In this weekly series, we’ll look at 3 draft prospects who would be great fits for the Colts in any round.
We’re back for another season of the “3 prospects to watch for” series. This season, every position will be evaluated as the Colts can justify using a high draft pick on pretty much any spot on the team. Here are the three candidates for this week’s series:
Jalon Walker — Linebacker — Georgia
Jalon Walker is a versatile linebacker who can play well off the ball or rush off the edge. What I love a lot about Walker is his reading skills; he is simply not a bull in a China shop type of rusher, but does a great job of recognizing what’s going on in the backfield and then reacting. This was on display against Texas where he was spying Ewers, made the correct call, took a great angle and made a big sack on him. So not only is he versatile, but he is smart and he can be used like Micah Parsons is used for the Cowboys. He is explosive and athletic and should be one of my top 10 players in the draft.
While you might scoff at the idea of Chris Ballard passing up a real position of need for a Front 7 player, he did it last year and he’s done it plenty of times in the past, so don’t be shocked if he does it again, even in his make-or-break year.
Will Campbell — Offensive Tackle — LSU
Will Campbell is a polished, experienced offensive tackle who the Colts can benefit from having. There isn’t too much to go over with Campbell as he’s about 90% positives and 10% negatives. The tape is as clean as it gets and while he won’t stand out as an athlete, you don’t see him get beat often and you don’t see any messy footwork. I find he’s better as a pass blocker as his kick slide is clean and I find he’s never off balanced or gets beat in his pass sets. As a run blocker, I find he can whiff at times and not deliver a big initial punch, but he’s still well above average in this area. As a pass blocker or in the run game, his hand placement is usually perfect. He could play on Day 1 at 4 different spots and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was an All-Pro player within his first 2-3 seasons.
At this current moment, offensive tackle is not a need with Raimann on one side and Braden Smith on the other. However, if Braden Smith were to retire, which is a possibility, then the right tackle spots becomes a very big need and Campbell could be a great candidate to fill that spot (despite not having a ton of right tackle experience).
Campbell is also a candidate to move inside based on his size and arm length. If the Colts decide to move on from Will Fries, that leaves a spot open inside, which Campbell could fill. He is expected to go in the top 10 and he will likely be one of my top 5 players on my big board, but if he happens to slide, he could be a great player for the Colts to scoop up, even if it’s not a pressing need.
Colston Loveland — Tight End — Michigan
In Part 1, we broke down Tyler Warren, who in my opinion is the #1 tight end in the draft. Colston Loveland is probably the 2nd best tight end in the draft. While Tyler Warren is more versatile and well rounded than Loveland, Loveland is as good if not better as a receiver. He’s quicker and more agile and has tremendous hands in traffic. His long frame and strong hands make him a mismatch against most defenders. He can play out wide or on the line and while he won’t make headlines as a blocker, he is an instant upgrade for most teams at tight end and someone who can be in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year in the right system and with the right quarterback. The only real downside is that he doesn’t add a lot in the run game as a blocker, so teams will need a more reliable run blocking tight end as his backup.
The Colts desperately need a tight end as getting a talented one will open up so many things on the offense. If Tyler Warren isn’t available, the Colts need to give Loveland a long look as he can be a great reliable pass catcher for Anthony Richardson next season. Adding Loveland to an already talented receiver room would give the Colts pass offense a ton of weapons.
