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Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Third-round Picks

How do the Colts’ last 10 third-round draft picks compare to each other?

By Jake Arthur
Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

We now move on to ranking the last 10 third-round picks made by the Indianapolis Colts.

1. T.Y. Hilton | 2012 – Pick 92 Overall | Wide Receiver | Florida International

Colts Career Stats: Started 73-of-94 games, 431 receptions (758 targets), 6,827 yards (15.8 avg), 34 TD’s

Pro Bowl: 4x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2012-Present

This could never even be close to an argument. At his current pace, Hilton will surpass Reggie Wayne’s 1,070 receptions if he plays for 15 years, and Marvin Harrison’s 1,102 receptions if he plays 16 years. Hilton already averages more receiving yards per season than both. Let’s not forget that he led the NFL in receiving yards in 2016 (1,448) either. He may not be one of these athletic freaks like Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones, but Hilton is a WR1.

2. Henry Anderson | 2015 – Pick 93 Overall | Defensive Line | Stanford

Colts Career Stats: Started 19-of-29 games, 65 tackles (7 TFL), 3.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovered, 4 pass breakups, 1 blocked kick

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2015-Present

Anderson has had some tough injuries to deal with in three short years, but he’s always productive and makes an impact when he’s on the field. This year, he is expected to make the transition from inside defender to a strong-side defensive end in the 4-3, which included dropping about 15 pounds to add speed and explosiveness. Anderson doesn’t load up the stat sheet, but he does a lot of little things right, which includes collapsing running lanes and getting his hands into passing lanes.

3. Dwayne Allen | 2012 – Pick 64 Overall | Tight End | Clemson

Colts Career Stats: Started 56-of-57 games, 126 receptions (199 targets), 1,451 yards (11.5 avg), 19 TD

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2012-’16

In the second half of Allen’s tenure in Indianapolis, his effectiveness took a hit due to near constant injury. However, he was valuable due to being able to block, pick-up first downs and convert in the red zone. He gets extra points for not dominating with the New England Patriots after he was traded.

4. Donte Moncrief | 2014 – Pick 90 Overall | Wide Receiver | Ole Miss

Colts Career Stats: Started 27-of-53 games, 152 receptions (255 targets), 1,875 yards (12.3 avg), 18 TD

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2014-’17

Ah, what could have been. Moncrief needed the stars to align and for things to break in a positive fashion in order to reach his potential, but it never happened. Injuries to himself, quarterback Andrew Luck and incredibly questionable coaching led to Moncrief never being much more than a specialist. This offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars rewarded him with a wild contract based on his potential.

5. Hugh Thornton | 2013 – Pick 86 Overall | Offensive Guard | Illinois

Colts Career Stats: Started 32-of-37 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2013-’15

Now, we start to get into the “meh”. Thornton was forced into action before he was ever supposed to due to injuries to other linemen. He suffered his own knee, shoulder and ankle injuries, and his play suffered. He was never able to rise above mediocrity as a complete blocker, and his career was cut short due to his injuries.

6. Le’Raven Clark | 2016 – Pick 82 Overall | Offensive Tackle | Texas Tech

Colts Career Stats: Started 8-of-23 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2016-Present

The story isn’t necessarily over for Clark in Indianapolis, but I would imagine this is his last stand to establish himself on the roster. He’s had some wild peaks and valleys in his two years, going from “Please don’t ever let him protect Andrew” to “Oh, wow, Clark has been a stud this week.” He has experience starting at right tackle and right guard, and has had times of good play at both. The Colts’ new coaching staff puts a huge emphasis on teaching, which is what Clark needed most when he was drafted two years ago to begin with. We’ll see how much he can develop throughout the preseason.

7. Drake Nevis | 2011 – Pick 87 Overall | Defensive Tackle | LSU

Colts Career Stats: Started 3-of-14 games, 35 tackles (1 TFL), 1.0 sack, 1 pass breakup

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2011-’12

Nevis was not a difference-maker for the Colts, which led to his departure after just two seasons. After the Colts cut him during preseason roster cuts, Nevis spent time with three other teams just in 2013 and another in 2014. He didn’t catch on anywhere and has been in the CFL ever since.

8. Tarell Basham | 2017 – Pick 80 Overall | Edge Defender | Ohio

NFL: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-15 games, 7 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2017-Present

Basham had a so-so rookie campaign in 2017 after starting off slow. However, in the last several weeks of the season, general manager Chris Ballard, former head coach Chuck Pagano and defensive coordinator Ted Monachino praised his growth whenever they got an opportunity. Basham was moved to outside linebacker in the Colts’ old 3-4 defense but now is back in his home position of defensive end in the new 4-3. The new scheme is supposed to be very simple for the defensive line — do what you can to get into the backfield rather than sit back and process different gap options. The staff wants to simplify things for their young players like Basham, and since a good pass rush is priceless, expect them to do everything they can to make sure he succeeds.

9. Kevin Thomas | 2010 – Pick 94 Overall | Cornerback | USC

Colts Career Stats: Started 5-of-9 games, 33 tackles (1 for loss), 3 pass breakups

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2010-’11

After an injury-riddled career at USC, Thomas went down with a season-ending ACL injury in rookie minicamp with the Colts. He saw his nine games in 2011 but was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer on 2012. He was waived three weeks later and hasn’t played again since.

10. D’Joun Smith | 2015 – Pick 65 Overall | Cornerback | Florida Atlantic

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-4 games, 1 tackle, 1 fumble recovered

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2015-’16

Smith was somehow a bigger letdown than Thomas. Pagano reportedly “pounded the table” for Smith in the war room and wasn’t rewarded with much. He struggled in training camp, failing to grab any significant role on the depth chart as a rookie in 2015. Early in his rookie year, he went to IR-Designated for Return with a knee injury. He essentially never shook the knee ailment and was waived the next summer. Smith spent time with the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans and only saw action in one more game.

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