Reggie Wayne raves about T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief

Former Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne has been a guest on NFL Network since retiring, and just recently he was hired to be an analyst for the network. He’s done a good job so far, and Colts fans will surely love what he had to say today as he praised T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief.

Wayne thinks Hilton is in for a big year, primarily because Andrew Luck is back.

“I am [expecting a big year from Hilton],” Wayne said. “He’s got his quarterback back. Every receiver wants their number one quarterback. When he’s playing with another quarterback, he’s two and a half targets less. So now that Andrew Luck is back I’m sure he’s smiling from ear to ear. He’s going out there and [is] ready to put up T.Y. Hilton numbers that he’s been putting up.”

Wayne acknowledged that receivers do look at the box score to see how much they were thrown to, but Luck’s return isn’t the only reason for the confidence in Hilton. Reggie also explained what it is about Hilton, who learned from Wayne in Indianapolis, that makes him special.

“He competes,” Wayne said. “He competes. One thing I learned about him is he comes in and takes nothing but notes. I love that. Came in and asked questions, sat on the side of me, I couldn’t dodge him. Every time I moved from him he’d get right back on the side of me. But he was always eager to get better and learn and learn and take plenty of notes. That’s what I love.”

After that, Wayne was asked who he thinks will get more targets this year, Donte Moncrief or Phillip Dorsett. He was quick to answer with Donte Moncrief, then going on to offer high praise for the Colts’ young wideout.

“He is going to be a stud in this league. You just watch,” Wayne said. “Donte Moncrief, he’s what you want as a receiver. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s physical, he can go over the middle, he can go over the top, he can make all the big blocks against linebackers, he’s probably the least-scared in that receiver room. He’s a tough guy.”

What does he mean by the fact that Moncrief is the least-scared?

“He’s tough,” Wayne explained. “He takes shots, he can bounce right back up. He won’t step down when he’s getting hit and you’re wondering if he’s going to get up; he’s a tough guy. I like him, I really do.”

There’s plenty of reason to like both T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, but the praise means a little bit more when coming from a potential future Hall of Famer at the position in Reggie Wayne. He’s one of the great players in Indianapolis Colts history and also helped to lay the groundwork for the current receivers, just like Marvin Harrison did for Reggie Wayne. Hilton and (to a smaller degree) Moncrief both learned from Wayne, and now he’s praising their talent. He expects big things from the two wideouts, and it’s certainly possible we could see that on the field this fall.