With the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select…
…UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu. Upon hearing this selection on the night of the draft, I was upset for a couple of reasons. First of all, though he has dominated his past couple years with UCLA, Latu severely injured his neck while playing for Washington and was advised to retire medically from football. Secondly, I did not think the Colts needed to improve their defensive line in comparison to some other positions on the team. However, the more I look at this pick, the more I love it. Not only does Latu seem like a great player, but he also just appears to be a positive and hardworking person. He has great speed off of the line and is built perfectly for an edge rusher, at 6’5” and 265 lbs. Racking up 23.5 sacks through his past two seasons with UCLA, Latu should improve our already dominant defensive line. His speed off the ball should also pressure opposing quarterbacks quickly, buying our young DB’s time and improving them as well. Overall, I think this pick was a great one by the Colts’ front office. Latu will be a beast for Indianapolis.
Round 2 is where I believe the Colts got the steal of the draft: Adonai Mitchell. One of the biggest needs for the Colts going into the off-season was wide receivers, and many fans hoped they would take one with the 15th pick. After that obviously did not happen, I checked out the available receivers going into the second round, and Mitchell caught my eye. A top wide receiver on the Texas team that made the playoff last year, Mitchell stands at 6’4” and weighs 194 lbs. During the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash time, which was the third fastest among all wide receivers in the draft. Mitchell is a great combination of size and speed, which is perfect for the Colts’ offense. Last year at Texas, he racked up over 800 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, all while splitting targets with Xavier Worthy, a receiver taken late in the first round. Mitchell should fit in perfectly with our young receiving core of Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs and will provide second year Colts QB Anthony Richardson another great target with great speed and tremendous potential to be a star.
One of the most important pieces of a football team is the offensive line, especially when your quarterback is coming off of an injury that took away his rookie season. Throughout the next couple of rounds, the Colts prioritized depth on the offensive line. In the third round, they took Matt Goncalves, and in the fourth, they took Tanor Bortolini. Goncalves played offensive tackle for Pittsburgh in college and is listed at 6’6” and 327 lbs. Bortolini is a bit smaller, listed at 6”4” and 303 lbs, and played center for Wisconsin. Both of these players could play big roles on the offensive line this year, especially with the common injuries linemen face. Goncalves has a lot of upside, and I believe he could even work his way to a starting job this year if he pans out.
The remainder of Indy’s draft picks were less known guys though they could still have a solid impact on the team. Round 5 produced three selections, including Oregon State wide receiver Anthony Gould, Missouri linebacker Jaylon Carlies, and Auburn cornerback Jaylin Simpson. Gould and Simpson are both in similar positions, where they are at the bottom of the depth chart but also play positions that the Colts need help in. I think if they prove themselves during training camp and the preseason, they will surprise people with how much they can impact the team during the regular season. Round 6 brought in Marshall cornerback Micah Abraham, and in Round 7 the Colts selected Oklahoma defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, both expected to be good practice squad players.
Overall, I am happy with how this year’s draft turned out. Colts GM Chris Ballard has proven himself year after year with the picks he makes, and they always end up having a big impact on the team. I am excited to see how these rookies pan out during the season and expect Indianapolis to have a competitive year.
