Indianapolis Colts Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
After months of waiting, scouting and more waiting, the 2015 NFL draft is finally here.
The Indianapolis Colts head into the draft with nine total picks, with at least one in every round. Plenty of eyes were watching Thursday night to see what the Colts did with the No. 29 overall pick, and they'll continued to watch as Ryan Grigson continued to turn heads with his selections.
It was a busy draft for the Colts, but it started off with a big surprise with the team selecting Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett. After the initial shock wore off on Thursday, the Colts started to focus on adding to the defense, bringing in two Stanford defensive linemen in David Parry and Henry Anderson. Meanwhile, they added secondary help in D'Joun Smith and Clayton Geathers.
The Colts left the draft with eight more players, so let's take a look at analysis and grades for each selection as they came in.
Round 1, No. 29 Pick: Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (Florida)
1 of 8No one could have seen this coming.
Despite players like Landon Collins and Malcom Brown still on the board with the No. 29 selection, the Colts still decided to add to their offense, bringing in Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
This is a bit of a head-scratcher for Indianapolis. There are so many glaring holes on defense, yet Ryan Grigson decided to bring in another wide receiver despite having T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter already on the roster.
That being said, there is still a lot to like about Dorsett. He may only be 5'10" and 185 pounds, but Dorsett has blazing speed (4.33 40-yard dash) and the ability to blow the top off of opposing secondaries. His explosiveness on the line of scrimmage and solid hands make him a great receiver in the slot or on the outside.
There's still some work to be done in terms of technique for Dorsett, but it's hard not to be reminded of Hilton when watching him. Fans will be upset that the team didn't add to its defense here, but remember that the Colts drafted another Miami receiver in Reggie Wayne back when everyone thought that they should have taken a defensive prospect in the first round.
Grade: B
Round 3, No. 65 Pick: D'Joun Smith, CB, FAU
2 of 8
According to Kevin Bowen from Colts.com, Indianapolis decided to move back four spots, trading their second-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while swapping fourth-round selections.
With their first pick in the third round, the Colts addressed their defense by bringing in a cornerback in Florida Atlantic's D'Joun Smith.
Players like Paul Dawson and Eli Harold were still on the board to potentially help out the front seven, but the Colts seemed to want to bring in some help in their secondary. At 5'10'' and 187 pounds, Smith isn't the biggest corner prospect, but he's a talented athlete with smooth hips and good ball skills.
There are questions about Smith's ability to cover the deep routes, and he's not the most polished tackler, but the Florida Atlantic prospect has a nice body of work. With such a serious lack of depth at cornerback, I can see why Smith was the player they decided to pull the trigger on, but it still would have been nice to see someone who could help more against the run.
Grade: B+
Round 3, No. 93 Pick: Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford
3 of 8
After Colts fans kept waiting for the team to address the concerns in the front seven of the defense, general manager Ryan Grigson came up with a great pick in Stanford's Henry Anderson.
Naturally, the Colts are fans of kids who come out of Stanford, but this is a great selection regardless of where he went to school. Anderson has the ideal frame for a 3-4 defense, coming in at 6'6'' and 294 pounds with room to add even more size to that frame.
What makes Anderson so effective on the defensive line is his quickness off the snap and ability to stay low to gain leverage on blockers. With some strong arms, he can extend himself and disengage from opponents to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Footwork and balance will be areas where Anderson will need to improve, but I love this pick. He won't be ready to start right away, but as he adds weight to his frame and learns behind Kendall Langford, he could be ready to take over as the starting 3-4 defensive end in 2016.
Grade: A
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Round 4, No. 109 Pick: Clayton Geathers , S, Central Florida
4 of 8
Many were hoping that the Colts would address their safety concerns in the first round when Landon Collins was available, but they should be excited about the idea of Clayton Geathers playing alongside Mike Adams.
Geathers has the build for an NFL strong safety, coming in at 6'2'' and 218 pounds. Although he needs to work on his tackling technique, he does a good job of avoiding blockers and has the closing speed to make some good plays in the running game.
Playing in coverage, Geathers looks like he could do a good job covering tight ends at the next level, but he tends to focus too much on coming in to help in run defense, sometimes leaving wide-open gaps in the passing game.
This is a great pick for the Colts, who need an enforcer at safety that LaRon Landry couldn't effectively be. He is far from a finished product, but he should be getting plenty of experience in his rookie season.
Grade: A
Round 5, No. 151 Pick: David Parry, DT, Stanford
5 of 8
The Colts moved up in the fifth round to bring in their second Stanford prospect of this year's draft, this time selecting defensive tackle David Parry.
Despite taking his teammate, Anderson, to play defensive end, the Colts still needed some more depth on their defensive line here, and Parry made sense. At 6'1'' and 308 pounds, he has a powerful frame that looks like he could add even more weight to.
Parry uses his frame well, exploding off of the snap while staying extremely low. Because of his strength, he's able to shed off blockers and can collapse the pocket when he gains leverage on an opponent. He'll still need to add some more weight and work on his footwork, but Parry and Josh Chapman at nose tackle will give the Colts some options at the position.
Grade: B+
Round 6, No. 205 Pick: Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi State
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The Colts may have not taken a running back earlier in the draft, but they finally decided to take one in the sixth round with Josh Robinson.
I had originally mocked the Colts to take Robinson in the seventh round, but at this point, it doesn't really matter when prospects go as much as where. He looks like a potential player who could make the final 53-man roster despite a crowded backfield.
At only 5'8'' and 217 pounds, Robinson is built to withstand contact, fighting through defenders for extra yards by keeping his feet moving. He waits for the hole to open at the line of scrimmage before making his move, allowing him to consistently pick up positive yardage.
Of course, Robinson isn't the fastest or most athletic prospect, but he looks like he could make the roster as the third-string running back and create an intriguing competition at the position once training camp rolls around.
Grade: A-
Round 6, No. 207 Pick: Amarlo Herrera, ILB, Georgia
7 of 8
The inside linebacker position hadn't been addressed up to this point in the draft, but they were able to find a backup at the position in the sixth round.
Georgia's Amarlo Herrera doesn't have the best frame for an inside linebacker, coming in at 6'1'' and 244 pounds with short arms. He plays even smaller than his size suggests, not being assertive enough in traffic.
But there are still some things to like about Herrera, who has terrific instincts and can diagnose a player faster than a lot of future rookies. He has solid technique and can effectively drop back in pass coverage.
I don't see a future starter in Herrera, but the Colts need any depth at inside linebacker they can get right now.
Grade: B-
Round 7, Pick No. 255: Denzell Goode, OL, Mars Hill
8 of 8
The Colts had the pick just before Mr. Irrelevant to wrap up the 2015 NFL draft, but he might as well have been the final selection because I have never heard of him. In fact, I couldn't find any photos or videos of the offensive lineman.
Apparently, Denzell Goode is a former offensive lineman at N.C. State who played last season as a redshirt sophomore at Mars Hill. He was likely drafted because of his impressive frame at 6'7'' and 320 pounds.
Although there are no specifics about what position he played, I wouldn't be surprised if the Colts drafted Goode to join the practice squad and try to develop him into an NFL offensive tackle. This late in the draft, that's all you can really ask for.
Grade: C+
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