Indianapolis Colts Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Eric Kendricks

Among Indianapolis Colts analysts, it's common protocol to talk about the defensive line and safety being the Colts' two biggest needs. Both are certainly needs, but both have become overblown because of national media exposure.

The defensive line is obvious, as the unit got pushed around in a pair of nationally televised losses to New England in which the Colts gave up an average of over 211 yards rushing and 43.5 points. The safety need has been blown up due to the attention-grabbing suspensions and release of LaRon Landry, who signed a four-year, $24 million contract in the summer of 2013.

Landry's abnormal muscle size and suspensions for performance-enhancing drug violations became something of a national story, and it continues to draw attention to the fact that the Colts have yet to find a long-term option at safety. The team signed Mike Adams to be a stop-gap starter last year, and the move worked out well, but he's still not a long-term option. The team signed another stop-gap in Dwight Lowery last week, but most analysts understand the need for a stud on the back end.

That being said, there's something to be said for the Colts' need for an inside linebacker. Sure, starters Jerrell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson will return, but both of those players have severe weaknesses that open the Colts up for exploitation. It's something that was very noticeable in watching the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX after the Colts lost the week prior.

Freeman was a fan favorite after being signed out of the CFL in 2012, but he struggled against the run in 2014, especially in big games against New England. While he has been better in the past and has made big plays in spots, he tends to play too conservatively against the run, allowing for successful gains before he tackles.

Freeman had just 22 run stops in 2014, ranking 29th out of 35 qualifying inside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus.

But while those issues against the run existed, they weren't exploited nearly as often as D'Qwell Jackson's porous man coverage was in the passing game. Jackson simply no longer has the speed or burst to stay with tight ends and running backs in coverage, and while his instincts in man coverage are more than adequate, his body is betraying him with age.

Don Wright/Associated Press

Jackson allowed a passer rating of 135.5 while in coverage last season, the second-highest among 60 qualifying inside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus.

The off-ball linebacker position may have been devalued a bit in recent years, but it's still a valuable position, and great defenses have at least one very good one. The Colts have lacked a playmaking linebacker for years, and UCLA's Eric Kendricks has the versatility and ability to affect the game on all three downs, making him a perfect fit to be a long-term core piece for Indianapolis.

Measurables

When you look at Kendricks, he's not physically imposing. If you're looking for that hulking middle linebacker, the prototype of yesteryear, you're looking for Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney. If you're looking for the physical freak athlete, you're looking for Stephone Anthony of Clemson.

Kendricks? Well, he's an interesting specimen, athletically.

Test	Height	Weight	40-Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical	Broad Jump
Measure	6'0"	232 lbs	4.61 sec.	19 reps	38"	124"
Percentile	6	8	89	16	92	96

From a size standpoint, Kendricks is actually rather small, with his 232 pounds being one of the five lightest weights among linebackers at the combine. Combined with his relatively short height at 6'0", Kendricks isn't too small for the position, but he's definitely closer to that end of the spectrum.

Fortunately, Kendricks excelled in the explosion metrics, landing as one of the top linebackers in the broad jump, vertical jump and 40-yard dash. He's not the quickest linebacker, but his pro day times for his 20-yard short shuttle (4.17 seconds) and three-cone drill (7.16 seconds) would have been above average at the combine.

Ironically, he compares very favorably to D'Qwell Jackson's profile coming out of Maryland, although he outperformed Jackson by a small margin in just about every test. Kendricks isn't big, and his length (31" arms) isn't great either, but he's an explosive yet smooth athlete.

Run Defense

For a small linebacker, a big question is always going to be run defense. Can the linebacker hold up against bigger offensive linemen? How well does he shed blocks? 

That, of course, is after you answer the questions asked of any linebacker. How are his instincts? Does he read plays well? Does he overpursue, or is he not aggressive enough? 

For Kendricks, the latter questions outweigh the former. Sure, he's not particularly big and gets overwhelmed when offensive linemen get into his chest, but he rarely allows that to happen because of his quickness and stellar instincts. Kendricks' biggest asset is his nose for the ball and his acute knowledge of where he is on the football field at all times.

As Dan Hope of Bleacher Report puts it, even when Kendricks makes mistakes, he often recognizes and recovers from them quickly enough to make the play:

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Once a play gets going, however, Kendricks does an excellent job of recognizing where the play is headed and quickly getting himself in motion toward the ball-carrier to give himself a chance to make the play.

Able to hitchlessly change directions in space, Kendricks is often able to recover even when he guesses wrong on a play or if he overruns it by a step. He accelerates quickly in pursuit and typically takes good angles to the ball.

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With a motor that never stops and a range that extends from sideline to sideline, Kendricks might not be a downhill, attacking linebacker that will rack up tackles for losses, but he'll finish the year with a load of tackles and will consistently have his nose on the ball. Just ask UCLA, where Kendricks finished as the school's all-time leading tackler after his senior season with 481 tackles in his college career.

Pass Coverage

What really stands out for Kendricks is his pass coverage. Kendricks is the best linebacker in the draft when he drops back to cover, which is an invaluable skill in an NFL that is utilizing tight ends and running backs on offense more and more. While people will point and scream about run defense for Indianapolis, the linebackers in coverage were a much bigger problem for most of the year.

For example, while the Colts finished 19th in Football Outsider's DVOA against the run, they were 26th against tight ends in coverage and 31st against running backs.

This is exactly where Kendricks excels. Because he is so explosive and reads movements so well in the open field, Kendricks is aggressive in man coverage and blankets receivers and tight ends.

Take this play against Virginia, for example:

Watch how Kendricks attacks the runner coming out of the backfield, then flips his hips flawlessly when the back cuts to the outside. It's an incredibly athletic play, followed up with stellar ball skills to finish the play. It's everything you want from an inside linebacker in coverage.

When Kendricks does allow a completion, usually in zone coverage or when the quarterback escapes the pocket, the UCLA linebacker is incredibly consistent as a tackler with outstanding technique that rarely gets fooled.

This is one of my favorite plays from Kendricks' tape, which combines his on-field positioning with that tackle technique:

Kendricks reads the play action well, aggressively follows the H-back into the flat and accurately diagnoses when he should disengage from his coverage assignment and go for the quarterback.

And the tackle?

There's nothing else I can say about that. And the best part about it is that it's routine for Kendricks in the open field. That's something the Colts value in their inside linebackers, and it's one thing that both Freeman and Jackson do well. The two linebackers tied for eighth in tackle efficiency against the pass in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.

Overall

The most appropriate line that I've read on Kendricks' skills comes from Chris Burke of SI.com: "Disciplined in all aspects of his responsibilities, frequently covering up his teammates' mistakes."

Discipline is the cornerstone of a strong inside linebacker, both in run and pass duties. Kendricks has the mental fortitude for it as well as the explosion and athleticism to make big plays as well. That's a rare combination, which makes him the top linebacker on my board by a wide margin.

In fact, it may make him too good for the Colts' purposes, as Kendricks could end up being off the board before the Colts pick at No. 29. If that's the case, so be it. The Colts need too much talent to justify giving up picks to move up in the first round.

But if Kendricks is there at No. 29, he's an ideal fit for what the Colts need both long-term and for 2015.

All GIFs made at Gfycat using videos from Draft Breakdown.

Kyle is an Indianapolis Colts featured columnist for Bleacher Report as well as the editor for Colts Authority and Colts Academy. You can follow Kyle on Twitter for more Colts and NFL analysis.