The Indianapolis Colts’ Cinderella season came two games of short of a Super Bowl berth, and now it’s time for GM Chris Ballard to go back to the drawing board.
Ballard drafted arguably the top rookie class of 2018, with two All-Pro selections in Quenton Nelson (First Team All-Pro) and Darius Leonard (NFL tackle leader). Also making huge contributions were right tackle Braden Smith (All-Rookie Team) and Nyheim Hines (148 touches, 739yds, 4tds).
Ballard is in a great position to bring in another stellar class this year, with 11 total picks and three inside the top 50 selections. With that being said, let’s examine which areas the Colts need to upgrade.
Pass Rusher
The Colts finished 19th in sacks with 38, and while their defense grew by leaps and bounds under Matt Eberflus, the lack of consistent pressure really showed later in the season and particularly in the postseason. Hailed as one of the heaviest draft classes for D-line talent, the Colts should look to upgrade this unit early in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Wide Reciever
Despite late contributions from Dontrelle Inman, this receiving corps is bare outside of TY Hilton and finesse TE Eric Ebron. A possession receiver to compliment TY’s over-the-top antics and Ebron’s red zone acumen would suit Indy well.
There are a plethora of second-round targets in Deebo Samuel, AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, N’Keal Harry, amongst others the Colts should look to target. More playmakers are desperately needed to really open up this offense for an MVP-caliber quarterback in Andrew Luck.
Cornerback
This unheralded group really can’t be praised enough for their work this season. Journeyman corner Pierre Desir blossomed into a solid No. 2 corner this year, and Kenny Moore showed that workmanlike dedication can beat out untapped talent (Quincy Wilson) any day.
Coordinator Matt Eberflus’s defensive scheming really shined with this unit this season but adding a premiere corner would really solidify the back end of this defense.
The focus of Chris Ballard’s upcoming draft absolutely needs to be defense. The core of tackling machines Leonard and SS Clayton Geathers, shell coverage man Malik Hooker, athletic DTs Denico Autry and Margus Hunt, and nickel corners Nate Hairston and Kenny Moore put Matt Eberflus’s defense right on the cusp of elite last season. Luck will not complain if Ballard can sneak in an outside playmaker to move the chains every once in a while either.
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*edit, 3 selections inside top 60