INDIANAPOLIS —The Indianapolis Colts have nabbed an up-and-coming playmaker at the wide receiver position.
The Colts on Saturday selected Northern Iowa receiver Daurice Fountain in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Fountain — who stands at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds — ascended in 2017 as a senior, catching 66 passes for 943 yards and 12 touchdowns, and earning First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors. He kept that momentum going with a strong performance in the East-West Shrine Game practices, according to analyst Lance Zierlein in Fountain's NFL.com Draft Profile.
Fountain was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player in that East-West Shrine Game, finishing with a game-best 61 receiving yards on three receptions and also returning two punts for 40 yards.
In all, Fountain finished his career at Northern Iowa ranked fourth in school history in receptions (150), sixth in touchdowns (23) and ninth in receiving yards (2,077).
Fountain adds his talents to a Colts offense in need of playmakers at the wide receiver position. Just three players on the roster — T.Y. Hilton, Chester Rogers and Ryan Grant — logged at least one reception at wide receiver in the regular season in 2017; Grant, meanwhile, was a free-agent pickup this offseason after playing the first four seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins.
Stay tuned to Colts.com for more on this developing news, but for now, here's Fountain's overview in his NFL.com Draft Profile:
OVERVIEW
One-year wonder with the requisite height, weight, and speed numbers to interest teams looking for a plus athlete to develop. While Fountain should test well, his route running and ball skills aren't where they need to be and the jump in competition will make that transition challenging. However, Fountain's strong showing at the Shrine Game practices likely increased the number of teams who will target him on Day 3.
