Grading Colts 2024 Draft

Jay Robins grades the Colts 2024 Draft Class. While Rounds 1 & 2 will get the headlines, don’t sleep on the impact that middle and later round picks could have long term.

Round 1, Pick 15 | Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Big Board Ranking: 14

Grade: A

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Laiatu Latu was a bit of a surprise pick, but far from an unwelcome one. The pass rush technician didn’t fully fit the “Ballard Prototype” that many have expected at the Defensive End position.

However after rewatching his tape, thinking back on my Senior Bowl interview with him and all the ravings I heard from scouts and media in Mobile and I had to make a thread making a case for him to the pick a few weeks before the Draft.

The production profile of the Bruin’s pass rusher savant was undeniable. The athleticism met thresholds in testing, and looked even better on tape (PFF GAS was in the 99th %ile). The determination, drive, and singleminded focus was apparent from talking to him one on one.

While not what I would have picked in the moment (Quinyon Mitchell), I can’t help but love the pick all the same. The more you look at the pick, the more you love it. Especially as we learned more about the circumstances of his medical retirement (his biggest flag on his profile).

It was a decision that was without as thorough of medical checks due to COVID year, not of Latu’s choice, and Latu immediately chose to seek a 2nd opinion and surgery. While in his recovery year, Latu even played full contact rugby like a madlad. Then proceeded to put together 2 of the most dominant seasons we’ve seen for a pass rusher in College Football afterwards and have a glowing bill of health in the most thorough medical check of his life at the Scouting Combine.

On the field, Latu’s arsenal of pass rush moves combined with his speed, bend, agility, size, and some of the most precise movement you will see in pass rushing creates phenomenal pressure rate and sack numbers. Expect him to hit the ground running in that department. While he might not set the Colts rookie sack record (Dwight Freeney with 13 in 2002), 3rd in franchise rookie history seems like a good range for him (between Shaquille Leonard’s 7 sacks in 2018 and Vernon Maxwell’s 11.5 in 1983). Latu could be just what the Colts need to take their pass rush from good to elite in 2024 and beyond.

Round 2, Pick 52 | Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Big Board Ranking: 28

Grade: A+

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Adonai Mitchell was probably one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class. A truly freakish athlete (5th All Time in RAS for WRs) while having the lowest drop rate in the class is very appealing. Questions about route running & blocking efforts on tape, lack of consistent dominance (though several big Playoff performances), and anonymously reported character concerns (that Ballard rebuked quite fiercely) were concerns to other teams.

I had him as the WR5 on my board, but he ended up being the 11th Wide Receiver taken in the Draft. The effort on routes was an issue, but sometimes he purposefully ran routes at a reduced speed because that is what Texas asked him and fellow 2024 Draft-mate Xavier Worthy to do to make teams unprepared when they do go full speed. That is a philosophy he won’t be asked to execute in the Pros, especially with Reggie Wayne as his coach. Ultimately the Colts and I saw enough fluidity & agility to see him as a much more dangerous route runner than given credit for and ranked him highly accordingly.

Getting a projected late Round 1/early Round 2 player in the 50s after trading back is phenomenal value. Mitchell should slide in as the Colts X and rotate there with Alec Pierce. Giving the Colts a legitimate deep threat with both size for contested catch situations and some juice on his cuts to pair with Anthony Richardson’s arm talent could make for one very explosive Offense.

Round 3, Pick 79 | Matt Goncalves, OT/G, Pittsburgh

Big Board Ranking: 106

Grade: C

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I thought I was high on Goncalves relative to most teams boards, but even I underestimated how early he could go by a full round. The Pitt Tackle had a strong resume with 1800 snaps in college despite only playing 3 games in 2023 due to an ACL injury. In that time he was penalized just 4 times and never held.

As a pass blocker, Goncalves’ strength shined through on tape. Bull-rushes and power pass rush moves were stopped in their tracks with his strong base. He explodes through every snap. In his last 3 seasons (29 games) he allowed just 35 pressures and 3 sacks, the latter of which all in 2021.

What Goncalves brings is a highly disciplined & technically sound Line play with strong versatility. He can play potentially all 5 positions on the offensive line. I liked him most at Tackle but wouldn’t be shocked if his best position as a pro is at Guard. His athleticism is a bit underrated by RAS in my opinion due to how recently he was cleared physically before he tested.

His biggest weaknesses were his ability in zone blocking as well as shorter arms for a tackle, but him sliding to guard could alleviate that concern.

Round 4, Pick 117 | Tanor Bortolini, C/G, Wisconsin

Big Board Ranking: 111

Grade: B+

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Tanor Bortolini was draft at nearly exactly where I thought he would, in the middle of Round 4. As the most athletic Center in the draft class, the fit of him to the Colts feels like a no-brainer. At the NFL Combine Bortolini set a new record for fastest 3 cone drill by a center (7.16), breaking Jason Kelce’s record set in 2011.

Another highly versatile Offensive Line prospect, Bortolini had snaps at Center, both Guard spots, and Right Tackle over the last 3 years. Bortolini thrived as a zone blocker at Wisconsin, and is a sticky blocker once connected with a defensive lineman. With strong core strength and good hand usage, he can be tough to shake as a blocker.

However his shorter length made him struggle at holding a wider edge and longer defenders could prevent him from getting into their pads. Ideally he should be placed in a RPO/play action and zone heavy run blocking scheme… I wonder if Indy fits the bill.

(Yes, yes it does)

Round 5, Pick 142 | Anthony Gould, WR/Returner, Oregon State

Big Board Ranking: 139

Grade: B

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Another pick of a player falling around where I expected on my big board, Gould brings one thing and a lot of it: Speed.

A 4.39 speed player with high end explosiveness, Gould projects best as a slot Wide Receiver on Offense given his 5’8 and 174 lb. stature. With his size and length concerns, he does struggle with what you’d expect: contested catch situations and blocking. However he can be used as a gadgety type weapon on motions, reverses, sweeps. Aka: the Isaiah McKenzie role that we saw in the Colts Offense last year.

Perhaps Gould’s biggest impact could be on special teams as a returner. After averaging 16.4 yards per punt return in college, there is the potential for him to be their full time returner on both punts and kicks. With new kickoff rules making kick returns less about open field running and speed but rather reading where space is, exploding through holes, and evading nearby tacklers quickly, Gould’s highly elusive playstyle could come in handy to set up the Colts offense in strong field position.

Round 5, Pick 151 | Jaylon Carlies, LB/S, Missouri

Big Board Ranking: 165

Grade: B

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Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Colts drafted a versatile and athletic player.

Carlies was a Safety and Linebacker for Missouri, getting downfield fast and helping cover shallow zones. A bit of a tweener as a big safety and a small linebacker, but 4.5 speed and 34.25” arms help him fit at either spot. The Colts project him best at Linebacker, and he fits the Ronnie Harrison role from last year’s defense.

The former Tiger’s biggest highlight performance? A very good job in coverage versus Brock Bowers. If he can be a potential Tight End eraser in coverage that would help balance out the Colts linebacker core’s skillsets with Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed.

Round 5, Pick 164 | Jaylin Simpson, S, Auburn

Big Board Ranking: 118

Grade: A-

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Jaylin Simpson was a standout player in Mobile Alabama this past February. At the Senior Bowl he displayed range, playmaking ability, and improved tackling. While he can line up as a Safety or a slot, he projects best as a deep Free Safety.

Long framed but thin, Simpson could pack on some weight to be able to tackle bigger RBs and blockers. However he is a highly experienced player in coverage and instinctive, particularly in Zone. His athleticism and fluidity shine through consistently in deep zone drops, and he has the ball skills to make a good amount of plays on them.

I expected Simpson to go a full round earlier, so to get him in Round 5 is a strong value on my board. There is a chance he could earn some snaps in the Free Safety rotation with Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, and Daniel Scott serving as his competition.

Round 6, Pick 201 | Micah Abraham, CB, Marshall

Big Board Ranking: 223

Grade: C

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I am being perfectly honest I have never predicted Abraham being a Colts target at the corner. Considering the Colts athletic and size/length requirements at the position, the pick feels a bit out of left field.

Being a 5’9 and 185 pound CB with poor explosive and agility testing and below 31” arms isn’t often a recipe for starting caliber Corner play. Considering those size and athleticism limitations, Abraham projects best as a nickel corner behind Kenny Moore II.

What the former Thundering Herd player does bring is 4 things: speed (4.43), experience (46 starts and 62 college games played), high end ball hawking, and a chip on his shoulder. With 12 INTs and 55 passes broken up in his college career, it is clear Micah Abraham knows how to make a play on the ball.

With his scrappy and determined play style, that makes a bigger impact than the size suggests, you can’t help but root for Abraham to make the Colts roster and an impact on the team.

Round 7, Pick 234 | Jonah Laulu, DT/DE, Oklahoma

Big Board Ranking: 242

Grade: C

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Jonah Laulu is a classic Colts shot in the dark developmental player on day 3. The former sooner bring a lot of fluidity, length, and strong pursuit to the ball. a former edge rusher turned defensive tackle last year, his ability to move up and down the line is value.

Lualu does need work in developing his pass rush move set and counters to become an effective pass rusher consistently, but he had decent production with 72 pressures over the last 3 seasons as a rotational Edge and Defensive Tackle.

Expect him to add competition to the back of the DT depth chart, but his impact will likely take a few seasons of development before coming to fruition in the NFL.

Class Grade: A-

The Colts in this draft got a very strong haul for impact in the short and long term:

• 2 potential Day 1 starters at premium positions with very high potential at great values
• 2 potential future starting Offensive Linemen (as soon as 2025) who provide the Colts a lot of depth and versatility along their line.
• A Isaiah McKenzie replacement as a gadget/deep depth Wide Receiver with high end return ability (which under new rules could be very valuable)
• 2 rotational defenders who could push for snaps at their positions in Year 1 or 2
• 2 developmental depth defenders who could fight for a roster spot in crowded positions

The only things bringing the grade down are how early Goncalves was taken relative to my board & the lack of defensive back picks until Rounds 5 & 6. However you can’t grade it too harshly considering their commitment to protecting Anthony Richardson, the historic run on Tackles leading up to that pick, and that there are still plenty of free agent Defensive Backs available on the market to address that latter need.