INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard gambled during this weekend’s NFL draft. He filled one need by adding pass rushers with his first two picks. Then he waited until the last of his seven selections to find a possible left tackle for new quarterback Carson Wentz. While Colts fans questioned the strategy even before Ballard took Penn State tackle Will Fries at No. 248 overall Saturday, team owner Jim Irsay was already praising the concept of taking disruptive defensive linemen Kwity Paye in the first round and injured Dayo Odeyingbo in the second. “I think it’s stunning and will, in the future, prove to be quite epic when you see that we’ve gotten a quarterback and two edge rushers within the context of this draft,” Irsay said, referring to the trade for Wentz. “I think we’ll look back at this draft and say it put us in the Super Bowl.”
Perhaps it will.
But the more pressing question is whether the 6-foot-6, 309-pound Fries can become a suitable replacement for longtime starter Anthony Castonzo, who retired in January. Fries played tackle and guard at Penn State.
If he’s not the answer, the Colts believe other options already exist within the team complex. They signed two tackles with starting experience in free agency, Sam Tevi, and Julien Davenport. There also is a chance three-time All-Pro Quenton Nelson could move from left guard into Castonzo’s old spot.
Castonzo has publicly said he believes Nelson could successfully make the switch, but the Colts have resisted making that move so far. “We feel like Tevi can do an excellent job there in pass protection and do the things we need to get done,” Irsay said. “There are other options that can come down the line. But I really think keeping the four where they are, and if it’s Tevi to start with and finish with, that’s definitely a possibility.”
fifth rounds were taken just ahead.
That forced Ballard to adapt by beefing up other areas while giving defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus a more remarkable ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
QUARTERBACK CARROUSEL
Indy’s quarterback room has undergone a significant overhaul in the last 12 months. Last year’s starter, Philip Rivers, retired, and Jacoby Brissett, the starter in 2017 and 2019, departed in free agency. The Colts sent two draft picks to Philadelphia to get Wentz in March. He’ll now work with Jacob Eason, a fourth-round pick last year, and former Texas star Sam Ehlinger, who was taken in the sixth round Saturday.
THE TRADE-OFF
Ballard changed directions in multiple ways this weekend. On Thursday, he kept his original draft pick for the first time in four years. On Friday, he took Odeyingbo despite knowing he could miss the 2021 season with a torn Achilles tendon. On Saturday, Ballard made his only draft-weekend deal – swapping sixth-round selections with New Orleans to add a seventh-rounder. Indy took Ehlinger and receiver Mike Strachan with those selections. Ballard also ignored a need at cornerback, opting instead for hard-hitting safety Shawn Davis of Florida in the fifth round.
FAST TRACK
Irsay also expressed a desire to find another offensive playmaker. He may have gotten two. The Colts grabbed SMU tight end Kylen Granson in the fourth round and Strachan, a Bahamian-born track star, to open the seventh. While Strachan got some route-running tips from Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, Granson broke SMU’s school record for TD receptions by a tight end (14) in just two years. He didn’t block much in college, but he did run away from defenders – when he held onto the ball.
“That (drops) is not an issue,” he said. “That was one game (Cincinnati), which was a fluke game for me. Ever since that game, drops haven’t been a thing. They weren’t a thing before that. Besides, that game has just been more motivation for me to tighten up on my craft.”
NEXT UP
Now the Colts will scramble to sign undrafted free agents. They’ve been more successful at finding post-draft help than any other NFL team. An undrafted rookie has made the opening-day roster in a league-high 22 consecutive seasons. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship kept the streak intact last fall.
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