NFL roster and that he can make the transition from Division II to the league, which isn’t always an easy one.
Competing for a depth role, Speed will be going against the likes of Zaire Franklin, Skai Moore, Tre Thomas and Ahmad Thomas.
Bottom Line
There is enough upside to warrant a roster spot for Speed, especially since he would be working behind the aforementioned Leonard. He won’t have a guaranteed spot but if he can translate his athleticism into production during the preseason, he has a strong chance to grab one of the final spots.
