Johnathan Hankins says Colts could “shock” the NFL

Last week, Colts defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins appeared on NFL Network and said that the Colts have “probably the best defense in the AFC.”

From that, it’s clear that Hankins talks a big game. But he’s not really backing down from the high expectations that he has for this team, as yesterday he said on Sirius XM NFL Radio that he thinks the Colts have the guys to “shock” the NFL.

To be completely honest, the Colts could use some of the confidence that Hankins brings, and he seems to be outspoken about it too. I don’t think anybody really expects the team to truly have the best defense in the AFC, but that’s the right attitude for the players to have. And who knows? With that type of attitude, perhaps they could shock the NFL.

We’re learning that it mihgt not take much for hte Colts to shock many around the country, however, as the expectations for the Colts are quite low entering 2017 once again. It is correct to say that the rebuild is still underway, but at the same time consider this: the Colts have a legitimate franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck, one of the easiest schedules in the NFL in a very favorable division, and what looks to be a defense that’s at least better than it was a year ago (it’d be hard for it to be worse). So with all of that working in their favor, a division title and a return to the playoffs is certainly not at all out of the realm of possibility. While they might not be at the Super Bowl contender level, I do think they could shock some of the people who have a very low view of the team.

Either way, though, this is exactly what Johnathan Hankins should be thinking right now. He signed with the Colts this offseason and is excited about his new team and his teammates. While they’ll need to prove it on the field, it’s somewhat refreshing to see the confidence that he brings. And if his play can live up to his talk and expectations, that would be huge for Indianapolis.