Finding the Fits: Colts filled 'only glaring need' with center Ryan Kelly

Finding the Fits: Colts filled 'only glaring need' with center Ryan Kelly – CBSSports.com

(This is part of a series — Finding the Fits — in which NFLDraftScout.com will review the more intriguing picks made during the 2016 NFL Draft. The goal is to identify one relatively unheralded player per team who appears to be a good schematic fit and, therefore, more likely to be a surprise contributor early in his pro career.)

Indianapolis’ best fit: OC Ryan Kelly, Alabama, No. 18 overall

With their star quarterback ailing and a disappointing running game failing to compensate, the top priority for Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson over the offseason was to boost the offensive line.

A quick look at where the Colts ranked statistically only hints at the problem. Though the Colts finished a respectable 15th in sacks allowed last year (37), the number of hits absorbed by Andrew Luck and his menagerie of backups (Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Freeman and Ryan Lindley) proved the bigger “black eye” for the franchise. Defenders hit Luck and Co. 118 times in 2015, second–most in the NFL to only the hapless Cleveland Browns (123).

The running game wasn’t much better. The Colts averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in 2015 (31st in the NFL) and scored just six touchdowns on the ground all year long (28th). Frank Gore scored each of those touchdowns and did bring some toughness between the tackles. However, the 12-year veteran also showed his age, failing to eclipse the 100-rushing-yard mark a single time in 2015.

By investing four of the club’s eight draft picks this year on blockers — including Kelly in the first round — it seems pretty clear that Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano got the message.

Physically speaking, Kelly stood out even at Alabama, winning the Rimington Trophy Award as the nation’s top center and being voted the best offensive linemen in the SEC after not allowing a sack in 2015. In the predraft build-up, critics suggested that this might have something to do with the talent Kelly played next to with the Crimson Tide — that is until he proved bigger (6-foot-4, 311 pounds), faster (4.96 in the 40-yard dash), quicker (4.59 in the short shuttle) and more explosive (30-inch vertical and 26 reps on the bench) than all of the others in a strong center class. Given the physicality and tenacity with which he played, Kelly was also a terrific fit from an intangibles perspective.

Following the draft, in fact, Grigson admitted that he and his scouts identified the center position, specifically, as the club’s “only glaring need,” and that Kelly’s workout at Alabama was the only pro day workout in which both he and Pagano attended.

“At that position you have to not only be inherently football smart, but also a confident and decisive communicator,” Grigson said. “And this is all in the midst of bullets flying across from you, crowd noise, maybe a 350-pounder on your nose ready to tee off on you and then you still are expected to snap the ball and do your job at a high level, in a split second right after you are essentially making sure everyone else can do theirs. Takes a special player and person to be a great center and isn’t always about the physical aspect like at other positions. We feel Ryan has all those attributes from a physical and intangible aspect.”

Ryan Kelly (left) blew away every other center at the combine. USATSI

Shortly after drafting Kelly, the Colts released incumbent starter Khaled Holmes. The only other centers currently on the roster are fellow rookie Austin Blythe and third-year pro Jonotthan Harrison, each former undrafted free agents.

The Colts’ choice of Kelly was downright predictable. So too is the likelihood that Luck, Gore and the Colts will enjoy a nice rebound in 2016, even with a rookie starting in the middle.

Other thoughts on the Colts’ 2016 draft class:

While the Colts’ choice of Kelly filled an immediate need, Grigson’s next two picks — former Clemson safety T.J. Green and Texas Tech left tackle Le’Raven Clark — were made with the future in mind. Each offers exciting size and athleticism but may be looking at a “redshirt” rookie season with veterans currently ahead of them on the depth chart.

Clark, in particular, could need some time, especially if the Colts opt to move him to right tackle, a position he never played with the Red Raiders. Keeping Clark at left tackle would be a surprise given the presence of 2011 first-round pick Anthony Castonzo, who was rewarded with a four-year $43.8 million extension a year ago. Expect Clark to develop in the background with Castonzo and veteran Joe Reitz to once again start at tackle in 2016.

Similarly, Mike Adams and Clayton Geathers are likely to hold off Green as the Colts’ starting safeties this season.

While Grigson, Pagano and Co. may have to exercise some patience with their second- and third-round picks, the club’s “other” middle-round selections are potential surprises. Former Texas standout Hassan Ridgeway was a top-100 talent who slipped (like several others at his position) simply because of the remarkable depth at defensive tackle this year. With veterans Arthur Jones and Henry Anderson dealing with injuries, Ridgeway could get pushed onto the field earlier than most expect.

The same is true of fellow fourth-round pick Antonio Morrison — if, of course, he can stay healthy, which he was not during the team’s recent minicamp. D’Qwell Jackson is the Colts’ only clear-cut starter inside, but the club also has veterans Sio Moore and Nate Irving in the fold. Morrison is grittier and more physical than either, but his surgically-repaired left knee drew red-flags from some clubs prior to the draft. Fortunately, Morrison’s recent mishap is relatively minor — just a hamstring — but it has kept him from doing much physical activity with his new club.

Center may have been the position of greatest concern for Grigson and other decision-makers in Indianapolis, but the lack of a consistent pass rush perhaps also should have ranked high on the to-do list. The Colts collected just 35 sacks a season ago (no playoff team had less), with veterans Robert Mathis (35) and Kendall Langford (30) tying for the team lead with seven sacks each. While lacking ideal length, seventh rounder Trevor Bates and undrafted free agent Ron Thompson offer burst off the ball and underrated strength. With journeymen Trent Cole and Erik Walden each on the wrong side of 30 years old, as well, Bates and Thompson could have a better chance at sticking on this roster than most expect.

Indianapolis’ 2016 draft class: