How Much Can Donte Moncrief Offer the Indianapolis Colts in 2015?

When Donte Moncrief was drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft, reactions were mostly positive.

Sure, there were some who wanted a defensive player to be picked early in the draft, but most recognized the depth and talent available in the class' wide receiver group and appreciated the ability to get a potential long-term starting receiver late in the third round. The 2014 wide receiver class was one that could go down in history as one of the best ever, and snagging Moncrief with the 90th pick helped close out the upper tiers in that draft, with Arizona taking John Brown with the next pick.

In hindsight, it is hard to find fault with the pick. The Colts needed long-term options at wide receiver, with T.Y. Hilton being the only relatively young, promising receiver on the roster at the time. Moncrief, a raw athlete at the position that was always seen as a bit of a project, came in as a rookie and produced when called upon, finishing with 32 catches for 444 yards and three touchdowns.

It seemed that Moncrief and Hilton would be the duo the Colts could build around for long-term plans, even after the team brought in Andre Johnson in free agency.

But then the Colts drafted a wide receiver in the first round of the 2015 draft, giving Moncrief, at the very least, more competition for the third wide receiver spot, and potentially pushing him even further down the pecking order.

It doesn't seem like the Dorsett pick was made because of any fault in Moncrief's game last season, as he prepared as well as, or better than, you'd expect from a third-round rookie when given the chance. The pick also shouldn't affect his long-term role as a starter. Moncrief is Andre Johnson's future replacement as a big-bodied receiver whose base role is outside as the "X" receiver.

Player	Height	Weight	40-yard Dash	Bench	Vertical	Broad	Short Shuttle
Johnson	6'2"	230	4.40	17	39"	132"	4.10
Moncrief	6'2"	221	4.40	13	39.5"	132"	4.30

But the pick does affect how much Moncrief can impact the team in 2015, placing the focus further in the future. That's okay, given Moncrief's incredibly young age (turns 22 in August) and high ceiling because of his athleticism. But right now, we're focusing on the 2015 season, and Moncrief's role there is a bit more questionable.

What will help Moncrief right out of the gate is his ability to play every alignment as a wide receiver. Pep Hamilton asks a lot of his wide receivers, and while each one will have a base position, they are all asked to learn the X, Z, slot and flanker (F) roles. This is where Dorsett has been focusing so far in OTAs, and it's an area that Moncrief has a slight advantage in.

Last year, Moncrief's play was limited early as he learned the playbook and became acclimated into the NFL. He still made the most of his opportunities, but he had just nine catches through the first seven games of the season.

But as Moncrief became more comfortable with his different roles in the offense, he became a more regular threat for Andrew Luck and the Colts offense, catching at least two passes in seven of the final nine games of the season.

This would pay off in the Colts' Wild Card Game against Cincinnati, where Donte Moncrief caught a touchdown to help solidify the Colts' second playoff win under Andrew Luck.

NFL Game Rewind

Up 13-10 midway through the third quarter, Moncrief lines up in the slot on the play. The Bengals are in Cover 1 man coverage, with the strong safety dropping down and blitzing the quarterback. With the slot cornerback giving Moncrief plenty of cushion and playing to Moncrief's outside, the rookie wide receiver is able to get a full head of steam going straight ahead before cutting inside and using his speed to pull away from his man and crossing underneath the single-high safety.

It's that kind of speed and ability to stretch the field from all different alignments that will be the key for Moncrief to make the most of his opportunities in a loaded receiving corp in 2015.

Moncrief also showed an increased awareness as the season went on last year, adjusting his routes mid-play more when plays broke down as he became more comfortable.

In the same Bengals game, Moncrief showed this awareness against zone coverage.

NFL Game Rewind

With the Bengals in Cover 2 against the Colts' single-receiver formation, Moncrief runs a 15-yard curl down the right side. Luck's initial read is to the left side, where Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener are running a scissor combination off of the play action.

NFL Game Rewind

On the play, a Bengals defender gives Allen a slight nudge at the top of his break, enough to make him bump Fleener and trip. With Allen on the ground and Fleener taking a slight stumble on his break, Luck is forced to stop his throwing motion short and look back to the right side. Moncrief, seeing Luck look for options, cuts back in front of the cornerback and is able to curl around for the catch and the first down.

Of course, we can't talk about Moncrief without at least mentioning his freak athleticism.

The 21-year-old isn't quite as fast as teammates Hilton or Dorsett, but he was a legitimate 4.4-second 40-yard dash player with the size (6'2", 221 pounds) that Hilton and Dorsett simply do not possess. As such, Moncrief has a bit more strength and ability to both break tackles in the open field as well as speed to take advantage of open space underneath.

Throw in the downfield threat and ability to go up and get balls in the air with his size and leaping ability, and you might just have the most versatile wide receiver on the Colts roster (remember his seven-catch, 113-yard performance against the Steelers in Week 8?).

Now, Moncrief is in no way perfect, but his flaws are very correctable, especially given his physical ability. His route running could be tighter, and his release isn't as smooth as it could be. But in both areas, he's shown the quickness and explosiveness to be very good, it's just a matter of getting repetitions and putting the work in to improve.

Moncrief also could stand to use his body better to shield from defenders and get balls at their high points. At one point during the AFC Championship Game, Moncrief had a step on Darrelle Revis on a "nine" route down the field, but Luck's throw was slightly short, and Revis was able to knock the ball away as Moncrief slowed down.

NFL Game Rewind

This is the kind of area where a more polished receiver would track the ball a bit better, shield the defender with his body and go up to meet the ball at its high point, forcing either a pass interference (which may have been a viable call here anyway) or a clean catch.

These aren't necessarily areas where Moncrief needs to improve to contribute in 2015, however. With Dorsett in the mix, Moncrief's biggest asset this season will be his versatility as he finds a way to get onto the field in a variety of roles.

Andre Johnson needs a rest? Hilton? Three and four-receiver sets? The Colts need a receiver who can block in one-receiver sets while also being a downfield threat for play action? Just a taste of potential ways Moncrief can get snaps.

Whether he's the third or fourth receiver (in terms of total targets and/or snaps) by the end of the year really doesn't matter. His differentiation from Dorsett, including his size, blocking ability and extra year of experience, should get him plenty of looks in advantageous scenarios.

This is the guy that Pep Hamilton said was "drafted to score touchdowns" late last year, after all, per Stephen Holder of the Indy Star.

The Colts know what he can do. While he likely won't be a high-usage fantasy football favorite or anything like that in 2015, Moncrief should be a key part of the Colts offense in 2015 with efficient usage and advantageous matchups.