Colts rookie prospect: Anthony Richardson, two others who should be first-year starters

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Ben Arthur

South Asia Correspondent

What would anthony richardson bring to colts as a beginner? Where will Josh Downs fall in the Indianapolis receiver selection rank? And what does he do Stephen GilmoreThe player’s departure means for Julius Prentice from the second round?

Projection Impact for Each Member of the Colts’ 12-man Rookie Draft Class:

First round, No. 4 overall: Anthony Richardson
First year expectations: beginning

The Colts are, of course, hoping Richardson can prove worthy of being the No. 4 pick overall and become a long-term franchise quarterback. Indianapolis is having what could be a bumpy rookie season, though. At 20 years old and only 13 starting in flRichardson will need actors. Coach Shane Steichen’s playbook should highlight Richardson’s strengths and maximize his comfort.

There is a chance that backup Gardner Minshaw Year Starts – Spent the past two seasons with Steichen at Philadelphia – But it would be surprising if Richardson didn’t start in the middle of the season.

Richardson under the most pressure of the Class of 2023 QB?

Emmanuel Ako, Joey Taylor, Laysan McCoy and David Hillman The debate that the QB took on in this draft class is under the most pressure.

Second round, No. 44 overall: CB Julius Prentice “JuJu”
Year 1 Outlook: High impact start

With Gilmore gone, Prentice has a good chance of being a first-day starter. What might hold him back at first is his health. He had wrist surgery in March, though he is expected to be ready to start training camp.

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Brents is the Colts’ biggest cornerback. The upside is also present with liquidity and length. Prentice, an Indianapolis native, was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in Kansas State Last season, he led the Wildcats with eight pass breakups and four interceptions.

third round, No. 79 overall; WR Josh Downs
First Year Drop: Starter (WR3), gamble returns

Outside of Richardson, the diminutive Downs (5-foot-9, 171 pounds) was the most talked about player coming out of junior camp earlier this month, and he’s been showing off his great hands. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. He was a very productive player North Carolinawith at least 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in consecutive seasons with two different players to finish his college career.

Free agent acquisition Isaiah Mackenzie Currently ahead of him on the depth chart, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Downs take on the WR3 role at the back Michael Bateman Jr And Alec Pearce by the middle of the season.

with Kiki Koti And Nehem Heinz No longer on the list, Downs should also be a top bet return option for die-hards. In 34 games at UNC, he returned 26 punts for 389 yards.

Round 4, No. 106 overall: OT Blake Vreeland
Dropping the first year: backup / no. 3 overtime

Best-case scenario, Freeland could offer some competition for the sophomore left tackle Bernard Rayman And be a reliable choice to swing as a beginner. Freeland started 41 games in four years at the BYU – 26 at left tackle and 15 at right tackle.

s4 ound 4, No. 110 overall: DL Adetomiwa Adebawore
First year drop: backup

General manager Chris Ballard has prioritized being an eight-to-nine player deep in the defensive line, so Adebawore’s athleticism will be a key backup behind the top starters DeForest Buckner And Grover Stewart. Drove North West in sacks and forced fumbles the past two seasons.

Round 5, No. 138 overall: DB Darius Rush
First Year Offer: Backup, Special Teams

Like Brents, Rush is a great linebacker (6-foot-2, 198 pounds) for Gus Bradley’s defense. the previous South Carolina Lead has the potential to be a long-term player (with Prentice), but he’s not an explosive athlete. He serves to provide depth in the Colts’ secondary and is used as a gunner on special teams.

Fifth round, No. 158 overall: S Daniel Scott
First Year Offer: Backup, Special Teams

Julian BlackmonAnd Rodney Thomas II And Nick Cross All of them are ahead of Scott on the depth chart in safety. the previous cal A lead must be indispensable on special teams for a rookie role.

Fifth round, No. 162 overall: TE Will Mallory
First Year Offer: Backup, Special Teams

The tight end is one of the strongest combination positions in the Colts. That’s why Mallory can be restricted to special teams until he improves as a blocker, seen as a weakness by scouts. He was a strong attacker Miamileading the Hurricanes with 538 yards in 2022 on his way to second-team All-ACC honors.

Fifth round, No. 176 overall: RB Evan Hull
First Year Offer: Backup, Special Teams

a star Jonathan Taylor and backup Zac Moss He’ll take the lion’s share of the snaps, but Hull has a chance at being the No. 3 pick. He had 88 receptions for 810 yards and four touchdowns in his last two seasons at Northwestern, showing potential to be a much-needed passing option out of the Indianapolis backfield.

Round 6, No. 211 overall: Edge Titus Leo
Year One Predictions: Special Teams

There could be a steep learning curve for Leo adapting to the NFL from FCS Wagner, plus the Colts already have a top three in his position (Kuwaiti PayAnd Daewoo Odingbo). He’ll need to make his name on special teams.

Round 7, No. 221 overall: CB Jaylon Jones
Year 1: Special teams, exercise squad

Starting for three years in Texas A&MJones has the experience to provide depth to the back end in the corner. Some scouts believed that he could be teleported to safety. This versatility can make him even more valuable to ponies.

Round 7, No. 236 overall: OT Jake Witt
First Year Offer: Backup, Coaching Squad

Witt could reach the initial 53 due to needing depth on an offensive line that struggled last season, but it will be a developmental project. He started his college career as a basketball player and played offensive line for only two years.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South correspondent for FOX Sports. He previously worked for the Tennessee Network/USA Today, where he was a writer for Beating the Titans for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) before moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @employee.

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