Amarlo Herrera to Indianapolis Colts: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The 2015 NFL draft is starting to wind down, but the Indianapolis Colts are still searching for depth players on the defensive side of the ball.

This late into the sixth round, the Colts likely won't find any long-term starters, but they can find some potentially productive backups who can step in if someone goes down. Georgia's Amarlo Herrera is the perfect example of that kind of pick.

Herrera was an incredibly productive inside linebacker for the Bulldogs this past season, picking up 115 total tackles, 10 for a loss and three sacks with one forced fumble. Bleacher Report's Kyle Rodriguez makes a great point about Herrera's production as a potential selling point for a sixth-round inside linebacker.

Although he weighs 244 pounds, Herrera doesn't have the most ideal frame for an inside linebacker at just 6'1" with short arms (32 ¾"). That hurts him when trying to make tackles or make plays in traffic since he will struggle with disengaging from bigger, more athletic NFL offensive linemen.

Herrera isn't the best athlete, either, which isn't a great combination with his frame. This makes it hard for him to make plays in open space, so don't expect him to be a great linebacker in zone coverage.

Tackling technique is an area where Herrera will have to show improvement before he's ready to take on a role at the NFL level. With the right coaching, his size wouldn't matter nearly as much as long as he could bring ball-carriers to the ground.

That being said, there are already some desirable traits to be found when watching Herrera. His production in the SEC cannot be denied, and his instincts are on display whenever he hits the field. He makes the right reads after the snap and quickly reacts to make the play. In pass coverage, he can drop back and shows some potential for covering tight ends and running backs around the league.

Perhaps the best part of Herrera's game is his ability to make adjustments before the snap. He clearly is a linebacker who studies the playbook because of the effective adjustments he makes, which should help him get comfortable in defensive coordinator Greg Manusky's 3-4 scheme.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

With Jerrell Freeman back, the Colts don't have an immediate need for a starting inside linebacker. What they did need, however, was some depth at the position, because there aren't a lot of options behind Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson who can hold their own if someone goes down.

Don't expect Herrera to become a starter one day, but after Josh McNary and Andrew Jackson struggled as backups last season, the Colts needed to find someone else who could embrace the role. A lack of desirable physical traits hurt Herrera's draft stock, but his production in college will give him a chance to prove himself at training camp in a few months.