2022 NFL DRAFT DEEP DIVE: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
By Tres Valenzuela
The NFL Draft is over, and we cannot head into the three-month abyss that is the offseason without looking at what all 262 selections mean for each franchise. Whilst too early to judge just how successful a draft class each team’s was, we can look at how rookies fit within schemes, where they stand on depth charts, and who we can expect to make an impact in 2022. We continue our team by team series with the Indianapolis Colts:
Draft Haul
| RND | PICK | PROSPECT | POS | SCHOOL |
| 2 | 53 | Alec Pierce | WR | Cincinnati |
| 3 | 73 | Jelani Woods | TE | Virginia |
| 3 | 77 | Bernhard Raimann | OT | Central Michigan |
| 3 | 96 | Nick Cross | S | Maryland |
| 5 | 159 | Eric Johnson | IDL | Missouri State |
| 6 | 192 | Andrew Ogletree | TE | Youngstown State |
| 6 | 216 | Curtis Brooks | IDL | Cincinnati |
| 7 | 239 | Rodney Thomas | CB | Yale |
Day One
The Colts did not have a first-round selection after trading the pick for Caron Wentz last season.
Yikes.
20-20 hindsight vision and all that, but moving on from Wentz after just one year – at considerable draft capital cost – has to be considered a low moment in the Chris Ballard regime that, outside of the QB position, has been pretty successful. Turning to Matt Ryan is a stopgap solution, but Colts fans will be hoping he has enough juice left to get them back into the playoffs.
Day Two
After trading back in the second round the Colts were still able to add a much needed WR in Alec Pierce. Pierce – similar to Pittman – has a bigger frame at 6’3 215 lb and should present a large target for the Matt Ryan led attack.
Indy decided to take one of the rawest players in the draft in Jelani Woods with their next selection. Woods is a freak athlete and should take a few years to develop but dont be surprised to see him as on the best tight ends in the league at some point.
The Colts then decided to address the o-line after not bringing back Eric Fisher, by taking Bernhard Raimann out of Central Michigan. To conclude their day 2 selections they decided to find a potential tandom with Julian Blackman at safety, with Nick Cross out of Maryland. Cross has great range and tallied 3 picks his last season, and with Blackmon returning from an achilles Cross could have a big void to fill early on in the season.
Day Three
Eric Johnson the DT from Missouri State was Indys first selection on day 3 and so began the small small school additions. Indy has a history of hitting homeruns in that department i.e. Darius Leonard. Johnson started over 40 games and actually blocked 3 kicks last season giving him an immediate special teams presence.
Indy then circled back to the small school and TE position in one pick by taking Andrew Ogeltree out of Youngstown State. Ogeltree is a converted WR and despite not have a productive season earned his selection through his play at the senior bowl. Curtis Brooks rounded out round 6 for Indy after a season that saw him gather more that 12 TFL’s and 7.5 sacks at Cincinnati. A large part of his fall was his size and the fact that he is already 24.
With their last selection the Colts took a corner from an ivy league school. Yes, you read that right, but dont let stereotypes fool you – Rodney Thomas II had a very productive tenure at Yale breaking up over ten passes last season. Thomas is a thicker corner with a similar build to Xavier Rhodes but will need a great training camp to make the final roster.
One To Watch: Jelani Woods
It’s no surpise that Jelani Woods is my selection here, he has all the tools to be an elite player in this league. We have seen it time and time again – Tight Ends who posses sub par collegiate stats but off the charts physicality make names for themeselves in the NFL. Woods has elite size and speed and will have a great mentor in Jack Doyle. While it will likely take time for his development it is easy to envision Matty Ice requesting a few gadget plays a weeks to get Woods involved in the game plan.
Jelani Woods was drafted with pick 73 of round 3 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 10 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 1014 TE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/U4Ysrmq76y #RAS #Colts pic.twitter.com/iZzi3XES0A
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022
UDFA Tracker
| Kekoa Crawford | WR | California |
| CJ Verdell | RB | Oregon |
| Forrest Rhyne | LB | Villanova |
| Ryan Van DeMark | OT | UConn |
| Dallis Flowers | CB | Pittsburgh State |
| Cullen Wick | EDGE | Tulsa |
| Samson Nacua | WR | BYU |
| D’Vonte Price | RB | FIU |
| Max Borghi | RB | Washington State |
| Michael Young | WR | Cincinnati |
| Jojo Domann | LB | Nebraska |
| Jack Coan | QB | Notre Dame |
| Sterling Weatherford | S | Miami (OH) |
| Josh Seltzner | IOL | Wisconsin |
| Alex Mollette | IOL | Marshall |
| McKinley Williams | IDL | Syracuse |
| Scott Patchan | IDL | Colorado State |
| Trevor Denbow | S | SMU |
| Grayson Atkins | K | North Carolina |
| Jahmaine Martin | RB | North Carolina A&T |
| Wesley French | IOL | Western Michigan |
Conclusion
The Colts in very Colts fashion did not have the flashiest draft. With a top 5 back in the league they added positions of need and will look to make small improvements all over the roster. It is hard not to envision the Matt Ryan era in Indy going just as Phillip Rivers did, but with one of the best head coaches in the league, I do see playoffs in the future. With maybe one or two longtime starters coming from this draft I don’t see this draft being a bust but it is also far from a homerun.
TRES VALENZUELA
NFL ANALYST
A FORMER COLLEGIATE WIDE RECEIVER AND CURRENT TEXAN, TRES LIVES STATESIDE AND HAS AN AFFINITY FOR BAKER MAYFIELD. IN ADDITION TO WRITING FOR THE TOUCHDOWN, TRES ALSO WORKS AS AN NCAA ANALYST FOR PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS.