Here’s how the internet feels about the Colts’ draft.
by Cameron Ellis
The Colts’ 2024 draft class is pretty well split, with four players – all taken between rounds 2 and 5 – on offense, and five players on defense.
The headliner, of course, is UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who was the first defensive player taken in this year’s draft. Getting Latu at 15 was one of the bigger steals in the draft, and now the Colts are set on a defensive line featuring more than a few All-Pro caliber players. But there was plenty of other work to be done, and here’s how the internet graded the Colts’ efforts over the weekend.
NFL Draft Grades: Rounding up Colts grades from league experts
Pro Football Focus: A+
“Latu was the most productive pass rusher in college football over the past two seasons at UCLA, leading all qualifiers in PFF pass-rush grade (94.5) and pass-rush win rate (23.1%). If it weren’t for medical red flags, there’s a good chance that Latu would have been viewed as a consensus top-10 prospect in this class.”
Washington Post: B
“There is plenty to like about what the Colts did, even with some risk involved. They were able to get a top pass rusher, Laiatu Latu, at No. 15, aided by the early run on offensive players and perhaps consternation by some teams over Latu’s neck injury that interrupted his college career. The Colts also did well to get WR Adonai Mitchell 20 choices into Round 2 — prompting General Manager Chris Ballard’s profanity-filled rant about reports of supposed concern about character issues — and addressed the offensive line by taking tackle Matt Goncalves in the third round.”
Bleacher Report: A
“General manager Chris Ballard managed to find value throughout the draft while addressing a couple of key needs early. Indianapolis may have preferred to land one of the top pass-catchers at the very top of the draft. However, it still did a good job of improving Richardson’s supporting cast while reloading a defense that ranked 28th in points allowed last season.”
ESPN: B
“The Colts were one of the teams coming into Round 1 with a clearly defined biggest need. They really had to get a cornerback who could step in and start as a rookie for a defense that struggled to stop No. 1 wide receivers last season. While I thought they might also target a pass-catcher to give second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson more help, corner was the biggest hole for GM Chris Ballard & Co. So color me surprised when not only did Ballard pass on a corner in Round 1 – when he had his choice of the entire class — but he didn’t take one until Round 6.”
NFL.com: B+
“Latu was the most consistent pass rusher in the draft class and will be productive if the neck injury he suffered while at Washington is not an issue moving forward. The team found a potential steal in Mitchell, provided his game matures, while trading down for two Day 3 picks. Trading up for Goncalves seemed unnecessary, though he should be at least a solid swing tackle; he’s been recovering from a foot injury but said after the draft that he feels 100%.”
USA Today: A-
They might have gotten the draft’s best defender, UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15 before getting a Round 1-caliber wideout in Adonai Mitchell at No. 52 – and he arrives carrying an ax to grind with the rest of the league. Mid-round O-line upgrades (Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini) are rarely a bad idea, though a corner in one of those spots might have made more sense.
Originally posted on horseshoeheroes.com