INDIANAPOLIS – A handful of NFL scouts, with more than 90 years of experience, chatting about the team's draft picks?
That is what Colts.com had earlier this offseason in a roundtable with five Colts' scouts.
The five names listed below (titles at time of draft) traveled all over the country scouting college prospects last season. They have seen these draftees several times throughout their college seasons, at games, school visits and at Pro Days.
T.J. McCreight (Director of College Scouting)
Todd Vasvari (Assistant Director of College Scouting)
Matt Terpening (National Scout)
Dave Razzano (Senior Scout)
Jamie Moore (Area Scout)
What were your thoughts on second-round pick T.J. Green (Clemson)?
McCreight: "He's a great athlete. He was a receiver originally. A lot of people move from receiver to defensive back because they can't catch. Well, that's not the case for this guy. He was recruited as an athlete. He went to Clemson as a receiver but they switched him to safety because his skill set really fit that. When we saw this guy's size and speed and explosiveness. It was something that really stood out. After we brought him in for our visit, I saw him in airport and he just shook his head and said, 'This is where I want to be. This is the best visit I've had. The GM. The head coach. The coaching staff. Something about Indianapolis.' I said, 'Well, you never know.' We picked him and I know he was really happy about it."
Razzano: "You look at T.J. Green, his numbers are very similar to the top-five pick Jalen Ramsey. And (Green) was a one-year (starter). Sometimes those guys fall a little bit. When you look at the way he moves and the way he hits, how competitive he is, they are pretty similar. To get him where we got him, was a really big deal."
Terpening: "Watching him at the Combine, he kind of knocked our socks off with his ability and his movement skills, his speed. He's a real versatile player for us."
Vasvari: "I think the upside is really the biggest key for him. He has the tools. He's only been in the position for one year. His tackling is going to improve. I think he was excellent in coverage when he dropped down into the box or when I saw him cover some slot receivers, where you could really see his athletic ability. He stayed with them."
McCreight: "As scouts, after the draft, you get texts from your friends around the league and I got a number of texts from other scouts, 'That was a great pick. That was a great pick. We were going to pick him. You stole him from us.' Actually, some teams thought he could play corner for them. The guy has position flexibility and versatility. He's smart. We feel really good about him."
Vasvari: "Always trying to upgrade our speed on special teams and defense. He'll fill both those roles. Maybe in time defensively, but he's going to fill special teams right away."
Terpening: "When Clemson was in the playoffs against Oklahoma, (Oklahoma has) three really good wideouts, who we all really like. A couple of them are young players and I want to say, I talked to Todd the next day and we were like, 'Who is this junior safety at Clemson?' Because he had to come down and play man-to-man against these receivers. That's what really jumped out. Watching him on TV for the first time, looking at his ability to cover these wideouts."
Vasvari: "I remember I was on the school visit and they mentioned this guy (the other safety) was thinking about coming out early but I'm like, 'Okay, but who is this other safety?' They said, 'Well, no, he's a junior, he probably won't come out.' Then a couple of months later, he declares for the draft. I've got to do more work on him. He jumped out to me, not really looking at me."
