clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Colts Draft: Ranking Their Last 10 Sixth-round Picks

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

By Jake Arthur

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Indianapolis Colts v New Orleans Saints Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Today, we rank the last 10 sixth-round picks made by the Indianapolis Colts. Buckle up.

1. Pierre Garçon | 2008 – Pick 205 Overall | Wide Receiver | Mount Union

Colts Career Stats: Started 43-of-58 games, 188 receptions (349 targets), 2,519 yards (13.4 avg), 16 TD, 8 carries, 44 yards (5.5 avg), 22 kickoff returns, 475 yards (21.6 avg), 17 punt returns, 49 yards (2.9 avg)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2008-’11

First, huge props to former Colts general manager Bill Polian for finding this guy out of Division III Mount Union and having the stones to draft him. Garçon has carved out a very nice career including his time with and following the Colts. To this point, he’s played 10 years and has over 600 receptions and 7,500 yards. With the Colts, he flashed quite a bit with Peyton Manning under center. Garçon was a good player for the Colts in the playoffs also, starting all four postseason games in 2009 and 2010, and totaling 26 catches for 363 yards (14.0 avg) and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his time in Indy came to a sour end following the disastrous Kerry Collins/Curtis Painter/Dan Orlovsky season, and the Colts had to decide whether to re-sign Garçon or Reggie Wayne.

2. LaVon Brazill | 2012 – Pick 206 Overall | Wide Receiver | Ohio

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-25 games, 23 receptions (51 targets), 347 yards (15.1 avg), 3 TD

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2012-’13

Brazill was probably never going to become anything more than a WR3 for the Colts, but he made several big plays for them in his brief time in the organization. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay away from marijuana, failing drug tests in the 2013 and 2014 offseasons. The Colts let him go after the second suspension.

3. Mike Hart | 2008 – Pick 202 Overall | Running Back | Michigan

Colts Career Stats: Started 1-of-21 games, 71 carries, 264 yards (3.7 avg), 2 TD, 12 receptions, 97 yards (8.1 avg)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2008-’10

Hart came into the league with plenty of fanfare, as he was one of the most recognizable figures from a very good Michigan Wolverines squad, but it didn’t translate much to the NFL. In the end, his lack of burst and elusiveness did him in. He had some nice plays for the Colts, but didn’t play again after he was let go in 2010.

4. John Boyett | 2013 – Pick 192 Overall | Safety | Oregon

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-fo-0 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2013

Boyett ranks this high for a couple of reasons. First, this was a sneaky good pick at the time. Boyett had ruptured both patellas while at Oregon and was basically redshirted as a rookie with the Colts. He was considered one of the better safeties in the whole draft otherwise. Next, I’ve got to give credit to the guy for having a totally stupid, bizarre arrest that led to his release from the Colts and then somehow doing something incredibly similar just 13 months later, leading to the same outcome with the Denver Broncos. Overall, Boyett ran more from the cops in Indianapolis and Denver than he ever did for them on the field.

5. Josh Robinson | 2015 – Pick 205 Overall | Running Back | Mississippi State

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-5 games, 17 carries, 39 yards (2.3 avg), 6 receptions, 33 yards (5.5 avg)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2015

I’ll admit that I was smitten with the idea of Robinson being the Colts’ next big-time running back. I loved his story, perseverance and even more so, his tape. I gushed about him here. In the end, ball security issues put him in the dog house and he wasn’t given much of an opportunity to develop from there. He was sent packing later in the season. Here, it says that Robinson dealt with a herniated disk during his time with the Colts, which could help explain nothing ever developing for him here.

6. Chris Rucker | 2011 – Pick 188 Overall | Cornerback | Michigan State

Colts Career Stats: Started 4-of-15 games, 36 tackles (1 TFL), 1 fumble recovered, 2 pass breakups

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2011-’12

Rucker was an okay player for the Colts who had the ability to play both corner and safety. However, he just did not impress enough in his 15 games and was let go during 2012 roster cuts.

7. Andrew Jackson | 2014 – Pick 203 Overall | Linebacker | Western Kentucky

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-13 games, 10 tackles (2 TFL), 1.0 sack

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2014

Jackson was an effective special teamer and occasional run stopper for the Colts, but two DUI arrests sealed his fate with the team.

8. Steve Justice | 2008 – Pick 201 Overall | Offensive Lineman | Wake Forest

Colts Career Stats: Started 1-of-8 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2008

Justice was the best offensive lineman on a Wake Forest team that had just made a BCS bowl and was having their most relevance in quite some time. However, Justice didn’t make much of an impression in Indianapolis and was waived the following offseason. He bounced around in the UFL after that from 2009-’11.

9. Amarlo Herrera | 2015 – Pick 207 Overall | Linebacker | Georgia

Colts Career Stats: Started 0-of-3 games

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2015

Like Andrew Jackson, Herrera was a run-stopping linebacker who saw action on special teams and the occasional heavy defensive look. After his waiving from the Colts, Herrera spent brief periods with the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins, but hasn’t resurfaced in the NFL since 2016. He actually tried out for the WWE in 2017.

10. Curtis Painter | 2009 – Pick 201 Overall | Quarterback | Purdue

Colts Career Stats: Started 8-of-11 games, 140-of-271 passing (51.7%), 1,624 yards, 6 TD, 11 INT, 20 carries, 111 yards (5.6 avg), 7 fumbles (5 lost)

Pro Bowl: 0x

All-Pro: 0x

Colts Tenure: 2009-’11

In the slightly ad-libbed words of Commissioner Jim Gordon, “Because we have to chase tease him [Batman] [Painter]. Because he’s the hero Gotham Indianapolis deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt make fun of him. Because he can take it, because he’s not a hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Dark Knight.”

If you thought I went off the deep end there for a minute, bear with me. Although Painter’s on-field performance in 2011 was a disaster, that poor play helped lead the Colts to a 2-14 record, which gave them the top overall pick, Andrew Luck. So, while Painter’s play was rough to live through, it helped give the city the gift of Luck.

Painter is now settled down locally and is doing some nice things still involving football.

More From Stampede Blue