So Far, Jerry Hughes Was A Terrible Draft Pick For The Colts

Jerry Hughes can’t even contribute on special teams. He’s DETRIMENTAL on special teams. That’s bad, folks. If you’re going to draft a project player, he’d damn well better be able to at least contribute on special teams.

Though, he sucked this year.

I agree that jerry hughes is a bust. sure its his 1st year in the league and hes behind two pro bowl players but when called upon he did little. We needed an OT in that draft dont know why polian decided otherwise for this guy. Just doesnt make sense

He’s ‘busting.’

He’s not there yet, but it hasn’t been a good year. Hopefully he can turn it around like Moala has done.

very good article.. well said really enjoyed it. maybe lets drop hughes and pick up marcus howard lol JUST KIDDING

Calias Campbell, Aaron Kampman, and Kyle Vanden Bosh are just a few examples of many D linemen who contributed very little in the first year, ended up becoming stars. Hughes hasn’t played a lot because there wasn’t a need. Let’s just be serious for two seconds here k? Mathis and Freeney own 3rd downs, that’s their spot where they shine. Hughes is the same way. He is a pass rusher, and doesn’t help a lot in run game. Neither do Freeney or Mathis. They are ok at times vs the run, but a lot of runs vs us are up the middle. By official stats, 0 sacks. But he made a huge pressure in the Bengals game and Angerer finished the QB off, so one sack, and also the Jags game. Hughes wasn’t playing a lot because he wasn’t starting. Why put in an unproven rookie in on meanigfull downs 3rd down specifically, unless one of our DE’s were gassed? That’s when he came in. The reason Howard had those sacks was in one game vs the Titans, last game of that year. He got pretty much all those stats in one meaningless games, against back ups. Brock got the sack because he played meaningfull downs, in a lot of games.

Not everyone is for special teams, usually not DEs. So what if he played sparingly on ST’s? We drafted him to be the heir to one of our DE’s, not a big time STer. The only reason any of those guys had stats, was because they played the majority of games. They didn’t have two pro bowl DEs in front of him to compete with for meaningfull downs. Tell me though, Saffold has played ok in my opinion. I saw him in 4 games, and allowed I think 4 sacks. None against elite DEs.

Just seriously man, stop with the Hughes thing. I respect your opinion, but people like Pierre Garcon, Fili Moala, Tom Brady, and Jeff Saturday say that you shouldn’t be judged on your first year.

And the first year project thing? I think Darren McFadden, Ryan Clady, and Rashard Mendenhall would all like to disagree that 1st rounders absolutly must contribute their first year or their busts. Just to name a few.

He certainly hasn’t reached Ugoh status yet, although he did have a disappointing season by all accounts. If Mathis is really as upset about his contract as some say, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to see what the kid can or can’t do in the near future.

He double his season total for tackles in the season finale. If it weren’t for that game we’d be twice as worried about his abilities!

This article is a perfect example of what is wrong with NFL fans. Every person and every situation is different. Some guys are needed right away and develop well quickly and put up big numbers in their rookie years. Some guys aren’t needed or don’t develop as quickly. That doesn’t mean their “busts.” That means they’re human.

I really like this site, but jumping to conclusions like this infuriates me. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be a bust at the end of your rookie year. West Point graduates aren’t immediately made generals. They have to get experience first. NFL rookies don’t immediately become player of the year candidates.

Hughes has the athletic and mental attributes to become a cornerstone for the Colts, but he has 2 Pro Bowl ends ahead of him, unlike when either Freeney or Mathis were selected. Comparing Hughes to them is apples and oranges.

As long as Hughes improves on his run defense and studies hard, which I fully expect, he’ll make the sophomore jump like so many others. Then this article will look very foolish, just like the ones from last year calling Fili Moala a bust.

cmon, one season doth not make a career! once again lets throw something on the wall and see what splats! heres an interesting link check it out………http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-bestfirstroundpicks042307… speculators speculate…let the coaches coach…players play. man you guys are becoming as bad as the new england fans out here! you can break down every play, dissect every word from the polian show, read every PH blog-tweet- whatever. the fact of the matter is this we werent good enough to win. is that jerry hughes fault? did that one play cost his team the game? or maybe it was all the 3rd and ones we came up short on. or maybe the way the jets rammed the ball down our throat? how about jeff saturdays play all year? why not write about that? or write about some hope for next year? why does it all have to be so negative? all the time? realistic is one thing but damn you beat this drum all year long.and anyone who disagrees with you, you threaten with banishment. head writer, editor -in-chief blah blah. you have let personal feelings cloud your professional judgement. irsay makes mistakes, polian makes mistakes, caldwell makes mistakes, hughes makes mistakes, BBS makes mistakes. we will all rebound from this season and this will make this team and organization stronger, deeper and better next year. this doesnt have to be a rah rah site but does it have to be such a debbie downer site? piece!

One thing I want to dismiss right off the bat is this notion that first round picks can be ‘project players.’

A close examination of the 2010 NFL draft would suggest that this isn’t accurate. Consider the players in and around where Hughes was drafted:

• Drafted #25, Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos. He was clearly meant to be a project because he was behind Kyle Orton, and Orton was particularly productive in that system despite no run game. Only started when Orton was hurt (and after McDaniels fired): Project.
• Drafted #26, Dan Williams, NT, Arizona Cardinals.15 games, 0 starts. 38 tackles, 27 solo. Decent but not spectacular performance.
• Drafted #27, Devin McCourty, CB, New England Patriots. 16 games, 16 starts. However, he was clearly drafted to be a #3 and perhaps push to be a starter – he was behind Leigh Bodden, 2nd round pick Darius Butler, 2nd round pick Terrence Wheatley, and incumbent starter Jonathan Wilhite, and only elevated when Bodden was on IR, Wheatley hurt in training camp, and Wilhite penciled in at nickelback Project
• Drafted #28, Jared Odrick, DE, Miami Dolphins. Nominal starter at season’s beginning, but only because Phillip Merling was arrested and the team saw it as a fit punishment. Odrick was injured after only 3 tackles and placed on IR. Project
• Drafted #29, Kyle Wilson, CB, New York Jets. Clearly intended to be a long-term project, as the starting roles in NY were sewn up by Darrell Revis and Antonio Cromartie. Wasn’t intended to be a ST maven, either – Brad Smith, Cromartie and Jerricho Cotchery were already on board. 0 starts, 16 tackles in nickelback. Project
• Drafted #30, Jahvid Best, RB, Detroit Lions. So-so production – 171 carries, 555 yards @ 3.2 ypc, 4 TDs. Hardly overwhelming production from a position with the shallowest learning curve from college to pros.
• Drafted #31, Jerry Hughes, DE, Indianapolis Colts. 6 tackles while buried behind Mathis and Freeney on the depth chart. Project
• Drafted #32, Patrick Robinson, CB, New Orleans Saints. 11 games, 0 starts, 23 tackles (from nickelback). Clearly drafted to be a depth player – Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter were returning as Super Bowl-winning CB tandem, and FS Malcolm Jenkins drops down into nickelback fairly often. Robinson was always bound to be fighting for reps. Project

I’m not sure where you’re getting your “first-round draft picks must be immediate starters!” attitude. That’s true of teams who, well, suck. But teams who are coming off playoff appearances (especially Super Bowl appearances), can afford to take Best Player Available with high upside, even if they won’t immediately start, because, well, they’re already good teams who made playoffs. Look at the list of ‘projects’ from 26-32. The Colts are just doing the norm.

Freeney and Mathis aren’t going to be playing forever. Good pass-rushers are hard to find, so it’s justifiable to take the gamble when one falls into your lap with the 31st pick for the simple fact that they usually don’t – Vernon Gholston didn’t go below the 6th pick, and he’s awful.

As Bill Polian told us, Hughes was not taken to replace Robert Mathis or Dwight Freeney. He was drafted to work with them. Here’s Polian in April 2010:

Polian: We’ve been searching for the elusive ‘third rusher’ for a long time. And now we feel that [Hughes] can fill that bill.

True. But that’s predication on needing a pass-rusher. To have a pass-rush, the other team has to be passing. The Colts weren’t able to dictate the pace of the game as well as previous years because of their injury woes on O; they didn’t score enough points to force oppositions to play catch-up. If opposition teams could run (and they could), then the third pass-rusher was contrary to purposes – shoring up the D-line with run-stuffers was far more important. Hughes was on the bench more often than he would have otherwise been because the Colts O didn’t force the oppositions to throw as often as previous years.

Having said that, I have witnessed how great of a player he can be from his days in TCU. Now one can make the arguement that he was facing average college level competition. And you would be right. But, this is a guy with enormous potential. How many time have we seen guys who were supposed to be great with huge upside come in and struggle thier rookie year. I have faith in this guy and believe me when I tell you this. Jerry Hughes will develop into a porbowl Defensive end. He is in the perfect scheme for his style of play. Allow him to make the first to second year jump please. We all saw it with Fili. I know we all expect immediate production from a first round pick but sometimes it just doeesnt work out that way. Was Jerry Hughes’ rookie season a dissapointment? Yes. Be patient. He has the best D Ends in the league to learn from. He has the talent and athleticism to become special.

we’ll take Jerry Hughes, convert him into a 3-4 olb.
what do you guys think he’s worth after this season? 3rd/4th round pick?

btw I haven’t watched enough Colts games to know, did Hughes get a lot of opportunities on passing downs where he could just pin his ears back?

Hughes will be good for us guys just wait and see plus I agree first rounders should have impact but I’mthinking only the top 15~20 picks should be immediate impact players and everyone else imo is a project whether they start or not remember we are still talking about rookies young guys barely out of college and playing a mans game…i don’t call ne one a bust until about year three

Hughes is in a very tough spot. He’s playing behind two Pro Bowl defensive ends on a team that, due to the way the offense and defense operates, is most often facing teams that want to run the ball. That doesn’t give him a lot of chances to shine.

You can’t call a guy a bust after a single rookie season. Give him two years. Maybe he becomes a ST demon and starts racking up garbage time sacks. Maybe he doesn’t do anything and flames out. You have to give guys time to develop before you label them busts. It’s why I’m not a fan of calling Donald Brown a bust; he’s had two seasons behind a terrible offensive line. Gonzo is a good receiver, but he can’t stay healthy. Ugoh was, I think, a failure on the part of the organization. Had he been able to sit and study behind Glenn for a season or two, I think he would have been fine. But as it was, he was expected to do too much too soon.

Time will tell how things work out.

…a bust.

This season seemingly was but maybe there are other things behind the scenes going on (obviously there are).

Whatever it is, I’ll give him another season before I pull out the “Bust” card.

I’ll trade you Vernon Gholston for Hughes in a heartbeat!

was Hughes the right pick for a team with 2 Pro Bowl DE’s?

umm NO!!

we had a lot more glaring weakness’s.

if the giants drafted 4 punters, should the colts? What works for one team, doesnt work for another.