INDIANAPOLIS —It's time for the Week 5 version of the 2018 Colts Rookie Watch, where we take a look at the stats and highlights to track the progress of each rookie on the Indianapolis Colts' roster.
So, without further ado, here we go:
» Matthew Adams, linebacker: Adams — the Colts' seventh-round (221st-overall) pick — registered his first two career tackles on defense in Thursday's loss to the Patriots, when he played 14 defensive and 18 special teams snaps. Adams is tied with fellow linebacker Najee Goode for team-high honors with four special teams tackles.
» Zaire Franklin, linebacker: Franklin, also a seventh-round (235th-overall) pick, earned his second start of the season on Thursday against the Patriots, finishing with a career-best 11 tackles and playing all 69 snaps with the defense, as well as 18 special teams snaps. The Syracuse product has 13 tackles and three special teams stops so far on the season.
» Nyheim Hines, running back: The fourth-round (104th-overall) pick earned his second straight start last Thursday night and finished with a career high in carries (15) and rushing yards (45), while also adding seven receptions for 45 yards through the air. On the season, Hines has 33 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown, while he also has 29 receptions for 164 yards and two scores through the air.
» Darius Leonard, linebacker: Leonard missed his first-career game last Thursday after suffering an ankle injury Week 4 against the Texans. Despite this fact, he still leads the NFL in in tackles (54, with 38 solo stops). The NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, Leonard also has 4.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, two passes defensed and one forced fumble and one fumble recovery each.
» Skai Moore, linebacker: Moore played 10 snaps, all on special teams, last Sunday at New England. The undrafted rookie. who started Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, has two tackles on the season so far.
» Quenton Nelson, guard: Nelson, the Colts' sixth-overall pick in April's NFL Draft, started once again at right guard against the Patriots, and played all 83 snaps with the offense, as well as five special teams snaps. Nelson was named to Pro Football Focus’ Week 5 “Team of the Week” for his performance against New England, which resulted in a season-best PFF game grade of 73.7. Nelson has earned a grade of 74.3 on 277 pass blocking snaps so far this season from PFF.
» George Odum, safety: Odum logged the first nine defensive snaps of his career, as well as a team-best 25 special teams snaps, last Thursday against the Patriots. The undrafted rookie's 110 total special teams snaps trail only Goode's team lead of 110 so far through five weeks.
» Braden Smith, guard: Smith earned his second-career start, and his first at right tackle, last Thursday night against the Patriots, playing all 83 snaps on offense. The second-round (37th-overall) pick, who earned the start Week 1 against the Bengals as the tackle-eligible player on the first play of the game, finished with an impressive game grade of 80.1 from PFF.
» Kemoko Turay, defensive end: Turay played 38 defensive and one special teams snap last Thursday in New England, finishing with one quarterback hit on Tom Brady. The second-round (52nd-overall) pick has six tackles (three solo) and 2.0 sacks on the season.
» Jordan Wilkins, running back: Wilkins had six carries for 39 yards — including a 16-yard play — as well as two receptions for nine yards last Thursday against the Patriots. The fifth-round (169th-overall) pick has played in all five games with three starts on the year, and has 44 rushing attempts for 175 yards (4.0 avg) as well as nine receptions for 34 yards in all.
