Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Fourth-round Picks

Today, we rank the last 10 fourth-round picks made by the Indianapolis Colts.

---

1. Clayton Geathers | 2015 – Pick 109 Overall | Safety | UCF

Colts Career Stats: Started 12-of-29 games, 101 tackles (3 for loss), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovered, 6 pass breakups

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2015-Present

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Geathers in his Colts career, some even comparing him and his hard-hitting ways to former Colts All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Bob Sanders. However, Geathers’ hype took a step back in 2016. While making a game-saving tackle against the Tennessee Titans, he suffered a concussion and a bulging disc in his neck. He was placed on Injured Reserve, costing him the final seven games of 2016 and the first 11 games of 2017. Geathers was able to return as a starter late in 2017, giving hope that the injury is in the rear-view mirror. He now enters 2018 as half of one of the most exciting safety pairings in the NFL with Malik Hooker.

2. Marlon Mack | 2017 – Pick 143 Overall | Running Back | USF

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-14 games, 93 carries, 358 yards (3.8 avg), 3 TD, 21 receptions, 225 yards (10.7 avg), 1 TD, 3 kickoff returns, 69 yards (23.0 avg)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2017-Present

Ranking Mack this high may be a bit premature, but unless disaster strikes, he appears to be in for a big season. He no longer has to take a back seat to the less-explosive Frank Gore, and his current coaching staff should have no problems using him properly. Although Mack was no perfect player last year, he was clearly stifled by his lack of use. He touched the ball 114 times, and 22 of those plays (19.3%) went for at least 10 yards. Of those 22 plays, 12 went for at least 15 yards, 10 for at least 20 yards and two for 30 yards. Mack proved to be an explosive playmaker, and a sharp offensive mind like Frank Reich is going to be able to get a lot out of that.

3. Delone Carter | 2011 – Pick 119 Overall | Running Back | Syracuse

Colts Career Stats: Started 3-of-26 games, 133 carries, 499 yards (3.8 avg), 5 TD, 6 receptions, 31 yards (5.2 avg)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2011-’12

Carter was supposed to be more of a complement to Donald Brown than the starter, and Carter filled out the role of short-yardage and goal line back relatively well. However, as good as he was at hitting paydirt on the goal line, he also had butter fingers, fumbling four times and losing three in his two years in Indy. If this seems like a weird spot for him, it’s because the fourth round hasn’t been all that fruitful for the Colts.

4. Antonio Morrison | 2016 – Pick 125 Overall | Linebacker | Florida

Colts Career Stats: Started 19-of-31 games, 160 tackles (6 TFL), 1 pass breakup

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2016-Present

Morrison has left a lot to be desired by his play, but he has started 19 games for the Colts. Not by much, but we’ve probably seen worse on this team. This is essentially just going to be a reflection on the last two years because I don’t see a future for him in the Colts’ new defensive system. The Colts now value speed and athleticism almost above all else, and Morrison doesn’t really check the box on either of those. At his best, he is an effective run-stuffer. At his worst, he’s getting put in the spin cycle by his opponents in coverage.

5. Hassan Ridgeway | 2016 – Pick 116 Overall | Defensive Tackle | Texas

Colts Career Stats: Started 6-of-29 games, 35 tackles (2 TFL), 4.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 blocked kick

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2016-Present

Ridgeway has had a pedestrian beginning to his career (partly due to injury), but I’m actually really excited to see him in the new defense. He is a better, more explosive athlete than recently-released Johnathan Hankins is, which is what we’ve already mentioned the Colts are looking for. With Hankins gone and Henry Anderson possibly playing at defensive end, Ridgeway could feasibly earn one of the starting defensive tackle spots. Despite dealing with a shoulder injury during the season and seeing just 74 snaps as a pass rusher (Pro Football Focus), Ridgeway recorded 3.0 sacks in 2017.

6. Grover Stewart | 2017 – Pick 144 Overall | Defensive Tackle | Albany State

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-15 games, 23 tackles (1 TFL)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2017-Present

We haven’t seen much from Stewart yet, playing just 258 snaps as a rookie in 2017 (PFF). However, bigger nose tackle types like him and Joey Mbu should get a chance to impress moving forward with the departure of Hankins, and Al Woods’ age. I do like the fact that Stewart was able to make 23 tackles as an interior lineman despite his very limited action.

7. Khaled Holmes | 2013 – Pick 121 Overall | Center | USC

Colts Career Stats: Started 9-of-17 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2013-’15

This pick was a reach at the time, and it didn’t pan out. Between injuries and coaching decisions, Holmes played in just 17 of a possible 48 games, starting only nine. And that’s for a player who was brought in to be Andrew Luck’s long-term center.

8. Jacques McClendon | 2010 – Pick 129 Overall | Offensive Guard | Tennessee

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-4 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2010

From here, the list gets completely irrelevant. Among the last three options, McClendon is the only one to have actually been active for any regular season games for the Colts. A fourth-rounder for McClendon wasn’t bad at the time, but like many Day 3 picks, it did not work out. He has changed teams six times since the Colts and hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016.

9. Terrance Taylor | 2009 – Pick 136 Overall | Defensive Tackle | Michigan

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-0 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2009

Drafting Taylor as a rugged, disruptive player out of Michigan was a nice thought, but he didn’t even make it to the regular season. The Colts waived him during the final preseason roster cuts. Taylor has never played a down in the NFL and has seen time with three NFL teams, three Arena Football League teams and two Champions Indoor Football league teams.

10. Zach Banner | 2017 – Pick 137 Overall | Offensive Tackle | USC

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-0 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2017

Drafting Banner received mixed reviews last year, at least in the fourth round. Personally, I liked him there because I wanted to see if former Colts offensive line coach Joe Philbin could take the 6-8, 350-pound Banner and turn him into a good NFL lineman. That didn’t happen. Like Taylor, Banner was let go during the final wave of roster cuts, failing to make the Colts’ roster as a rookie. He was picked up by the Cleveland Browns the next day, appearing in eight games during the 2017 season. The Browns let Banner go this spring, and he is now with the Carolina Panthers.

---

• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 First-round Picks
• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Second-round Picks
• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Third-round Picks
• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Fifth-round Picks
• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Sixth-round Picks
• Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Seventh-round Picks