2014 Colts Draft Pick: Donte Moncrief - WR - Mississippi

Donte Moncrief - WR - Mississippi

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 221 lbs
Arm Length: 32 3/8"
Hand Size: 9 1/8"

Strengths

Moncrief is the type of wide receiver that defensive coordinators dread going up against. He has prototypical size and elite speed. He's an explosive athlete and was near the top of the wide receiver class in forty time, vertical leap, and broad jump. Moncrief is a subtle route runner who is able to create space in man coverage and doesn't necessarily need to be "thrown open" like some wide outs. He's tremendous at high pointing the ball in jump ball situations and has the ability to make the first guy miss and break a huge play. Moncrief is also not afraid to stick his nose in and block defenders in the running game.

Weaknesses

While Moncrief does run subtle routes, he still needs work to be more effective in the NFL. He also has issues winning 50/50 balls despite his leaping ability, likely due to his average hand strength. Moncrief occasionally will trap balls or drop them outright so concentration may be an issue. He's likely trying to make the big play, rather than thinking of catching the ball first.

Conclusion

Colts fans should be ecstatic about this pick. Moncrief has first round talent and produced at a top wide receiver level in the toughest conference in America. He was one of my top rated wide receivers and could end up being the best of this draft. He's also very young, only 21, and has time to grow and develop with Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton. He's likely not going to see the field much this season barring injury, but the time to work behind a technician like Reggie Wayne will be invaluable for Moncrief's development. When we look back on this draft in a couple years, I expect Moncrief to be one of the steals that everybody wonders how he fell to the end of Round 3. #FeedMoncrief