The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through the most intense part of their offseason in the 2019 NFL Draft and will now be looking to get the new faces acclimated quickly.
It should be said that no one knows how any of these selections will pan out. Even the Colts still have to develop the players to reach the potential the teams sees in them. Still, we can take a look and give our grade on each pick based on several factors.
We take a look for ourselves, handing out grades for each pick while also giving the entire crop a grade at the end:
No. 34: CB Rock Ya-Sin, Temple
The Colts traded out of the first round, which made Ya-Sin the team’s first selection in the draft. There were many analysts that believed Ya-Sin was a first-round talent while others pegged him more as a later Day 2 pick.
The Colts had a need at cornerback and while drafing solely on need isn’t suggested, Ya-Sin should be able to become a starting boundary cornerback for the Colts quickly. He might not start right away, but he’s a perfect fit for the defense and has the prototypical size to work on the outside.
The Colts likely had a first-round grade on him while praising his physicality, leadership and character as extreme positives. The pick adds depth to the cornerback room in a player that should become a starter.
Grade: B+
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 49: LB Ben Banogu, TCU
Most will give the Banogu selection a poor look because he’s being graded solely as an edge rusher. However, the Colts aren’t only going to use him as a defensive end. Instead, they will start him out as a SAM backer while kicking him to rush the edge on third downs.
An extremely athletic defender, Banogu will likely be used as a swiss-army knife of sorts for the Colts defense. The TCU product will quickly become a leader on the defense side of the ball and now joins a linebacker corps that could become a strength.
With an edge rusher game similar to that of Kemoko Turay, Banogu struggles rushing with power but does have an ability to work on stunts given his speed and athleticism.
Grade: B-
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 59: WR Parris Campbell, Ohio State
The Colts had a need to add to the wide receiver position and while I expected them to wait until later in the draft, the value in the second round was simply too good to pass up for Chris Ballard.
Campbell is likely going to turn into one of the best selections of the draft for the Colts. He’s a perfect fit for the offense to work as a Z-receiver while being a horizontal target for Andrew Luck. His ability to create yards after the catch will separate him from the rest of the room, save T.Y. Hilton.
There were several other options the Colts could have gone with at this pick, but they grab Campbell, who has a chance to make an immediate impact given what he can do when the ball is in his hands.
Grade: A
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 89: LB Bobby Okereke, Stanford
The Colts stuck to their theme of finding lengthy, athletic defenders to work in the middle of the field. Okereke has already drawn comparisons to Darius Leonard in terms of athleticism, play style and arm length.
It was a bit of a surprise to see the Colts harp on the linebacker corps so heavily during the draft, but it’s understandable given how the room looked entering the event. Okereke will likely backup Anthony Walker at MIKE while being used heavily in a coverage role, which is something the Colts needed desperately.
Okereke was high on the Colts’ board, and he has a good chance to carve out a significant role in the defense. That, along with his character and leadership qualities, should make for a solid selection.
Grade: B
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 109: S Khari Willis, Michigan State
The Colts traded both of their fourth-round picks to get Willis, who seems to be limited in his coverage abilities but solid when it comes to playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
The Colts fell in love with Willis the more they watched him. Willis brings an incredible story that includes him almost dying when he was an infant. It’s a reason why he’s developed into such a leader throughout his career.
Willis might not start right away. He’s likely to be competing with Matthias Farley and George Odum for a role in the safety room while also working heavily on special teams. He’s a solid fit next to Malik Hooker, but it remains to be seen what type of impact he will have.
Grade: C+
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 144: CB Marvell Tell, USC
The Colts added an extra fifth-round pick during the draft in a trade with the Cleveland Browns and wound up taking Tell with that new selection. A work in progress, there is a chance Tell won’t see the field often to begin his career.
How a player eventually develops is what truly matters with the draft picks. Tell will be converting from safety to cornerback as the Colts feel his elite athleticism and arm length will serve him better there. Of course, he will need time to develop, which limits his early impact.
Personally, there were a few selections that made more sense including Charles Omeinhu and Amani Oruwariye. However, the team obviously felt highly of Tell’s ceiling.
The jury is out on Tell. Only time will tell how this selection will turn out. If he can hit his ceiling, there is a lot to like about this pick, but there is simply too much unknown to give it a high grade.
Grade: C
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 164: LB E.J. Speed, Tarleton State
Another selection that emphasized athleticism in the middle of the defense, the Colts drafted Speed despite his character issues stemming from his days in college where he was involved in organized criminal activity.
Given his traits from his pro day, there is a chance Speed competes for a roster spot behind Darius Leonard at WILL backer, but it remains to be seen what type of impact he has. He was productive at his D-II college, but the Colts now have a crowded linebacker room.
In the later rounds on Day 3, teams are simply looking for projectable players that have strong athletic traits. Speed checks both boxes while bringing question marks as well.
Grade: C-
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 199: DE Gerri Green, Mississippi State
A high-character leader out of Mississippi State, the Colts grabbed Green in the sixth round of the draft. He will add an excellent element of leadership to the locker room as he was a team captain that was constantly involved with the community.
On the field, Green has some athletic traits to like including speed and arm length, but he needs to develop his pass rushing repertoire in order to work into the rotation behind Kemoko Turay, Justin Houston and Jabaal Sheard.
There is a lot of upside with Green to compete for a spot on the roster, but he needs to be developed more before he grabs a serious role on the defensive side.
Grade: C
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 240: OT Jackson Barton, Utah
The Colts decided to wait until the final round of the draft to add to the offensive line. Barton is a project on the edge, but he brings a massive frame and long arms to the tackle position.
The Colts have some depth at tackle that the like in the form of Le’Raven Clark and Joe Haeg, and Barton is likely competing with J’Marcus Webb for one of the final spots on the roster when the fall comes around.
It isn’t clear what type of role Barton will have, but he does have some traits the Colts can work with and develop as a seventh-round pick.
Grade: C
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
No. 246: C Javon Patterson, Ole Miss
Adding to the interior offensive line was an objective for the Colts, and Patterson has the ability to work all over at all three spots. Patterson will have a chance to compete for a depth role on the interior given his athletic ability.
The Colts have center/guard Evan Boehm returning for another season, which likely means Patterson is battling for a spot with center Josh Andrews. As a seventh-round pick, he has traits that can be molded into a depth piece on the interior.
Grade: C+
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
Overall
The Colts made it clear they wanted to emphasize athleticism, speed and character with their eventual 10 selections. They moved around the draft order many times, as was expected, while grabbing some excellent athletes on Day 2.
There might not be the same amount of immediate starters for the Colts like there has been in recent years, but that might be a testament to the depth that has been created since Ballard took over. The Colts opted for high ceiling, athletic prospects that they hope to mold over time.
It’s a solid draft class with a ton of potential, but there is no way to truly know how this group will turn out until roughly a year down the road.
Grade: B-
Rock Ya-Sin – Ben Banogu – Parris Campbell – Bobby Okereke – Khari Willis – Marvell Tell – E.J. Speed – Gerri Green – Jackson Barton – Javon Patterson – Overall Grade
