The NFL Draft is right around the corner, but the Indianapolis Colts have decided to add some depth right before draft day.
Former Texas wide receiver Marcus Johnson is heading back to the Colts on a one-year deal.
Johnson has spent each of the last two seasons in a Colts uniform and it appears he’ll be around for at least one more season.
The 25-year-old could add some valuable depth to the Colts receiver depth heading into the 2020 season.
He’s baaaaccckkk! Congrats to #TeamESM client Marcus Johnson on re-signing with the @Colts! pic.twitter.com/vkfV0YZ0Z0
— EnterSports Management (@EnterSportsMgmt) April 22, 2020
Who is Marcus Johnson?
Johnson signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 after going undrafted out of Texas.
He hauled in five receptions for 45 yards on eight targets through 10 games with the Eagles in 2017.
Johnson was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2018, but never played a game for them.
Shortly after that Johnson landed on the Colts where he spent each of the last two seasons.
He didn’t see much action in 2018, finishing with six receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown.
The 2019 season was when Johnson finally got a chance to prove himself in the league.
#Colts re-signed WR Marcus Johnson, per his agency @EnterSportsMgmt
Johnson caught 17 passes for 277 yards and 2 TDs last season.pic.twitter.com/qwcTDN4ZBK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 22, 2020
He finished with 17 receptions, 277 yards, and three touchdowns through eight games (six starts) with the Colts.
His best performance was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he hauled in three receptions for 105 yards, and a touchdown in the Week 14 loss.
Johnson doesn’t have a ton of experience, but showed encouraging signs of improvement in 2019.
Where Does Johnson Land on the Depth Chart?
At the moment it appears Johnson will be used more as positional depth than anything else.
Both T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal will be ahead of Johnson on the depth chart.
He could make a push for the No. 3 option, but Parris Campbell will likely earn that role.
Johnson could fit in as the fourth or fifth receiver on the team, which means he wouldn’t see a lot of playing time.
This is only a one year deal, so the Colts aren’t committing a lot of resources into Johnson.
It’s always useful to have trustworthy players on your depth chart in case of injury.
The Colts had multiple injuries at wide receiver last season, so having Johnson has a backup option isn’t a bad idea.
Should the Colts Still Draft a Wide Receiver?
Adding Johnson is nice, but the Colts still need a reliable No. 2 option at receiver.
Both Pascal and Campbell have shown some promising signs, but not enough to be counted on as a reliable option next to Hilton.
The Colts still need to address the lack of talent at wide receiver during the draft.
Hilton is set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, so the time is now to bring in a future star receiver.
Johnson is expected to add some competition during the preseason, but he isn’t the answer they’re looking for at receiver.
The Colts have a few holes to fill during the upcoming NFL Draft, but one of them needs to be receiver.
Indy doesn’t have many options outside of Hilton that they can trust and that needs to change going into the 2020 season.
