Experts grade the Colts’ 2021 draft class
The Indianapolis Colts are in the middle of their rookie minicamp after using seven selections in the 2021 NFL draft to further boost a roster that is close to entering a window for winning.
Despite the seven picks being the fewest that general manager Chris Ballard has had during his tenure, they made do with the picks they did have. They beefed up the defensive front while adding a playmaker on offense in tight end Kylen Granson.
We graded the Colts’ draft by each pick and came out relatively favorably with an understanding that Ballard wasn’t going to fill a need just to do so.
Here’s how some of the experts around the league graded the Colts’ draft:
Touchdown Wire: B-
AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Authors: Doug Farrar, Mark Schofield Link to article Authors' Take: "The Colts’ most obvious need in this draft was a left tackle to replace the retired Anthony Castonzo, but general manager Chris Ballard said after the draft that there weren’t a lot of obvious left tackle talent beyond the obvious, and he wasn’t going to force the fit. An interesting thing to say when Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw went two picks after the Colts’ first-round pick to the Vikings at 23, but that’s another matter. In any event, the Colts ably filled their other desperate need — pass rush — with Michigan’s Kwity Paye in the first round, and doubled down with Vanderbilt’s Dayo Odeyingbo in the second. Both players have great athletic profiles and the ability to win inside and outside. Perhaps the most interesting pick was Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the sixth round. Ballard said after the fact that whatever “it” is, Ehlinger has “it.” What Ehlinger and Carson Wentz might not have to a prominent degree in 2021 is backside protection, which takes this class down a bit."
ESPN: C+
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
Author: Mel Kiper Jr. Link to article Author's Take: "With the big offseason acquisition of Carson Wentz, the Colts addressed their quarterback situation with the guy they hope will be there for years to come. The spot they haven't replaced, though, is the one left by retired left tackle Anthony Castonzo, and so I thought they'd certainly take a tackle with one of their first two picks. It's a deep class of tackles, and there were good players on the board in Round 2. Instead, general manager Chris Ballard went defensive end for his first two picks. Does this mean All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson is going to kick out to tackle? It wouldn't surprise me. As for who they did take, Kwity Paye (21) has tremendous upside if he can turn his traits into production. He created pressure at Michigan, but he only had 11.5 sacks in four seasons. Dayo Odeyingbo (54) went a little high based on my rankings, simply because he tore his Achilles in January and almost certainly won't make a major impact as a rookie. I might look silly when we do re-grades in a few years, but I don't think teams should take redshirt players in Round 2. I also question Indy's Day 3 haul. Tight end Kylen Granson (127) was a reach in Round 4, while Sam Ehlinger (218) is my 11th-ranked quarterback, and the Colts took him one year after taking Jacob Eason in Round 4. So I don't love this class, because of the risk with Paye and Odeyingbo, both of whom have big question marks, and because of the lack of Day 3 values."
Draft Wire: D
Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Author: Luke Easterling Link to article Author's Take: "Kwity Paye was a steal at No. 21 overall, and he filled their biggest need on defense, but things went downhill fast after that. The Colts spent their only Day 2 pick on another edge defender in Dayo Odeyingbo, and the rest of their entire class didn’t do a great job of hitting their big needs or giving them great value at other positions. Despite a glaring need at left tackle following Anthony Castonzo’s retirement, they waited until their final pick in the seventh round to address a premium position. Sorry, Carson Wentz.
NFL.com: B+
Matt Kryger/IndyStar
Author: Chad Reuter Link to article Author's Take: "Paye will bring strength and quickness off the edge for the Colts, who needed to improve their pass rush to make a run at the AFC title in 2021. The team desperately needs a left tackle to replace Anthony Castonzo, but instead doubled up on the edge with Odeyingbo, whose length and power will make him an excellent redshirt candidate as he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered this offseason. Granson is a smallish receiving tight end/H-back who could be a real find in the fourth for the Colts, but I thought his lack of height and consistency as a pass catcher would cost him more draft position. Davis will bring the hits in the secondary. The Ehlinger pick generally makes sense in terms of his ability to win a roster spot as a backup. I do wonder what the pick suggests about the team’s confidence in last year’s fourth-round selection, Jacob Eason. Strachan has great size and athleticism for the position. The Colts will need to find cornerbacks and linebackers among the best undrafted free agents.
Pro Football Focus: C+
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Author: PFF staff Link to article Author's Take: "Day 1: Paye is one of the many physically gifted but unrefined edge rushers in this draft class. He has generational tools for the position and clocked a sub-6.5-second three-cone time, but his pass-rush plans are a bit reckless. He still managed to record a 77.8 pass-rush grade in 2019 before raising it to 87.1 on a smaller sample in 2020. With the right coaching, he can be a dominant NFL player. Day 2: Another player who fits the Colts’ athletic profile for defenders to a tee. Odeyingbo is an extremely twitchy athlete and has prototypical size, but he comes without the grading profile and production to match those freakish traits. The Colts have chased those players in the past several drafts with mixed results. Odeyingbo recorded 25 total pressures in eight games the last time we saw him play. Day 3: Ehlinger is a four-year starter who did a good job at limiting turnovers in college. That’s about where you stop getting excited about his prospects of panning out in the NFL. His pocket presence and arm both stand out as barriers to becoming a viable option at the next level. It’s still not a terrible bet for Indianapolis to make at this stage of the draft.
USA TODAY: B
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Author: Nate Davis Link to article Author's Take: "They made a more-than-reasonable investment to get Wentz, spending this year's third-rounder and a 2022 second-rounder that becomes a first ... but basically only if Wentz stays on the field. But the Colts opted for Kwity Paye in Round 1 – and the former Michigan star might be this draft's premier edge prospect – but then took DE Dayo Odeyingbo in the second round even though an Achilles injury might keep him off the field in 2021. Very curious that GM Chris Ballard didn't more aggressively pursue a left tackle replacement for retired Anthony Castonzo given Wentz was sacked a league-high 50 times in just 12 games last season."
Pro Football Network: C+
AP Photo/Brandon Wade
Author: Ben Rolfe Link to article Author's Take: "The Indianapolis Colts got great value with their selection of Kwity Paye, who was viewed as a top-15 selection. They took some risks in later rounds and it was concerning they did not address the left tackle position. The selection of Sam Ehlinger makes little sense."
Sporting News: B
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Author: Vinnie Iyer Link to article Author's Take: "GM Chris Ballard gets a good baseline score for addressing all the most pressing needs across the board, starting with a nice youthful burst of pass-rushing juice. Granson and Strachan are intriguing depth players to support what they have at tight end and wideout. Ehlinger was a worthy developmental dual threat to put behind Carson Wentz. The only considerable knock is not addressing offensive tackle in a much bigger way.
NBC Sports: B
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Author: Nick Goss Link to article Author's Take: "The Colts zeroed in on pass rushers early in the draft by selecting Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye in the first round and Vanderbilt defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo in the second round. These two rookies, in addition to veteran DeForest Buckner, should give Indy a much-improved front seven in 2021.
The Ringer: C+
AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Author: Danny Kelly Link to article Author's Take: "The Colts added a day-one impact rusher in Paye, who has prototypical size and athleticism. They also could get long-term value in Odeyingbo, who has major upside but is likely to miss his rookie season after going down with a torn Achilles in January. This Indianapolis haul won’t make many national headlines, but it could prove effective. Paye and Odeyingbo both add toughness and physicality to an already talented defensive line.
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