INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts started and ended their 2015 Draft with picks on the offensive side of the ball.
In the middle it was a heavy dose of defensive selections, but a pair of skill players highlight the additions on offense.
Here's a capsule look at the Colts three offensive picks in 2015:
*Round 1, Pick 29: Wide Receiver Philip Dorsett (Miami) *-2014 Stats: 13 games played (13 starts). 36 receptions for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns.
-Career Stats: 45 games played (30 starts) in 4 seasons. 121 receptions for 2,132 yards and 17 touchdowns.
-Interesting Fact: Dorsett's 24.2 yards per catch last season was the second highest for any player in college football.
-Dorsett's Quote to Note: "If someone looks at it and says it's a bad pick, it doesn't matter to me because I know what I'm capable of. I know what I can bring to the team. I'm just trying to cherish the moment and I know I'm going to give my all for the Indianapolis Colts."
-Ryan Grigson's Thoughts: "That type of speed doesn't stay around very long. No matter what the prognosticators are saying, or the mocks or anything like that. When you've got 4.25 on grass that actually shows up that fast on film, somebody's going to take a stab at him, especially when he has natural receiving skills on top of it. He can return punts, he's got lateral elusiveness as well and can really stick his foot in the ground too, and he runs good routes. That's pretty evident on the clips they showed when he got drafted. Again, it was easy when we looked at our board on who to take. Like (Chuck Pagano) said, he's a great young man, he's a horseshoe guy. He's the epitome of one that happens to run a 4.25 and play it."
-Outlook: Pressure. When I've thought about the pick of Dorsett last Thursday, the 'p' word comes to mind. It's the stress (pressure) that the Colts have put, and will continue to put, on opposing defenses. Coordinators prepping for the Colts each week will have to game plan against two receivers that can get behind the defense in a blink of an eye. Toss in Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief (who can also stretch the field), versatile tight ends and a proven running back in Frank Gore, the weapons at the disposal of Andrew Luck are explosive. Think back to New England and how the Colts offense could not muster much consistency. Adding Dorsett gives the Colts a dynamic playmaker that they can line up all over the offense and exploit favorable matchups. Also, don't count out Dorsett's potential influence as a return man. The Colts were second in the NFL last season in forcing 5.6 punts per game (plenty of chances for punt returns).**
The Colts first round draft pick Phillip Dorsett arrives at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center!
Round 6, Pick 205: Running Back Josh Robinson (Mississippi State) **-2014 Stats: 13 games played (11 starts). 190 rushing attempts for 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns.
-Career Stats: 38 games played (13 starts) in 3 seasons. 323 rushing attempts for 1,997 yards and 15 touchdowns. 43 catches for 493 yards and one touchdown.
-Interesting Fact: Robinson's 6.3 yards per carry in 2014 was a school record.
-Robinson's Quote to Note (On being called a "bowling ball"): "You're going to have to wait until I get up there so I can demonstrate firsthand."
-Ryan Grigson's Thoughts: "He's been a target guy ever since he walked in our door at our top 30 (visits). The running style, he fits what we do. When you run that low to the ground and have that center of gravity, he's a bowling ball, and that's what they call him. To put up the yards he did in the SEC with a 6.3-yard average, that speaks for itself in that conference."
-Outlook: For being more of a power back, Robinson showed plenty of big play ability in his lone season as Mississippi State's starting running back. Robinson led the SEC with 50 plays of at least 10 yards in 2014, including several highlight reel runs bouncing off tacklers. In a game against Kentucky, Robinson had 142 of his career-high 198 rushing yards after contact. He now enters the Colts backfield competing with Vick Ballard, a guy he says taught him everything he knew while redshirting behind Ballard in 2011 at Mississippi State. After Frank Gore, the Colts have a quartet of Boom Herron, Ballard, Zurlon Tipton and Robinson competing for carries.**
Round Seven, Pick No. 255: Offensive Tackle Denzelle Good (Mars Hill University) **-2014 Stats: 10 games played (10 starts).
-Career Stats: 31 games played (31 starts) in 5 collegiate seasons.
-Interesting Fact: Good did not allow a sack in the three seasons he played at Mars Hill University.
-Ryan Grigson's Thoughts: "Frank Giufre (Offensive Quality Control Coach) did an outstanding job. He went out there worked (Good) out, flew out there, put him through a really hard work out. Right after the workout, he dunked effortlessly and really got pretty high above the rim for a 340-pound cat. His movement skills, he has all the size. He actually has a 30 Wonderlic score, which is very impressive. That's Stanford-type stuff. There's a lot there to work with. That's a pretty nice lump of clay for our coaches to work with. Frank really liked the kid and liked the workout, and again, the film, he had moments of dominance at the Division II level. Throughout the league, there's been some pretty darn good Division II linemen going back to, I don't want to say any names because then people say, 'You're comparing him to this guy.' He's in the category of some of those D-II guys that I've done who've been successful in the league, but it's up to him."
-Outlook: At 6-5 and 339 pounds, and with the athleticism mentioned above by Grigson, Good is the type of project that many teams look for in the seventh round. Back in 2008, Good was a three-star high school recruit and began his college years at North Carolina State. He wrapped up his collegiate career at Mars Hills University, a Division II school in North Carolina. The Colts obviously see some potential in Good and have the patience to let him develop at the tackle position. Both Jim Irsay and Ryan Grigson reiterated on Saturday that even if Gosder Cherilus' injury problems linger, they feel there are more than capable options within the roster. A year on the practice squad might be Good's initial start, with the Colts already having backup tackles in Joe Reitz and Ulrick John, who also has practice squad eligibility.