The Indianapolis Colts made some major upgrades during the 2020 NFL Draft, but also left some areas untouched.
It’s impossible to improve in every area during the draft, but the Colts still have some long-term issues to solve.
The good news is, the Colts made major improvements on offense with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor.
They added young talented quarterback Jacob Eason, who will hopefully develop and become the starter at some point.
However, four of the first five picks by the Colts were on the offensive side of the ball.
The Colts added a few pieces over the offseason to improve the defense, but there still are some concerns.
How would you grade the #Colts 2020 draft class?
34 = WR Michael Pittman Jr.
41 = RB Jonathan Taylor
85 = DB Julian Blackmon
122 = QB Jacob Eason
149 = OG Danny Pinter
193 = DT Robert Windsor
211 = DB Isaiah Rodgers
212 = WR Dezmon Patmon
213 = DB Jordan Glasgow pic.twitter.com/ThYwAazbR7— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) April 25, 2020
1. Cornerback
The Colts have some talent at cornerback, but failed to add long-term impact players during the offseason.
Kenny Moore II is arguably the best nickel cornerback in the league, but the talent drops off after that.
Indy has Rock Ya-Sin who is coming off a solid rookie campaign, so we’ll see if he can continue to improve.
The Colts added Xavier Rhodes over the offseason, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career.
Both Marvell Tell and T.J. Carrie are nice depth, but they aren’t trustworthy long-term options.
This is a position that teams rely on younger players to develop and veterans to fill in the holes.
The Colts need Moore to stay healthy and Ya-Sin to take another step forward otherwise Indy could be in danger in 2020.
This is an area that could become a huge issue for the Colts if one or two players don’t live up to expectations next season.
2. Defensive End
Bringing in pass rusher DeForest Buckner via trade was a huge upgrade for the Colts at defensive end.
However, the Colts failed to bring in a reliable replacement for edge rusher Jabaal Sheard.
General manager Chris Ballard stated multiple times that he likes the talent the Colts have at defensive end right now.
Indy has veteran Justin Houston and a bunch of unproven talent to lean on at defensive end this season.
The Colts are banking on those players stepping up, but none of them offer much upside in terms of potential.
Indy should be better with Buckner, but getting him some help would definitely benefit the Colts defense.
Breaking: Free agent TE Trey Burton has agreed to terms with the Indianapolis Colts. pic.twitter.com/GfZDWjbgYA
— Indy SportsOne (@IndySportsOne) April 22, 2020
3. Tight End
Over the offseason, the Colts did address the tight end position, but only with a short-term solution.
They’ve added veteran tight end Trey Burton after he was cut by the Chicago Bear after an injury-riddled 2019 campaign.
Indy still has aging Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle on the roster as well heading into the 2020 season.
That duo should be able to get the job done this season, but won’t be a fix forever.
The Colts have been leaning on the performances of veteran tight ends instead of developing their own for quite some time.
It’s time for the Colts to invest and develop some home-grown talent in Indy that the organization can rely on for more than one season.
They should be fine for the 2020 season, but Indy needs to address this position before it’s too late.
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