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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Stampede Blue -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>An Indianapolis Colts blog</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29818/stampedeblue_fave.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2024-05-01T17:04:31-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.stampedeblue.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2024-05-01T17:04:31-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2024-05-01T17:04:31-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Colts face key decision on picking up Kwity Paye’s 5th-year option by Thursday’s deadline </title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PQx5u5SQ7g0dhCw6gFONz3BNAP0=/0x0:4910x3273/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73321278/1692227982.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;The question is whether the Colts will or won’t pick up former 2021 first rounder Kwity Paye’s 5th-year option by Thursday’s league deadline? &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="RznNST"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/2023.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; have until Thursday (May 2nd) to pick up the 5th-year option on 2021 first round pick (and starting defensive end) &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PayeKw00.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kwity Paye&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;—which would be for $13.4 million fully guaranteed in 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="aTGx1r"&gt;Colts general manager &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/executives/BallCh0.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chris Ballard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; did briefly address Paye’s looming 5th-year option decision following ‘Day 1’ of last week’s NFL Draft, when asked: &lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="TK8wHk"&gt;“We’ll work through that next week,” &lt;a href="https://x.com/Colts/status/1783708629704515814"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;responded Ballard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; on whether the Colts will pick up Paye’s 5th-year option. “Look, Kwity is a really good football player. What did he have like 8.5 sacks last year? Plays the crap out of the run. He’s a great teammate. I think you know our philosophy, we want to keep as many of our own guys as we can. So, we like Kwity a lot.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="GS4k4B"&gt;He’s also highly regarded by his defensive coordinator, &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BradGu0.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gus Bradley&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;div id="qIYPgH"&gt;
  25. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  26. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Bradley paying huge compliments to Kwity Paye. Says he's highly trusted and highly respected, and the coaches believe he can get to another level. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colts?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Colts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— George Bremer (@gmbremer) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/gmbremer/status/1785728326599917613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  27. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  28. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  29.  
  30. &lt;/div&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="iBWk8C"&gt;It’s also worth noting that just because the Colts don’t pick up Paye’s 5th-year option doesn’t mean that they cannot still work out a contract extension with the 25-year-old by the time’s he’s otherwise set to become a free agent following the 2024 campaign. &lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;p id="BOGFK1"&gt;Given his youth, production, and first round pedigree, picking up Paye’s 5th-year option wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible proposition for the Colts, in order to see if he can tap into more of his physical tools and pass rushing upside—especially given the inflated contracts that are being handed out in NFL free agency these days. &lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;p id="9KIVu3"&gt;&lt;em&gt;(It’s possible that if the Colts passed up on Paye’s 5th-year option, and he hits free agency, another team might roll the dice on him for similar reasons—and for a comparable price.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  34. &lt;p id="ZxNqMY"&gt;That being said, his long-term future with the Colts franchise is a bit murky given the team’s fresh first round selection of Laiatu Latu, as well as the fact that Colts’ 2021 second round pick, Dayo Odeyingbo, is also set to become a free agent following this upcoming season. &lt;/p&gt;
  35. &lt;p id="QhnXgt"&gt;One could make the argument that while Paye has been a solid starting defensive end, he hasn’t quite lived up to his first-round draft billing and offers more in run defense than as a pass rusher—which has value, but arguably isn’t quite as valuable in today’s passing league. &lt;/p&gt;
  36. &lt;p id="VkUk1K"&gt;Both Latu and Odeyingbo are more regarded for their pass rushing ability, first and foremost—which presumably may be valued more by the Colts, or even others in the modern-day NFL. &lt;/p&gt;
  37. &lt;p id="KqjDkb"&gt;For perspective, Paye was PFF’s 36th best graded edge defender last season with a +74.3 overall grade. While he was generally solid for the Colts, that grade is comprised of a +78.1 run defense grade, but just a +62.2 pass rushing grade. &lt;/p&gt;
  38. &lt;p id="tV57nk"&gt;It leads some credence to the idea that Paye’s 8.5 sack output was the result of being a beneficiary of others’ pass rushing pressure and/or being ‘in the right place at the right time’—rather than because of his own pass rushing prowess. He also finished with 2 QB hits and 28 total QB pressures this past season. &lt;/p&gt;
  39. &lt;p id="DJxown"&gt;Honestly, the Colts could go in a different number of directions on this one, and we should at least learn their initial decision on Paye’s 5th-year option soon enough. &lt;/p&gt;
  40. &lt;p id="6HgdMe"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  41. &lt;p id="u9upuI"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  42. &lt;p id="l8IHCz"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  43.  
  44. </content>
  45.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/5/1/24146684/colts-facing-key-decision-on-whether-to-pick-up-kwity-payes-5th-year-option-by-thursdays-deadline"/>
  46.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/5/1/24146684/colts-facing-key-decision-on-whether-to-pick-up-kwity-payes-5th-year-option-by-thursdays-deadline</id>
  47.    <author>
  48.      <name>Luke Schultheis</name>
  49.    </author>
  50.  </entry>
  51.  <entry>
  52.    <published>2024-04-30T14:00:00-04:00</published>
  53.    <updated>2024-04-30T14:00:00-04:00</updated>
  54.    <title>NFL.com rates the Colts as having the worst draft amongst the AFC South</title>
  55.    <content type="html">  
  56.  
  57.    &lt;figure&gt;
  58.      &lt;img alt="NFL: NFL Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oeiHB4wQZekkhQnZlaEAM1M-Vyg=/0x0:4242x2828/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73318150/usa_today_23115705.0.jpg" /&gt;
  59.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  60.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  61.  
  62.  &lt;p&gt;The site has the Colts losing ground in the AFC South after the draft.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="V79UFg"&gt;After fourteen straight selections on the offensive side of the ball, the &lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; chose the top rated defender on their board, making Laiatu Latu out of UCLA the fifteenth overall pick. Even with that great stroke of luck, &lt;a href="http://NFL.com"&gt;NFL.com&lt;/a&gt; doesn’t feel the Colts nailed the draft, assigning them the worst grade in the AFC South. &lt;/p&gt;
  63. &lt;p id="jDrulr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-nfl-draft-final-quick-snap-grades-for-all-32-teams"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Colts received a B+, B, and A- for their day one, two, and three grades for an overall B+.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Here is what Chad Reuter had to say.&lt;/p&gt;
  64. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  65. &lt;p id="5LaRX6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Analysis: &lt;/strong&gt;Latu was the most consistent pass rusher in the draft class and will be productive if the neck injury he suffered while at Washington is not an issue moving forward. The team found a potential steal in Mitchell, provided his game matures, while trading down for two Day 3 picks. Trading up for Gonclaves seemed unnecessary, though he should be at least a solid swing tackle; he’s been recovering from a foot injury but &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641927&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fcolts%2F2024%2F04%2F27%2Fwhy-the-colts-traded-up-to-take-pitt-ol-matt-goncalves%2F73463586007%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stampedeblue.com%2F2024%2F4%2F30%2F24145479%2Fnfl-com-rates-the-colts-as-having-the-worst-draft-amongst-the-afc-south" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;said after the draft that he feels 100%&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  66. &lt;p id="JTDwDl"&gt;Bortolini looks like &lt;a href="https://www.nfl.com/players/ryan-kelly/"&gt;Ryan Kelly&lt;/a&gt;’s heir apparent; he also has the experience, strength and athleticism to play guard until needed in the middle. Gould brings real value as a returner, especially with the new kickoff rules. Carlies moves from safety to linebacker for the Colts. Simpson could man corner or safety; the athletic defender played both spots in college. Abraham is the son of former NFL player Donnie Abraham and a tough-minded corner in his own right, but the team is still looking for depth at edge.&lt;/p&gt;
  67. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  68. &lt;p id="xRAa7Q"&gt;Although not drastically superior, the other three teams in the division walked away with an A-. While grading drafts is impossible and usually even a pointless exercise, fans always want to feel and believe that their team crushed it. Seeing the Colts receive a middling grade doesn’t necessarily sit well. To be fair, though, we live in a world in which Shaquille Leonard was seen as one of the worst picks while other sites gave the selection of Patrick Mahomes a C, so take these grades with a huge grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;
  69. &lt;p id="TMFpWt"&gt;The tradition of draft season continues. First, the mock drafts take over. Then, the draft grades make the rounds. Both are fun, but don’t mean much at the end of the day. The only thing that matters is when the players take the field. Check back in three to four years. Let’s see if these grades still hold water or if we can look at them and laugh. &lt;/p&gt;
  70.  
  71. </content>
  72.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/30/24145479/nfl-com-rates-the-colts-as-having-the-worst-draft-amongst-the-afc-south"/>
  73.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/30/24145479/nfl-com-rates-the-colts-as-having-the-worst-draft-amongst-the-afc-south</id>
  74.    <author>
  75.      <name>Jon Spradley</name>
  76.    </author>
  77.  </entry>
  78.  <entry>
  79.    <published>2024-04-29T17:34:24-04:00</published>
  80.    <updated>2024-04-29T17:34:24-04:00</updated>
  81.    <title>Colts’ latest draft class once again boasts ‘elite athleticism and upside’—with a few exceptions</title>
  82.    <content type="html">  
  83.  
  84.    &lt;figure&gt;
  85.      &lt;img alt="Allstate Sugar Bowl - Texas v Washington" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KRBPO4WsjbNFeGgK6UhOCLKVSyA=/0x0:3402x2268/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73316319/1907370496.0.jpg" /&gt;
  86.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  87.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  88.  
  89.  &lt;p&gt;It was largely the same status quo for the Colts under GM Chris Ballard, who values physical traits in his draft classes. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="WoWccL"&gt;The&lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/2023.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Indianapolis Colts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; completed their 2024 NFL Draft Class with a total of 9 draft selections—headlined by both UCLA edge Laiatu Latu and and Texas wideout AD Mitchell. &lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;p id="wWqzqC"&gt;The Colts’ recent 9 total selections were as follows: &lt;/p&gt;
  91. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  92. &lt;p id="PGCvQ5"&gt;First round, No. 15 overall: UCLA Edge Laiatu Latu&lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p id="5Dfx6k"&gt;Second round, No. 52 overall: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell&lt;/p&gt;
  94. &lt;p id="1oNl58"&gt;Third round, No. 79 overall: Pitt OT Matt Goncalves&lt;/p&gt;
  95. &lt;p id="JZUzBW"&gt;Fourth round, No. 117 overall: Wisconsin G Tanor Bortolini&lt;/p&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="feEcN4"&gt;Fifth round, No. 142 overall: Oregon State WR Anthony Gould&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;p id="gB8vnA"&gt;Fifth round, No. 151 overall: Missouri LB Jaylon Carlies&lt;/p&gt;
  98. &lt;p id="oFBNmV"&gt;Fifth round, No. 164 overall: Auburn CB Jaylin Simpson&lt;/p&gt;
  99. &lt;p id="gAJfJR"&gt;Sixth round, No. 201 overall: Marshall CB Micah Abraham&lt;/p&gt;
  100. &lt;p id="5iBJRX"&gt;Seventh round, No. 234 overall: Oklahoma DT Jonah Laulu&lt;/p&gt;
  101. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  102. &lt;p id="YBz00Q"&gt;Colts general manager Chris Ballard has typically valued elite athleticism and immense physical traits (*&lt;em&gt;I mean, look no further than last year’s selection of Anthony Richardson at 4th overall&lt;/em&gt;)—only selecting prospects at each position that meet a certain baseline of required measurables respectively. &lt;/p&gt;
  103. &lt;p id="BWR2Tc"&gt;For the most part, that held true once again this year, with a few noted exceptions: &lt;/p&gt;
  104. &lt;div id="Kd471K"&gt;
  105. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  106. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Colts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Colts&lt;/a&gt; have targeted elite (90+ athleticism score) athletes for the second consecutive draft.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Since 2023 they have drafted 6 such athletes, including 3 in this class and two max-99 athletes. No other team has drafted more than 3 elite athletes over that span.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLDraft&lt;/a&gt; |… &lt;a href="https://t.co/h8o9dwt5rP"&gt;pic.twitter.com/h8o9dwt5rP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1784384538384441853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  107. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  108. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  109.  
  110. &lt;/div&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="P58FF9"&gt;While the mainstream ‘RAS’ that draft analysts, nerds, and whoever else use publicly presumably isn’t the same internal metric that Ballard and his scouting department actually evaluate prospects on, it looks like it’s at least relatively close. &lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="OeBqNH"&gt;The Colts once again had a Top 10 draft class in RAS—although they’re usually at or near the top each year—having slid a handful of spots in 2024 due to the selections of Pitt offensive lineman Matt Goncalves, Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson, and most notably lowering their collective average team RAS, Marshall cornerback Micah Abraham: &lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;div id="aORhVB"&gt;
  114. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  115. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;10. Indianapolis &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colts?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Colts&lt;/a&gt; - Avg &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; 8.296&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This is a change from the norm for Indi despite landing in the top ten. Not one, but THREE players below 8.00? And one below 5.00!  The scandal.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For real, though, this isn't much of a deviation overall, with 2/3 of players over 8.00. &lt;a href="https://t.co/5rbFDLF58m"&gt;pic.twitter.com/5rbFDLF58m&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1784385745148387705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  116. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  117. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  118.  
  119. &lt;/div&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="fcipgf"&gt;&lt;em&gt;(The Colts’ 2024 draft class RAS is significant, especially when in comparison to say their AFC South rival, Tennessee Titans, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/MathBomb/status/1784372164965044660"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;who had an average draft class RAS of just 5.765&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;—which is ranked dead last in the NFL). &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="O0xSBf"&gt;While none of that trio of Goncalves, Simpson, and Abraham features elite athleticism per se, it’s easy to see why the Colts liked each as a prospect nevertheless. Goncalves for his experience, versatility, toughness, and technique in the trenches—even if he does have shorter arms (&lt;em&gt;hey, so did Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann!&lt;/em&gt;). While Simpson’s RAS is really negated by his lack of playing weight, but otherwise looks like a pretty good athlete at safety. Lastly, Abraham lacks ideal corner size, but the instincts, ball skills, production, and NFL bloodlines speak for themselves—especially as a late round dart throw. &lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="7BeGEt"&gt;All-in-all, it was another Colts’ ‘high athleticism, high upside’ draft class. &lt;/p&gt;
  123. &lt;p id="ClhkA5"&gt;While many draft followers do not think that Latu is an elite athlete because of his relatively shorter arms as a pass rusher, he actually had a RAS of 9.37 out of a maximum of 10.0. The top prospect picked by the Colts right after him, AD Mitchell, may be one of this year’s ‘poster boys’ for athleticism and upside with a nearly pristine RAS of 9.99. &lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;p id="NSt9WJ"&gt;So while it wasn’t quite Ballard’s totally ‘uber-athletic’ draft classes of recent years past, with the exception of a few prospects, it was largely more of the same usual status quo for the Colts under this current scouting regime—which isn’t a bad thing. After all, if you’re going to die on a hill, elite athletic traits in the incredibly physical sport of football isn’t a bad one. &lt;/p&gt;
  125. &lt;p id="AAYmkt"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  126. &lt;p id="NhwP5c"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  127.  
  128. </content>
  129.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144773/colts-latest-draft-class-once-again-boasts-elite-athleticism-and-upside-with-a-few-exceptions"/>
  130.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144773/colts-latest-draft-class-once-again-boasts-elite-athleticism-and-upside-with-a-few-exceptions</id>
  131.    <author>
  132.      <name>Luke Schultheis</name>
  133.    </author>
  134.  </entry>
  135.  <entry>
  136.    <published>2024-04-29T17:31:06-04:00</published>
  137.    <updated>2024-04-29T17:31:06-04:00</updated>
  138.    <title>Colts 2nd-Round Pick Adonai Mitchell Dependable in Big Games</title>
  139.    <content type="html">  
  140.  
  141.    &lt;figure&gt;
  142.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Austin American-Statesman" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1ViTQ017OSx4GDbEEm2cVNBLUR0=/0x0:2880x1920/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73316313/usa_today_22208041.0.jpg" /&gt;
  143.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  144.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  145.  
  146.  &lt;p&gt;AD Mitchell consistently shows up and shows out in big moments. No wonder Reggie Wayne said they got a steal after drafting him.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="RuSSeW"&gt;Adonai “AD” Mitchell may have fallen out of the top 50 picks due to his polarizing prospect profile, though talent is by no means a concern with him. If you ask GM Chris Ballard, those pesky effort concerns that have been thrown around are &lt;a href="https://x.com/NFLscheme/status/1784052726562697347"&gt;nothing but “bulls***.”&lt;/a&gt; Ironically, what I’m most intrigued by when it comes to Mitchell is his effort in the games that matter most.&lt;/p&gt;
  147. &lt;p id="Yy5iZN"&gt;AD Mitchell played in all three of his collegiate seasons, starting with an impressive campaign as a true freshman at Georgia. After helping the dominant 2021-2023 Bulldogs win back-to-back National Championships, Mitchell &lt;a href="https://x.com/MoCityMitch/status/1744846000445870267"&gt;transferred to Texas&lt;/a&gt; to be more comfortable and better equipped back home to raise his daughter while also competing for a third ring.&lt;/p&gt;
  148. &lt;p id="T9Elu4"&gt;What never changed for AD Mitchell was his ability to show up in the postseason. During the 4-team CFP era, any 3-year stretch would at most allow for any team and/or player to compete in 6 playoff games. During his 3-year career amidst P5 football, Mitchell scored in every single playoff game (5) he played in. &lt;/p&gt;
  149. &lt;div id="heVG6g"&gt;
  150. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  151. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colts?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Colts&lt;/a&gt; rookie WR AD Mitchell is the definition of “big time players make big time plays.”&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;During his 3 seasons at the college level, Mitchell’s team(s) went to 5 of the possible 6 CFP games — he scored a TD in every single one. &lt;a href="https://t.co/kkHYLwEiPB"&gt;pic.twitter.com/kkHYLwEiPB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nerlens_/status/1785053490097553817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 29, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  152. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  153. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  154.  
  155. &lt;/div&gt;
  156. &lt;p id="fplG8B"&gt;Three semi-finals and two National Championships. Needless to say, the saying “big-time players make big-time plays” could not reign truer for AD Mitchell.&lt;/p&gt;
  157. &lt;p id="98MJK4"&gt;The concern regarding Mitchell is that of his effort in the games that “don’t matter as much,” aka the regular season. Now, any college football fan will tell you that every game matters, and I would agree, though many scouts’ points are that his willingness between the two game types is night and day.&lt;/p&gt;
  158. &lt;p id="AOBeRd"&gt;Although there may be some merit to the aforementioned concern(s), I believe Mitchell’s play in the big moments is ultimately what sold HC Shane Steichen and WRs Coach Reggie Wayne on his services. They’ve seen what he’s accomplished in three collegiate seasons and his mentality when it matters most solidifies Mitchell, in their eyes, as the 1st round talent he’d been hyped up to be. Now, they look to put the pieces of the AD Mitchell puzzle together.&lt;/p&gt;
  159.  
  160. </content>
  161.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24140881/colts-2nd-round-pick-adonai-mitchell-dependable-in-big-games"/>
  162.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24140881/colts-2nd-round-pick-adonai-mitchell-dependable-in-big-games</id>
  163.    <author>
  164.      <name>Compton5</name>
  165.    </author>
  166.  </entry>
  167.  <entry>
  168.    <published>2024-04-29T16:00:04-04:00</published>
  169.    <updated>2024-04-29T16:00:04-04:00</updated>
  170.    <title>Colts showcase Day 3 clinic on discovering versatility through draft</title>
  171.    <content type="html">  
  172.  
  173.    &lt;figure&gt;
  174.      &lt;img alt="NFL: APR 25 2024 Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/psTvpxH58AOqzfcVSMlm5uv8Zpo=/0x0:5744x3829/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73316028/2149720481.0.jpg" /&gt;
  175.        &lt;figcaption&gt;The Indianapolis Colts on the clock with the 15th overall pick during Day 1 of the NFL Draft — April 25, 2024 at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, MI. | Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  176.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  177.  
  178.  &lt;p&gt;Indianapolis was one of four NFL teams to receive an A+ draft grade, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, per PFF. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Hzin6k"&gt;DETROIT — In the 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/"&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/a&gt; war room put on a clinic on how to meticulously discover the most versatile gems to play multiple positions on the depth chart. The Colts took the first defender off the board on Thursday, then traded back in the second round to add a receiver with first-round talent. &lt;/p&gt;
  179. &lt;p id="Y3DNFj"&gt;Indianapolis began Saturday by finding a diamond in the trenches with the No. 117 overall draft pick in Wisconsin guard Tanor Bortolini. In 479 pass block snaps last season, Bortolini allowed just one sack against Iowa. Despite snapping the football in all 869 plays in 2023, Bortolini has played 648 combined snaps at guard and 229 snaps at right tackle. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Wisconsin’s 6-foot-4, 303-pound center broke Jason Kelce’s 3-cone record (7.16) and posted a 9.97 Relative Athletic Score, which is the highest score of all linemen in the 2024 draft class. Bortolini could earn snaps on the right side of the offensive line in 2024 and potentially become Indianapolis’ long-term solution at center. &lt;/p&gt;
  180. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="q13cJH"&gt;“He started a lot of games at Wisconsin, he played at both tackle positions at one time, he’s played guard, he started at center,” Colts GM Chris Ballard told reporters to begin his post-draft press conference. “We think he’s got really good value as an inside-swing guy for us and he’s got a really bright future.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  181. &lt;div id="Ek02JI"&gt;
  182. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  183. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Tanor Bortolini is a OG prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial  9.97 &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 6 out of 1445 OG from 1987 to 2024. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Splits projected&lt;a href="https://t.co/PcsS2Kzfn4"&gt;https://t.co/PcsS2Kzfn4&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/0qUNmhAezK"&gt;pic.twitter.com/0qUNmhAezK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1764441872544526691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  184. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  185. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  186.  
  187. &lt;/div&gt;
  188. &lt;p id="24CfrA"&gt;Indianapolis used the first pick it received from the &lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/26/24142174/colts-draft-adonai-mitchell-deal-second-round-pick-to-panthers"&gt;deal with Carolina&lt;/a&gt; on Oregon State’s 5-foot-8, 174-pound receiver Anthony Gould. He averaged 16.1 yards per punt last season and returned two punts for touchdowns in 2022, which was tied for the most in FBS. Gould shines best with quick tunnel screens and can make an immediate impact returning kicks with the new hybrid kickoff rules. Colts head coach Shane Steichen will design dynamic plays to stretch the field with his skill set. Gould told reporters he “can add a ton of value” from the kickoff design with both team’s being stationed five yards away from each other at the far end of the field. &lt;/p&gt;
  189. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="ma97DH"&gt;“The return game is going to be very important,” Ballard said. “This new kickoff return rule is going to change some things. It’s a little bit of an unknown right now but we think he’s got – he’s an explosive player with the ball in his hands, he has had a lot of success in college returning punts and he’s a pretty good wideout so excited to get him.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  190. &lt;div id="Ya2uzN"&gt;
  191. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  192. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Oregon State WR Anthony Gould has been drafted by the Colts.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Gould ran a 4.39 40 yard dash at the combine. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/jwnyfBDwac"&gt;pic.twitter.com/jwnyfBDwac&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WestCoastCFB/status/1784287137569063175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  193. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  194. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  195.  
  196. &lt;/div&gt;
  197. &lt;p id="Lolq4C"&gt;The Colts used its own fifth round pick, No. 151 overall, on Missouri linebacker Jaylon Carlies. He led Missouri in tackles in each of the last two seasons and was a catalyst in creating takeaways with nine interceptions and three forced fumbles during his career. He began his college career transitioning from receiver to cornerback, then evolved to more of an outside linebacker role in Missouri’s 4-2-5 base scheme. Ballard mentioned faster guys with length have an advantage, so the Colts can use Carlies as an outside linebacker to burst downhill and fill the swing plays or play in coverage against tight ends. &lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;p id="yfnBQm"&gt;Indianapolis traded back nine spots in the fifth round to acquire a sixth round pick from Philadelphia. At No. 164 overall, the Colts drafted Auburn defensive back Jaylin Simpson. Auburn’s fifth-year senior earned Second-Team All-SEC honors after leading the Tigers with four interceptions, including a pick six at Vanderbilt. Simpson’s 87.4 coverage grade ranked ninth among qualified safeties, per Pro Football Focus. Simpson may offer some competition at free safety, but lined up in the slot on 195 snaps and the Colts have him listed as a cornerback.&lt;/p&gt;
  199. &lt;div id="w4jouB"&gt;
  200. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  201. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;It's showtime in the Shoe, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/jaylinsimp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@jaylinsimp&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Colts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Colts&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLDraft&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/yNQ48bN3NK"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yNQ48bN3NK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/1784313560987824571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  202. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  203. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  204.  
  205. &lt;/div&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="RFWRJs"&gt;The Colts used the No. 201 overall pick in the sixth round on Marshall cornerback Micah Abraham. In five years at Marshall, Abraham compiled 12 interceptions and broke up 55 passes. Abraham excels in every defensive back position and showcased his natural instinct to time the route and track the pass late in the Herd’s season. Despite not getting invited to the combine, Abraham brings an abundance of experience with 3,246 snaps played at Marshall. Both Simpson (5-foot-11, 179-pounds) and Abraham (5-foot-9, 185-pounds) can be used as a nickel in Gus Bradley’s scheme. &lt;/p&gt;
  207. &lt;p id="2YLngl"&gt;The Colts finalized their 2024 draft class by selecting Oklahoma defensive tackle Jonah Laulu in the seventh round with the No. 234 overall pick. He entered college as a tight end, then made the switch to the defensive line. He spent his first four seasons at Hawaii, then found a new home in Oklahoma as a grad transfer. After speaking with area scout Anthony Coughlan, Indianapolis brought Laulu on a visit to build a connection with Bradley and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. At 6-foot-5, 289-pounds, Laulu bolsters the interior depth on the defensive front.&lt;/p&gt;
  208. &lt;div id="hSaBux"&gt;
  209. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  210. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Draft to compete. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheShoe?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#ForTheShoe&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/Cf03uf8vGv"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Cf03uf8vGv&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Colts/status/1784601088458424700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  211. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  212. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  213.  
  214. &lt;/div&gt;
  215. &lt;p id="E4lnUD"&gt;The Colts 2024 draft class includes two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two receivers, two defensive backs and an outside linebacker. Indianapolis was one of four NFL teams to receive an A+ draft grade, along with the &lt;a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/"&gt;Philadelphia Eagles&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/"&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/"&gt;New Orleans Saints&lt;/a&gt;, per PFF. Position flexibility was key during the evaluation process to ultimately assemble a competitive team with players who can play multiple positions. There should be plenty of interesting competition battles to make the 53-man roster during training camp at Grand Park this summer. &lt;/p&gt;
  216.  
  217. </content>
  218.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144690/colts-showcase-clinic-discovering-versatility-through-draft"/>
  219.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144690/colts-showcase-clinic-discovering-versatility-through-draft</id>
  220.    <author>
  221.      <name>Thomas Butler-Guerrero</name>
  222.    </author>
  223.  </entry>
  224.  <entry>
  225.    <published>2024-04-29T11:30:00-04:00</published>
  226.    <updated>2024-04-29T11:30:00-04:00</updated>
  227.    <title>Thoughts on the Colts’ 2024 Draft Class</title>
  228.    <content type="html">  
  229.  
  230.    &lt;figure&gt;
  231.      &lt;img alt="NFL: APR 25 2024 Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/06YJQQORKmw8kHQHLEEs9zpMzDY=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73315268/2149720381.0.jpg" /&gt;
  232.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  233.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  234.  
  235.  &lt;p&gt;Once again leaving the draft feeling like winners, what has become a staple with Chris Ballard at the helm.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="KrIZXR"&gt;Just a disclaimer here, I don’t believe in handing out draft grades so soon, as time and time again it has been proven just how useless it is. A draft class has to be judged after three full seasons, and even then it might be too soon. What we can do is share our initial thoughts on the picks and how we think they might improve the roster and help get the Colts to the playoffs once again. &lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;h4 id="dBImzR"&gt;Laiatu Latu, defensive end, UCLA&lt;/h4&gt;
  237. &lt;p id="7LP4mJ"&gt;Loved the pick, mainly because I have been saying that edge rusher was among the biggest needs the Colts had on the defensive side of the ball, as the pass-rush was just too inconsistent and failed to show up at key times last season. Dayo Odeyingbo seems to either have a two sack game where he is constantly on the backfield or just disappears, Kwity Paye has regressed as a pass-rusher every single season since being drafted, and Samson Ebukam best feature is his ability against the run. Adding Latu, who is inarguably the best pass-rushing edge defender of the class at #15 just made too much sense for it not to happen. Now why did a player of his caliber slid all the way down to the Colts? Well Latu had a near career-ending neck injury during COVID, and was not cleared by Washington’s medical staff before making a return at UCLA. It is worth mentioning that Latu had the same doctor as Manning, so the Colts have to feel confident about his long term health. I imagine Latu will not be asked to play every single down, but will rotate with Kwity Paye and be deployed as a pass-rush specialist from Week 1.&lt;/p&gt;
  238. &lt;h4 id="wNKroM"&gt;Adonai Mitchell, wide receiver, Texas&lt;/h4&gt;
  239. &lt;p id="Cfm4bL"&gt;Mitchell probably slid because of some anonymous sources questioning his character and work ethic. You can check out how Ballard felt about that right here in case you have not watched it yet (WARNING: Explicit Language)&lt;/p&gt;
  240. &lt;div id="VDliIP"&gt;
  241. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  242. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Chris Ballard is going to bat for Ad Mitchell and he's pissed about all of the reports of Mitchell's off the field concerns.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colts?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Colts&lt;/a&gt; GM is on one and I'm here for it. &lt;a href="https://t.co/yBu8wGWO83"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yBu8wGWO83&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFLscheme/status/1784052726562697347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  243. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  244. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  245.  
  246. &lt;/div&gt;
  247. &lt;p id="S4ui9w"&gt;Mitchell could be the missing piece of the Colts wide receiver room, and probably relegates Alec Pierce to the #4 spot. A route running specialist with insane athleticism and solid hands, Adonai has a mouth-watering highlight tape at Texas, and gives the offense another big body to use in red-zone packages. I loved this pick but one thing I just could not understand is why the Colts traded down from 46th to 52nd, adding just two extra 5’s. If they were as high on Mitchell as they said why run the risk of him going in those spots? It did not happen so I am not criticizing Ballard for taking a risk that worked, it just seemed unnecessary.&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;h4 id="nOfZIY"&gt;Matt Goncalves, offensive line, Pittsburgh&lt;/h4&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="WIwGan"&gt;This is the first pick that I am not entirely sure about, as Blake Freeland already covers the role of depth swing tackle, and Goncalves was not particularly high on my draft list, and I really like Christian Haynes who went just two picks later. His value mostly rests on his versatility as a move inside seems like the most reasonable step to follow, but if the Colts were planning on having him as a depth guy why not go with the guy that has over 2.400 snaps playing inside? Time will tell but overall I am not that confident in this pick. My other thought is that the Colts might be considering moving Braden Smith inside and playing either Freeland or Goncalves at right tackle.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;h4 id="txkJYo"&gt;Tanor Bortolini, center, Wisconsin&lt;/h4&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="5C8jX9"&gt;Bortolini is among the most athletic linemen in this draft class, and has experience at nearly every position in the offensive line. Right away Bortolini will be Ryan Kelly’s backup and probably Ballard is thinking of him as his replacement down the line. This was one of my favourite picks, adding an athletic freak, and not being thrown in the starting lineup right away.&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;h4 id="A8spka"&gt;Anthony Gould, wide receiver/returner, Oklahoma State&lt;/h4&gt;
  253. &lt;p id="3fRHOw"&gt;The NFL changed it’s kickoff rules, favouring the return game, and the Colts had a glaring hole at return man without Isiah McKenzie. Gould was among the best return men in all of college, and will be featured mostly on special teams, so the value as a fifth rounder is certainly there and this is an underrated pickup by Ballard.&lt;/p&gt;
  254. &lt;h4 id="MP09ME"&gt;Jaylon Carlies, linebacker, Missouri&lt;/h4&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="CY4Na9"&gt;It looks like Carlies will be deployed on a similar role to that of Ronnie Harrison Jr. was last year, mainly as a coverage linebacker. He has the range and athleticism to hang with tight ends and running backs in the passing game, but I am worried about his tackling abilities, as he had 21 missed tackles last season according to PFF.&lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;h4 id="IU6p9L"&gt;Jaylin Simpson, safety, Auburn&lt;/h4&gt;
  257. &lt;p id="gyNzcd"&gt;Simpson’s main concern is his weight, standing in at just 178 pounds, but his experience and versatility make him a valuable piece to a Colts’ backfield that really needs players that can play several positions. I think that Simpson will probably need a year to get his body into NFL shape, but on a Colts’ secondary that lacks bodies he could see meaningful playing time in his rookie year.&lt;/p&gt;
  258. &lt;h4 id="cIA4X2"&gt;Micah Abraham, cornerback, Marshall&lt;/h4&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="aNeVlF"&gt;And there we go! Ballard’s trademark unknown pick of every draft. I will be 100% honest with you, I am not familiar with Abraham’s name, and I did not see a single snap of him in college. I did see that surprisingly Abraham had one of the lowest RAS in this cornerback class at 3.70, and short arms ar 30.8’’, which is unheard of in Ballard drafting cornerbacks. &lt;/p&gt;
  260. &lt;h4 id="ktY0zc"&gt;Jonah Laulu, defensive tackle, Oklahoma&lt;/h4&gt;
  261. &lt;p id="2yMSDY"&gt;Laulu has impeccable work ethic, and the height and athleticism to play defensive tackle in the NFL. The question here is whether he can continue adding weight to his frame as he has been doing every single year since leaving Hawaii, and working with NFL caliber strength coaches and nutritionists will give him the tools to do that. 7th round picks are always longshots.&lt;/p&gt;
  262. &lt;p id="orE2lv"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  263.  
  264. </content>
  265.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144282/thoughts-on-the-colts-2024-draft-class"/>
  266.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/29/24144282/thoughts-on-the-colts-2024-draft-class</id>
  267.    <author>
  268.      <name>Mateo Caliz</name>
  269.    </author>
  270.  </entry>
  271.  <entry>
  272.    <published>2024-04-28T10:12:34-04:00</published>
  273.    <updated>2024-04-28T10:12:34-04:00</updated>
  274.    <title>ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gives Colts ‘B grade’ following 2024 NFL Draft </title>
  275.    <content type="html">  
  276.  
  277.    &lt;figure&gt;
  278.      &lt;img alt="NFL: NFL Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7n4pcHUhmYpXwwnuUrcydxvr7cw=/0x0:4242x2828/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73313325/usa_today_23115707.0.jpg" /&gt;
  279.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  280.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  281.  
  282.  &lt;p&gt;Todd! Todd! Todd! ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. didn’t understand why the Colts failed to significantly address cornerback—but still gave a solid B grade. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="ZLzcP4"&gt;According to ESPN’s &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MelKiperESPN"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mel Kiper Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/40030429/2024-nfl-draft-grades-all-32-teams-mel-kiper-winners-losers-steals-sleepers-favorite-picks-classes"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;the longtime draft guru has given the Indianapolis Colts a ‘B grade’ following the 2024 NFL Draft&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;—for a Horseshoe class that was highlighted by UCLA edge &lt;a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/laiatu-latu-1.html"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Laiatu Latu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and Texas wideout &lt;a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/adonai-mitchell-1.html"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adonai Mitchell&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with its first two picks: &lt;/p&gt;
  283. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  284. &lt;p id="jd5wAI"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Indianapolis Colts: B&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  285. &lt;p id="G4V3wX"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Top needs entering the draft:&lt;/strong&gt; Cornerback, wide receiver, safety, edge defender&lt;/p&gt;
  286. &lt;p id="k872Km"&gt;The Colts were one of the teams coming into Round 1 with a clearly defined biggest need. They really had to get a cornerback who could step in and start as a rookie for a defense that struggled to stop No. 1 wide receivers last season. While I thought they might also target a pass-catcher to give second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson more help, corner was the biggest hole for GM Chris Ballard &amp;amp; Co. So color me surprised when not only did Ballard pass on a corner in Round 1 — when he had his choice of the entire class — but he didn’t take one until Round 6.&lt;/p&gt;
  287. &lt;p id="jSjf3N"&gt;Indianapolis instead went with edge rusher Laiatu Latu (15), who will help this team as a rookie. I love the player but don’t quite understand what Ballard sees in his defensive back room that I don’t. He could have gone with Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell and upgraded at corner.&lt;/p&gt;
  288. &lt;p id="e6kAKj"&gt;Outside of that move? I like the majority of Ballard’s class. Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (52) could be a steal if he lives up to his potential. He was uncoverable at times at both Georgia and Texas. Matt Goncalves is a good offensive tackle with interesting tools. Tanor Bortolini (117) is a solid sixth offensive lineman option. Safety Jaylin Simpson (164) is a safety/nickel hybrid who tested extremely well at the combine. As ESPN’s Matt Miller said on the broadcast Saturday, Jonah Laulu (234) got rave reviews at his pro day and is a Round 7 flier worth taking.&lt;/p&gt;
  289. &lt;p id="d1Ia2l"&gt;I like the players in Ballard’s class, but I’m still curious about why he didn’t take a corner earlier. That’s a miss ... unless there’s some sort of trade for a veteran coming down in the weeks after the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  290. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="cFBx8j"&gt;Obviously, it appears that Kiper Jr. downgraded the Colts from a potential A grade here to a B because of their inability to significantly address the cornerback position early on. &lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;p id="uDFzFB"&gt;Colts general manager Chris Ballard did state in his pre-draft conference &lt;a href="https://x.com/RomeovilleKid/status/1781355184821616820"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;that he did not believe that his secondary was “too young,”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and may be bullish on the group with another year of development from 2nd-year corners JuJu Brents and Jaylin Jones and the return of Dallis Flowers from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered last year. It’s possible that the Colts could still look to add a veteran cornerback to further complement their corner room. &lt;/p&gt;
  293. &lt;p id="McppQb"&gt;The Colts draft class has a lot of talent and potential, namely atop with both Latu and Mitchell, but each comes with his own risk. Lau has overcome significant spinal issues from two years ago, when he was medically advised to retire from football. While he’s been durable and highly productive the past two seasons at UCLA, those medical issues could potentially limit or shorten his playing career going forward. Still, he has the pass rushing polish and ability to be an immediate contributor from ‘Day 1’ for the Colts, even if it’s rotationally. &lt;/p&gt;
  294. &lt;p id="uMGJPz"&gt;Meanwhile, Mitchell has the talent to be a top 5 wideout in this year’s class—with his great speed, body control, and fluid explosion in and out of breaks. However, whether unfounded or not (&lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/27/24142314/chris-ballard-defends-colts-wide-receiver-ad-mitchell-in-profanity-laced-rant-nsfw"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;please don’t mention this to Chris Ballard again!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), there’s been some reported maturity concerns. &lt;/p&gt;
  295. &lt;p id="2eT0po"&gt;At the end of the day though, it makes more sense for the Colts to ‘swing for the fences’ here, rather than play it safe and end up with a draft class that has immediate playability but a limited ceiling. It’s not as though these are all developmental projects either, as Latu can be a ‘plug-and-play’ edge right away—as can the two offensive linemen the Colts drafted in the mid-rounds, Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini for spot-starts. 5th round pick Anthony Gould was drafted and will be the team’s primary special teams returnman—where an upgrade from last year was sorely needed. &lt;/p&gt;
  296.  
  297. </content>
  298.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/28/24143565/espns-mel-kiper-jr-gives-colts-b-grade-following-2024-nfl-draft"/>
  299.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/28/24143565/espns-mel-kiper-jr-gives-colts-b-grade-following-2024-nfl-draft</id>
  300.    <author>
  301.      <name>Luke Schultheis</name>
  302.    </author>
  303.  </entry>
  304.  <entry>
  305.    <published>2024-04-27T18:52:15-04:00</published>
  306.    <updated>2024-04-27T18:52:15-04:00</updated>
  307.    <title>Colts select Oklahoma DT Jonah Laulu with 234th pick in 7th round during 2024 NFL Draft</title>
  308.    <content type="html">  
  309.  
  310.    &lt;figure&gt;
  311.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 23 Oklahoma at Cincinnati" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SqAtzgAnMUL4e-jxZIPcY-fx9VU=/0x0:6415x4277/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312322/1693363990.0.jpg" /&gt;
  312.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  313.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  314.  
  315.  &lt;p&gt;The Colts took a chance on a developmental interior pass rushing defensive tackle—with elite athletic measurables. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="g7b4st"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/index.htm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; selected Oklahoma defensive tackle &lt;a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jonah-laulu-2.html"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jonah Laulu &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;with the 234th pick in the 7th round of the 2024 NFL Draft—which is currently their final slated pick: &lt;/p&gt;
  316. &lt;div id="jy3bMW"&gt;
  317. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  318. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Laulu &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheShoe?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#ForTheShoe&lt;/a&gt; ‼️&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Welcome to Indy, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Jonah_laulu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Jonah_laulu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href="https://t.co/YFwC8xoqJK"&gt;pic.twitter.com/YFwC8xoqJK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Colts/status/1784348375057347049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  319. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  320. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  321.  
  322. &lt;/div&gt;
  323. &lt;p id="LqR0hr"&gt;The 6’5,” 292 pound defensive tackle (with 33 1/2” arms) recorded 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and a sack for the Sooners last season—earning First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.  He initially began his career at the the University of Hawaii (2018-21). &lt;/p&gt;
  324. &lt;p id="xlpOHU"&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/MathBomb/status/1775193976863109580"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;He has an elite RAS of 9.60 out of a maximum of 10.0&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  325. &lt;p id="VcRj8Y"&gt;There was some buzz on Laulu as a ‘Day 3’ pick given his athletic traits and measurables: &lt;/p&gt;
  326. &lt;div id="wMT9k6"&gt;
  327. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  328. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;One player who’s gained a lot of buzz as a Day 3 pick is Oklahoma DT Jonah Laulu.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Scouts like his size, length (nearly 34-inch arms) and explosiveness — and the fact he can play multiple positions across the defensive line. Laulu was a star tester as well, running in the 4.8s… &lt;a href="https://t.co/cPkWfWv0n2"&gt;pic.twitter.com/cPkWfWv0n2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1780667199885046151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 17, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  329. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  330. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  331.  
  332. &lt;/div&gt;
  333. &lt;p id="8O6yWQ"&gt;Here’s what else they’re saying: &lt;/p&gt;
  334. &lt;div id="YqF7Fb"&gt;
  335. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  336. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Jonah Laulu is my DL38&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Big, long athlete with a killer first step. Good pass rusher. Closing speed is there.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Raw, plays upright. Gets pushed around in the run game. Technique is very iffy.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colts?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Colts&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallamAnalysis?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#HallamAnalysis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Shane P. Hallam (@ShanePHallam) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ShanePHallam/status/1784348826532237674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  337. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  338. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  339.  
  340. &lt;/div&gt;
  341. &lt;p id="BnNKGt"&gt;The Colts are pretty set at defensive tackle with both DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart entrenched as the starters, and having signed Raekwon Davis as the run-stuffing rotational backup at nose tackle. Both Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis also have the ability to kick inside on passing downs at defensive tackle. &lt;/p&gt;
  342. &lt;p id="IHAWWb"&gt;That being said, with his size, athleticism, and explosiveness, Laulu offers some promise as a developmental interior pass rusher—as it sounds like he’s further along there than against the run, and may be able to crack the rotation at some point. &lt;/p&gt;
  343. &lt;p id="X65mDV"&gt;Round 7 is often about finding special teams contributors or dart throws, so the Colts could’ve done a lot worse than to bet on Laulu’s athletic traits here this late in the game. &lt;/p&gt;
  344. &lt;p id="tCT5kx"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  345.  
  346. </content>
  347.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/27/24143146/colts-select-oklahoma-dt-jonah-laulu-with-234th-pick-in-7th-round-during-2024-nfl-draft"/>
  348.    <id>https://www.stampedeblue.com/2024/4/27/24143146/colts-select-oklahoma-dt-jonah-laulu-with-234th-pick-in-7th-round-during-2024-nfl-draft</id>
  349.    <author>
  350.      <name>Luke Schultheis</name>
  351.    </author>
  352.  </entry>
  353. </feed>
  354.  

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