Indianapolis Colts Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades

After a relatively quiet free-agency period, the Indianapolis Colts come into the 2016 NFL draft with big hopes to fill big holes. The team went a disappointing 8-8 last season, largely due to injuries to quarterback Andrew Luck, and has plenty of work to do to get back to the AFC's elite. 

To fill those holes, general manager Ryan Grigson will need to have one of his better drafts, particularly on the first two days. Watch for Grigson to follow the "best player available" strategy, albeit with needs weighted a bit heavier. 

Throughout the draft, we will update this page with news and analysis of each pick, so come back throughout the next three days for up-to-the-minute reaction. 

Indianapolis Colts Picks

The Colts had plenty of potential defenders fall to No. 18 but chose the safe pick with Alabama center Ryan Kelly. With front-seven players dropping, the Colts could afford to wait and see who falls to the second round on Friday night. 

Look for the Colts to go defense on Day 2, potentially with both picks. 

First Round, No. 18: C Ryan Kelly, Alabama

The pessimistic reaction to the Colts' first-round pick is one of disappointment. With three potential game-changing linebackers on the board (Myles Jack, Noah Spence, Shaq Lawson), the Colts passed on a chance to get an elite player for a defense that desperately needs one. 

Indianapolis is not a franchise that has a top-20 pick often, and it needed to take advantage 

But the optimistic reaction is one of relief. The Colts, perhaps more than upside, needed a solid hit here. While a home run would be great, they could not afford a bust much more than they needed a superstar. With other players having injury concerns and off-field issues, the Colts took one of the safest players in the draft. 

Kelly is an above-average athlete for the position, is technically sound and has the awareness and intangibles to be a leader for years to come. There are no glaring weaknesses in his game, and at a position like center, that's exactly what you want. 

While the position value isn't great at center, Kelly has the potential to change the outlook of the Colts' offensive line by fixing their biggest issue: a weakness for stunts and blitzes on the inside. Kelly will compete for, and probably win, the starting center job right away. With him solidifying the position, the Colts now have some flexibility. 

With Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort holding down the left side, the Colts have options on the right. Joe Reitz can play either guard or tackle, Denzelle Good has potential at tackle and Hugh Thornton can start at guard if need be. 

The bottom line is this: While they may have passed on more high-impact players, Kelly has a strong possibility to be a good starter for a long time at a position of need. That's worth celebrating.

Grade: B+

Second Round, No. 57: S/CB T.J. Green, Clemson

The Indianapolis Colts traded back from No. 48 for this pick, gaining an extra fourth-round pick and seventh-round pick in the process. With so many of the top front-seven players going early in the second round, it was a good value move to fall back. 

However, Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander and Kansas State guard Cody Whitehair were taken at No. 54 and No. 56, the two top players at their respective positions left. When it was their pick, then, the Colts took safety T.J. Green from Clemson. 

Green is an athletic player, a former wide receiver who has been playing defense for just two years. There is plenty of potential here to grow into a versatile safety or even potential cornerback. That being said, Green has issues in tackling, and that's something that can kill players in the middle of the field (safeties, linebackers). 

For many, Green was more of a third- or fourth-round prospect, but opinions were varied. The upside is certainly there, but you do have to wonder about his instincts and tackling as a converted wide receiver, especially as a second-round pick. He likely won't be an immediate impact, much like D'Joun Smith was last season. But he does have developmental value and the athleticism to stretch his ceiling high.

Still, the second round has a high value, and that usually means an immediate impact, especially for a team with as many holes as Indianapolis. Of course, in the end, a draft will be judged by the long-term ability of the player, and that remains to be seen. 

Grade: C+

Third Round, No. 82: OT Le'Raven CLark, Texas Tech

The Colts' second pick on Day 2 was another developmental pick, for all intents and purposes. 

Texas Tech tackle Le'Raven Clark has the body of an NFL tackle, with long arms, tackle height and big, strong hands. He's not special athletically, but he checks off all the boxes in terms of lateral agility and foot quickness. He does have some balance issues occasionally, but usually with tackles, that means heavy, slow feet. And that's not the case with Clark. 

For Indianapolis, this does fill a need. The team does have Denzelle Good as a future tackle prospect, but he's a seventh-round pick from a college most people have never heard of (Mars Hill). More competition is not a bad thing. 

But the Colts once again passed on defensive talent that could have immediately made an impact, which is tough to swallow. Need-based drafting gets you in trouble, but the Colts defense has plenty of need and has yet to get a player who makes it better for 2016. 

As for Clark, the opinions on him are wide ranging, thanks to the developmental potential, which is incredibly difficult to predict. He was a late riser among the media, flirting with a few first-round predictions, although most analysts had him between the late second and fourth rounds.

If the team doesn't find a high-impact defender at some point in this draft, however, it will be interesting to look back at some of the defenders passed on in the first three rounds.

Grade: B-

Fourth Round, No. 116: DT Hassan Ridgeway, Texas

The Colts finally got in on the defensive line depth of this draft, drafting versatile Texas lineman Hassan Ridgeway in the fourth round. Ridgeway, listed as a defensive tackle, played 5-, 3- and 0-technique at Texas and likely projects as a 3-tech in Indianapolis. 

While the Colts have been unable to find edge-rushers in this draft, Ridgeway is certainly a pass-rushing prospect, excelling at penetrating the middle of the line in pass rush. This kind of interior rush can often be more deadly than edge rush, although it is generally less consistent. 

As for Ridgeway himself, he fits with the "high-upside" theme of the Colts' Day 2 picks, with a very good combination of size and athleticism but a somewhat disappointing level of production in 2015. Ridgeway's testing puts him in the 75th percentile in SPARQ in the NFL, per Zach Whitman of Three Sigma Athlete, and the power and agility both show up on film. 

While Ridgeway will probably be a rotational player to start, he'll likely be an excellent rotational interior pass-rusher. One general manager told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com that Ridgeway is more talented than Malcom Brown was coming out of Texas last year, although he did note the conditioning and nagging injuries concern. 

For a team like Indianapolis that can afford to use Ridgeway solely as a rotational player to start and desperately needs pass rush, however, it's a perfect fit. 

Grade: A

Fourth Round, No. 125: LB Antonio Morrison, Florida

John Raoux/Associated Press

While the Colts definitely addressed a need with the pick of linebacker Antonio Morrison out of Florida in the fourth round, this is one pick that definitely has some value questions. 

First, let's take a closer look at Morrison. A senior in 2015, Morrison was a two-time second-team All-SEC as a linebacker and finished with over 100 tackles in each of the last two seasons. There are zero questions about Morrison's toughness, effort, competitiveness or locker room leadership, qualities that the Colts value highly.

Morrison is a thumper, with all of his NFL acumen coming in his ability to tackle. He hits hard, and he rarely misses tackles. He can maneuver around linemen well and navigates the line of scrimmage fairly quickly.

But there are a lot of questions with Morrison as well, beginning with multiple surgeries on his left knee and two arrests, including one that is simply bizarre. 

"

New Colts linebacker Antonio Morrison was once arrested for barking at a police dog. His explanation: pic.twitter.com/4yMMtpwUSc

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) April 30, 2016"

There are also athleticism questions. Morrison, owner of a laboring 5.1-second 40-yard dash, finished with a SPARQ score that was lower than any current linebacker in the NFL, according to Zach Whitman of Three Sigma Athlete. It's not just that Morrison tested poorly; it's that literally nobody tests as poorly as he did and makes it at linebacker in the NFL. Morrison is small (6'1", 232 pounds), and to test that poorly at that weight is a warning sign. 

Morrison could potentially carve out a role in the NFL as a two-down thumper, but the numbers would say that it's extremely unlikely. For Indianapolis, it's hard to find a role for him in 2016, outside of special teams. D'Qwell Jackson already plays the part of a two-down thumper, and putting the two on the field together would be an invitation for teams to light them up through the air. 

There's always a chance a player pans out, but in the fourth round, there are too many questions to have a positive grade.

Grade: D+

Fifth Round, No. 155: OT Joe Haeg, North Dakota State

It seems the Colts are taking in the clamors of the masses, which have been solely focused on the team's offensive line woes. 

The Colts took their third offensive lineman of the draft with their fifth-round pick, selecting North Dakota State's Joe Haeg. Haeg adds to the theme of athletic, high-ceiling trench players, standing at 6'6" with impressive testing results, scoring in the 74th percentile in SPARQ, per Zach Whitman of Three Sigma Athlete.

Unlike Le'Raven Clark, the Colts' other high-ceiling tackle pick, Haeg actually has some polish to his game, particularly in pass protection. Clark's footwork is solid, and he can play on both sides, although he could stand to get lower in his stance when sliding back.

The bit of polish (and a lower level of competition) led to very good results for Haeg in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus' analysis team: "In seven games of grading, Haeg posted the fourth-best pass blocking efficiency among offensive tackles at 98.6 and he had the second-best grade during team drills at the Senior Bowl."

Can that result continue to the NFL? That remains to be seen. Still, Haeg is a good zone-blocking scheme fit and at the very least improves a paper-thin depth chart at tackle. Should he add some weight to his frame, he could be a starter on either side of the line later in his career. 

As for Indianapolis, the Colts have now added three linemen to their roster, significantly improving the athleticism and depth at the very least. 

Grade: B

Seventh Round, No. 239: LB Trevor Bates, Maine

The Colts seem to draft a player nobody has ever heard of in the seventh round every year, and 2016 didn't disappoint. 

Trevor Bates was a four-year player at Maine, playing mostly defensive end. He projects to be a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, especially after losing weight to get down to 242 pounds before the draft. He could even potentially play an off-ball linebacker spot if need be. 

So, is Bates the Colts' future edge-rushing star? It seems unlikely, given his draft spot and unknown status. But Bates does have some tools to work with, with a quick get-off and great movement skills. Bates' three-cone drill time of 6.75 seconds is the fastest of any edge player in the class, while his 4.25-second short shuttle and 1.57-second 10-yard split would each rank in the top 10 as well. 

That kind of movement means that Bates could also be an inside linebacker option. Bates did play defensive end at Maine, but we'll see where the Colts think he's best suited.

With an athletic player like that, the Colts opted for another blank canvas to try to coach into a good football player. At this point in the draft, needing edge players, there is no downside to that. 

Grade: A-

Seventh Round, No. 248: C Austin Blythe, Iowa

Just when the Colts were about to escape the draft without another offensive lineman, Grigson added the Colts' fourth offensive lineman of the draft. 

While the team already seemingly drafted its future starter with Ryan Kelly in the first round, another center was a surprise. But Blythe is a good player and fits the zone-blocking scheme best, which we should see more of this season with Joe Philbin on board as offensive line coach. 

Blythe was a four-year starter at Iowa, playing both guard and center, which is good considering the Colts' need for guards. He's got great technique in both run and pass blocking, and he is able to block well in space in the run game. 

Unfortunately, Blythe is undersized (6'2", 291 lbs), owning a particularly short pair of arms (30 ¼"). But his athleticism in space and footwork may make up for his lack of mass and length. 

For a team that needed offensive line depth as much as starters, this is a great move. 

Grade: A