2023 Statistics

• 1 game
• 8 snaps
• 1 rushing attempt
• 1 rushing yard
• 1 reception
• 6 receiving yards

The Big Picture

The Colts selected Hull with the No. 176 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, pointing to the Northwestern running back's upside as a receiver and in pass protection, as well as on special teams. Those three things fit the bill for a prototypical third down running back – someone who can catch the ball out of the backfield or absorb a blitz while featuring heavily on kick/punt return/coverage. 

Hull could've settled into that role in 2023, but a knee injury sustained in the Colts' season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars ended his season. And even before the injury, circumstances pushed Hull into more traditional running back responsibilities entering the season. 

With Jonathan Taylor on PUP and Zack Moss sustaining an arm injury early in training camp that sidelined him until Week 2, Hull and Deon Jackson received the majority of snaps with the Colts' first-team offense through the preseason. That gave Hull plenty of chances to make a positive impression on the Colts' coaching staff before his season wound up ending after just two touches in Week 1. 

"For a young running back, he's come in with a really professional mindset," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said in August. "The way he goes about his business around the building, learning, taking notes, just working in the weight room (and with our) nutritionist – all that stuff. He's done a nice job coming in and giving himself a great chance to succeed.

"We saw quite a bit of him at Northwestern do some certain things and we've put him in a few positions here that maybe we didn't see quite as much on his college tape. I would say he's pleasantly surprised us.

"... Typically rookie running backs sort of struggle the most in protection because in college football you just don't see a lot of that. You don't see them pick up a lot of blitzes – they don't have to. So, for him to come in and really do more or less a really nice job in protection. He's been a bright spot at this point sort of in training camp and in the preseason.

"We look forward to him sort of continuing to get better, which he does have to do. He's a rookie, he's a young guy. He's learning a ton whether it's just defensive looks or how they're playing certain blocks in the run game – how he reads those types of things. Certain blitzes, how they fit certain blitzes and how his pickup fits within everyone else – our offensive line's scheme. Those are the things that he's learning, but if he does make that first mistake, he usually doesn't make the second. That's something that we like."