- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 408,767
- Reaction score
- 43
Rhett Lewis of NFL.com has the Indianapolis Colts going in a different direction in his first mock draft. Instead of taking a tight end or an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman or a linebacker, Lewis has the Colts taking a cornerback.
As Lewis described, this mock is a combination of what he thinks should happen, what he's hearing, and what he'd like to see happen for "entertainment value," as he called it.
So with that, the Colts ended up taking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with the 14th overall pick. And in case you were wondering, Tyler Warren was already off the board while Colston Loveland was not.
"Johnson is a complicated evaluation: His 2024 season was abbreviated by a foot injury, and a hamstring issue has curtailed his pre-draft process," wrote Lewis. "It reminds me of Derek Stingley Jr.’s situation a few years ago. Each corner had fantastic tape early in college before experiencing an injury-plagued junior season, muddying the prospect profile. Johnson could follow Stingley’s path to stardom, as the latter just earned first-team All-Pro honors."
At one point early on in the pre-draft process, we frequently saw Johnson being taken around pick No. 5 in many mock drafts. However, as Lewis mentions, an injury in 2024 and no athletic testing up to this point have led to some unknowns.
Johnson is listed at 6-2 - 202 pounds and had his 2024 season cut short to six games due to a turf toe injury. Over his three seasons, however, Johnson allowed a completion rate of only 53% at 13.4 yards per catch with good ball production as he totaled nine interceptions and seven pass breakups, according to PFF.
While cornerback was a pressing need for the Colts prior to free agency, that isn't the case anymore after the team signed Charvarius Ward in free agency to start and veteran Corey Ballentine to bolster the depth.
Very quickly, a position that had its share of question marks now looks pretty good with Ward on one side, Kenny Moore in the nickel, and Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, Sam Womack, and Ballentine all as options to line up opposite of Ward. Not to mention that Lou Anarumo and his defensive scheme should help elevate this position group as well.
So for that reason, while teams should always be looking to add to a premium position and this isn't to say that improved play from that second boundary position isn't needed, the Colts have too many other needs elsewhere--like at tight end, linebacker, offensive line, and defensive line--to justify adding to this position group in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Colts make surprise pick in mock, take CB Will Johnson
Continue reading...
As Lewis described, this mock is a combination of what he thinks should happen, what he's hearing, and what he'd like to see happen for "entertainment value," as he called it.
So with that, the Colts ended up taking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with the 14th overall pick. And in case you were wondering, Tyler Warren was already off the board while Colston Loveland was not.
"Johnson is a complicated evaluation: His 2024 season was abbreviated by a foot injury, and a hamstring issue has curtailed his pre-draft process," wrote Lewis. "It reminds me of Derek Stingley Jr.’s situation a few years ago. Each corner had fantastic tape early in college before experiencing an injury-plagued junior season, muddying the prospect profile. Johnson could follow Stingley’s path to stardom, as the latter just earned first-team All-Pro honors."
At one point early on in the pre-draft process, we frequently saw Johnson being taken around pick No. 5 in many mock drafts. However, as Lewis mentions, an injury in 2024 and no athletic testing up to this point have led to some unknowns.
Johnson is listed at 6-2 - 202 pounds and had his 2024 season cut short to six games due to a turf toe injury. Over his three seasons, however, Johnson allowed a completion rate of only 53% at 13.4 yards per catch with good ball production as he totaled nine interceptions and seven pass breakups, according to PFF.
While cornerback was a pressing need for the Colts prior to free agency, that isn't the case anymore after the team signed Charvarius Ward in free agency to start and veteran Corey Ballentine to bolster the depth.
Very quickly, a position that had its share of question marks now looks pretty good with Ward on one side, Kenny Moore in the nickel, and Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, Sam Womack, and Ballentine all as options to line up opposite of Ward. Not to mention that Lou Anarumo and his defensive scheme should help elevate this position group as well.
So for that reason, while teams should always be looking to add to a premium position and this isn't to say that improved play from that second boundary position isn't needed, the Colts have too many other needs elsewhere--like at tight end, linebacker, offensive line, and defensive line--to justify adding to this position group in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Colts make surprise pick in mock, take CB Will Johnson
Continue reading...
