Rank
21
Indianapolis Colts
Grade: B-
Draft picks:
Round 1 (No. 14): TE Tyler Warren | 17 games/12 starts
Round 2 (No. 45): Edge JT Tuimoloau | 13 games/0 starts
Round 3 (No. 80): CB Justin Walley | 0 games/starts
Round 4 (No. 127): OT Jalen Travis | 17 games/4 starts
Round 5 (No. 151): RB DJ Giddens | 9 games/0 starts
Round 6 (No. 189): QB Riley Leonard | 5 games/1 start
Round 6 (No. 190): DT Tim Smith | 0 games/starts
Round 7 (No. 232): LB Hunter Wohler | 0 games/starts
Notable free-agent signings:
Johnathan Edwards | 14 games/5 starts
Analysis:
Indianapolis won eight of its first 10 games, becoming one of the biggest stories in the league. But after the Week 11 bye, the Colts didn’t record another victory, crashing out of the playoffs and into a second straight 8-9 finish. Tyler Warren’s debut season reflected the Colts’ campaign as a whole. Through Week 10, the rookie led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards, becoming one of the leading candidates for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But after the Week 11 bye, Warren’s production fell off a cliff, ultimately precluding him from even being an OROY finalist. The decline is stark:
Warren’s rookie season
Weeks 1-10
Weeks 12-18
Receptions
50
26
Receiving yards
617
200
Yards per reception
12.3
7.7
Yards after catch
373
101
Receiving TDs
3
1
Now, there’s important context here. Daniel Jones first popped up in the injury report in Week 12 -- with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport later reporting that the quarterback was playing through a fractured fibula -- and then tore his Achilles in Week 14. Obviously, just like the rest of the Colts, Warren suffered without his QB1.