Anthony Gould to Colts in NFL draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats for 142nd pick

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts used a second draft pick on a wide receiver at the top of the fifth round on Saturday, using the 142nd pick of the draft to take Oregon State's Anthony Gould, a 5-foot-8, 174-pounder with impressive speed and excellent skills as a return man, making Gould the front-runner to handle the return game in a league that is trying to encourage teams to return more kicks this season.

Oregon State's Anthony Gould to Colts, NFL draft grade: Instant reaction

Grade: B+

Why: Indianapolis badly needed a return man. The team's primary return man, Isaiah McKenzie, left for New York in free agency, and McKenzie struggled last season, fumbling three times on punt returns and making questionable decisions while averaging a pedestrian 8.9 yards per return. Add in the NFL's revamped kickoff return rules, and the position is suddenly a key again, and the Colts were left without an obvious player at that spot. Dallis Flowers, a premier kick returner, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, and Josh Downs is needed as the team's primary slot receiver.

Enter Gould, who likely will not play a major role on offense, at least initially, outside of gadget plays like jet sweeps, but profiles as an excellent returner who brought back two punts for touchdowns during the 2022 season at Oregon State. Gould does not have a lot of size, but he has speed to burn and excellent open-field ability, and the new kickoff rules likely make that role more like a punt returner's role than ever before. By bringing in a player who's already handled the role in college, Indianapolis will not be asking somebody to learn on the fly, and it could mean an upgrade at a position that can steal yards for the offense throughout games.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Grading Colts pick of Anthony Gould at No. 142 in NFL draft 2024