The dust is settling on the 2021 NFL Draft, and we’re being confronted by the same bullshit articles we always get at this time of year.
‘Who won the 2021 NFL Draft?’ is a popular one, as is handing out grades on picks when the players involved haven’t even suited up for an NFL game, never mind played in one.
You can understand to an extend; the draft is a huge date in the NFL calendar, and squeezing out every last drop of content is imperative for the mainstream media.
The problem is that we hear the same things time and time again; that you should stay true to your board, that you shouldn’t reach for a need, that you can’t truly judge a draft until three years later.
Then, within hours of the draft finishing, it all flies out of the window.
We all knew the Colts would ideally like a left tackle in the draft. They didn’t come out with one though, as both Chris Ballard and Frank Reich suggested that the board just didn’t play out that way.
If the oft-spoken words of draft wisdom are as important as made out, this was the right way to go. Indy stayed true to their board, they had players in other positions ranked higher at the time of their picks, and decided not to force a tackle pick.
Instead, we’ve seen all sorts of criticism this week; that the Colts have failed with their draft because they didn’t take a tackle, that this is Chris Ballard’s worst draft as Colts GM, that Indy may not even make the playoffs.
Geoff Schwartz and Brett Kollmann were both beside themselves — how could Indy take a pass rusher when Christian Darrisaw was on the board!?
Well, by doing what everybody preaches — staying true to their board, going with a player they had great confidence in as Kwity Paye was picked instead. There have even been suggestions that Indy saw Darrisaw as more of a right tackle anyway.
This is where draft media gets so frustrating, and part of why I stopped grading and analysing prospects around 2015. It’s so reactionary, so prone to flying in the face of everything that allegedly makes a good team.
So much of the reaction is ‘well I had this player at 54 and they picked him at 27, what a reach!’, as if front office staff actually give a shit.
Another interesting point here is that the Colts are now moving for ex-Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher. If he signs, that left tackle quandary will be eased, and the furore and outrage at Indy not picking a tackle will seem a little ridiculous. It’s almost like there were still avenues for Ballard to explore outside of the draft. Unbelievable, I know.
Maybe every Colts pick will be out of the league in a year — who knows? But so much of the post-draft reaction is faux-analysis, based on personal rankings and driven towards driving clicks.
I work in football media and I understand the desire for traffic as much as anyone, yet nothing in football feels quite as contradictory as draft media when it comes to setting out how a successful team should approach the draft, and then appearing to criticise them when they do it.
Instead of bleating on about rankings, reaches and grades, tell us why the team may have picked that player; what they saw in him even if you didn’t, how they may fit into the team that picked them.
Well, here’s my bash with each of the Colts picks this year. Not a grade in sight!
Round 1, pick 21: Kwity Paye — ticked off key areas that the Colts look for; he was a team captain at Michigan, he posted freakish athletic testing and has great character. The power in his upper body means the Colts can get versatile with him, playing him as a strong or weak-side rusher. Is he the finished product? No. His stats at Michigan don’t look all that great, but Michigan didn’t turn him loose as a rusher quite as much as Matt Eberflus may. Given that the other rushers on the roster combined for just 9.5 sacks last season, pass rush was arguably just as important as finding a tackle. Let’s hope Paye can develop and become the edge threat we’re seeking. He’s no sure thing, but possesses elite traits that give him a great chance to shine.
Round 2, pick 54: Dayo Odeyingbo — I can’t lie, this pick did surprise me a little. However, when you listen to Ballard speak about him, there is major excitement around him. The Vanderbilt defensive lineman is one of a kind; he’s 6'5" tall, 276 lbs, and his length is just astonishing. 35¼” arms and a wingspan of over 86” are both unbelievable, and it shows up on the tape. Odeyingbo has great burst, his arms are just so long that offensive linemen struggle to contain him and he can rush from various positions along the D-line. Think about what the Colts lost in Denico Autry; a moveable piece on the defensive front. Odeyingbo looks to be his replacement for the long-term, but the reason his pick was such a surprise was due to his injury. Odeyingbo tore his Achilles in January, and there was talk of this being a redshirt season for him as he rehabilitates. Let’s hope he comes back as well as he can, just as Julian Blackmon did last year. Those injuries can impact explosive athletes hard, but if he comes back strong and teams up with Paye, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, how many teams will want to play against that front?
Round 4, pick 127: Kylen Granson — Tight end felt like an overlooked area of need for Indy entering the draft. Fans may have known it, but the media didn’t appear to. Tommy Tremble would have been ideal for Indy, but with no third-round pick, that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, the Colts went with SMU’s Kylen Granson in the fourth round. Frank Reich appears to be in love with Granson, who played at the Senior Bowl — important criteria for Indy when drafting. There has been criticism over this pick too; he’s too small, he can’t block, yada yada. Again though, think of what Indy have just lost. Trey Burton was allowed to walk in free agency, so another move tight end to complement Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox makes total sense. When you look at how Granson compares to Burton athletically, it’s obvious that he has been lined up to fill his role.
Granson will be a matchup nightmare thanks to his athletic ability, and it’s another area where the Colts have got younger. From Justin Houston, Denico Autry and Trey Burton, Indy now have Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and Kylen Granson. When you look at the first three picks in that way, they make much more sense than the media would have you believe.
Round 5, pick 165: Shawn Davis — Some wanted a cornerback, but a safety did make more sense. Malik Hooker has gone, and whilst Sean Davis — not to be confused with Shawn Davis (thanks, Ballard) — has come in, more competition is ideal for when Indy want to play three safety looks. That wasn’t really possible last season with Julian Blackmon injured, and then Hooker himself ruled out for the season. Davis played at the Senior Bowl, and Ballard appears to love his physical nature. He’s a hard hitter who can be a little all-or-nothing in the tackle, but adds a vicious nature on the back end with Blackmon and Khari Willis.
Round 6, pick 218: Sam Ehlinger — I’ve seen this pick branded as Indy’s worst of the draft, because Carson Wentz has been brought in and Jacob Eason was picked last year. Wentz has been injury-prone in recent years, and though Eason was selected in the fourth round last year, Ballard has been pretty non-committal about him moving forward. Additionally, Eason’s traits somewhat lined up with Philip Rivers last year. This year, he will be behind Wentz, and they are nothing alike. Ehlinger is much more similar to Wentz, which is a factor when creating offensive schemes as the former Texas Longhorn may be an easier fit than Eason. Just look at how the Indy staff talk about him; he’s a winner, a leader, a ‘horseshoe guy’, mentally tough, gritty, mature, possessing ‘off the charts’ football IQ. That sounds very different to how Ballard and co have spoken about Eason, suggesting Ehlinger could seriously have a long-term future as a Colts backup QB.
There has been sad news for the Ehlinger family over the last 24 hours, as Sam’s brother Jake — a Texas Longhorn linebacker — has passed away. I’m sure I speak for the rest of the Colts fanbase in passing on thoughts and well-wishes to the Ehlinger family at this time.
Round 7, pick 229: Mike Strachan — Ballard loves a late-round punt on a wide receiver with athletic traits. Last year, it was Dezmon Patmon out of Washington State, and this year it’s Strachan from the little-known Charleston in West Virginia. Strachan is, in the nicest way possible, an absolute freak. He’s 6‘5", whilst his wingspan and arm length are both in the 96th percentile according to Mockdraftable. He’s a longshot to make the roster, but if Indy can stash him on the practice squad, there is plenty to like about his future.
Round 7, pick 248: Will Fries — Hey, Indy took a lineman! It wasn’t a left tackle, but it’s a lineman all the same! Fries posted very strong testing, with a 4.51 shuttle time and impressive broad and vertical jumps pushing him up into the final round of the draft. This feels similar to the selection of Danny Pinter last year; an athletic, late-round lineman who can come in and offer depth on the interior of the offensive line. Sure, Indy have Chris Reed in the mix behind Quenton Nelson and Mark Glowinski too, but offensive line depth is always handy.
Hopefully this provides a little more insight into why Indy went the way they did in the 2021 draft. Some have criticised the selections for various reasons, but when you look at what Indy have lost and how the roster is constructed at the moment, there more method to this draft class than many would have you believe.
Just remember that draft media had Malik Hooker as the steal of the 2017 first round and Darius Leonard was branded as one of the worst picks of the 2018 draft. Nothing is won or lost days after the draft.
