Colts NFL Draft Prospects: Senior Bowl players to watch — North Roster

It is finally here everyone. The pinnacle of the NFL Draft Season— the Senior Bowl— is finally upon us as the players arrive in Mobile, Alabama for a week long of interviews, practices, and game — which occurs on Saturday. The nation’s top senior draft prospects will be on full display for scouts this week as the festivities kick off on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the Senior Bowl’s little brother— the Shrine Game— concluded and several players I highlighted in my preview articles made big impacts on the game. Georgia Wide Receiver Terry Godwin and Oregon linebacker Justin Hollins were the big standouts and I highlighted both players earlier in the week as good fits for the Colts.

Today we will be going over the top 10 players on the Senior Bowl North roster who fit the Colts team. Tomorrow we will be discussing the 10 players on the South team. I am a credentialed media member in Mobile, Alabama right now so expect a big week of coverage and player interviews from the event. For now though, let’s look at the North roster of players.

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10.) Dexter Williams, RB

School:

Notre Dame

Size:

5’11” 215 pounds

Career Stats:

257 carries for 1,636 yards and 20 touchdowns. Averaged 6.4 yards per carry for his career.

Fit with the Colts:

The Colts have three really solid, young running backs in Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, and Jordan Wilkins. What appears to be missing though is a powerful, tough running back who can get the little yards when needed. Williams is a downhill runner who drives his legs well through contact and creates big plays.

He may not have the greatest vision but behind an offensive line like the Colts, he can just focus on attacking downhill. He could immediately step in as a low tread back who adds valuable depth to an important position. He would fit tremendously in this offense.

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9.) Te’Von Coney, LB

School:

Notre Dame

Size:

6’1” 240 pounds

Career Stats:

313 total tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks, 1 interception, 4 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

This seems like a bit of a luxury pick— given that the Colts appear to be set at linebacker— but Coney would be an excellent fit in this defense. The Colts depth at linebacker is really poor right now. Outside of Anthony Walker, Darius Leonard, and Mathew Adams there really isn’t a player on the depth chart who I would want playing defensive snaps.

Enter a player like Coney to the mix and you have four solid options at linebacker. Coney is an excellent run defender who is patient in reading plays and fills run gaps superbly. He is also a very good athlete and can handle a lot of what the Colts ask their linebackers to do. Adding him to an already talented group would make this defense even stronger.

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8.) Darnell Savage, SAF

School:

Maryland

Size:

5’11” 200 pounds

Career Stats:

182 total tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 8 interceptions, and 13 pass deflections in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

It is no secret the Colts need another safety. Clayton Geathers, Matthias Farley, and Mike Mitchell are all set to hit free agency leaving just Malik Hooker left on the backend. Even if the team elects to re-sign Geathers— which they’ll likely do— they could still stand to add another talented player back there.

Savage isn’t a flashy player or the biggest playmaker on the backend, but he is a hard hitting tenacious athlete who is always in the right position to make a play. He is an excellent run defender and can even play a little slot corner. If the Colts were to select Savage, he could be a potential upgrade to Mitchell’s role on the defense in 2019.

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7.) Andy Isabella, WR

School:

UMASS

Size:

5’10” 190 pounds

Career Stats:

231 catches for 3,526 yards and 30 touchdowns. Averaged 15.3 yards per catch in his career.

Fit with the Colts:

Outside of needing dependable and reliable players added to the receiving core, the Colts also need more speed and playmaking ability. Isabella brings both of those factors. A former track star, Isabella edged out Browns cornerback Denzel Ward in both the 100 and 200 meter events in 2015. So, obviously he has deep ball speed. On the field though, he is an absolute weapon with shifty footwork and next level athleticism.

He has the ability to break a game wide open and turn small gains into touchdowns. I see an immediate role in the slot for the Colts as he can be an excellent upgrade over the same role Chester Rogers played for the team last year.

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6.) Zach Allen, DE

School:

Boston College

Size:

6’5” 285 pounds

Career Stats:

199 total tackles, 40.5 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, 14 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

Pass rush is still an area of concern for the Colts after selecting two edge rushers in the second round last season. Tyquan Lewis is struggling with injuries though and Kemoko Turayis not seeing the field due to his struggles in run defense. Seeing how both of those players were drafted out of the Senior Bowl last year, it would only be fitting if Ballard added another Senior Bowl guy to add to the pass rush.

Allen isn’t flashy by any means but he gets the job done. A stellar run defender whose bull rush and strength help him as a pass rusher, Allen would immediately compete for starting snaps on this defensive line. He may never be an elite pass rusher but Allen would be an instant contributor in this Colts’ front four.

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5.) Jakobi Meyers, WR

School:

NC State

Size:

6’2” 203 pounds

Career Stats:

158 catches for 1,837 yards and 8 touchdowns. Averaged 11.6 yards per catch in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

The number one pressing need on this Colts roster— at least in the eyes of most fans— is wide receiver. The Colts need to surround Andrew Luck with more talent at the position. A very intriguing mid-round option to look out for would be Jakobi Meyers. An excellent third down option, Meyers excels at finding openings in zone coverage and catching balls that are off target. He is very fluid in and out of his routes and creates very solid separation for a bigger receiver.

For the Colts, he’d likely project as the “X” receiver alongside TY Hilton or the backup to Dontrelle Inman if the Colts elect to re-sign him. With his ability to make plays on third downs, I see Meyers potentially getting a ton of playing time early in the NFL if he stands out in Mobile this week.

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4.) Amani Oruwariye, CB

School:

Penn State

Size:

6’1” 203 pounds

Career Stats:

106 total tackles, 8 interceptions, 20 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

Outside of the top three corners of Quincy Wilson, Kenny Moore II, and Pierre Desir, the Colts didn’t have much impact or production from their depth corners in 2018. In a weak cornerback class, landing a guy like Oruwariye would be an excellent boost to the group. A very good man corner, he is super competitive and makes receivers work for every inch. He projects well as a zone corner too as his burst and acceleration are top notch out of his breaks.

He projects well as an initial depth corner for the Colts who could transition over time as a consistent starter. Colts fans may have to hope that Oruwariye has an average week in Mobile though to have a chance at him falling to one of their second round picks.

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3.) Renell Wren, DT

School:

Arizona State

Size:

6’6” 297 pounds

Career Stats:

81 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 5 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

Wren is a very interesting prospect to say the least. An absolute stellar athlete, Wren landed on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List this offseason with a reported 4.85 seconds in the 40-yard-dash. Throw in a vertical jump of 34.5 inches, a broad jump of 10 feet, and that he can squat 600 pounds and bench 430 and you have an elite athlete. On the field, he is a stellar run defender with an excellent push-pull and bull rush move to boot.

He is a bit of a projection with his untapped potential as a pass rusher but Wren offers a unique skillset that can transition into an All-Pro. If any team can help him reach his potential, I’m sure the team that helped turn Margus Hunt’s career around could develop a guy like Wren.

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2.) Nasir Adderley, SAF

School:

Delaware

Size:

6’0” 200 pounds

Career Stats:

226 total tackles, 31 pass deflections, and 10 interceptions in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

The Colts desperately need a playmaking safety next to Malik Hooker on the backend. Enter an ascending player such as Nasir Adderley to the mix, and the Colts could have a deadily safety duo next year. Adderley is a small school safety who is garnering a bunch of well deserved hype at the moment. An easy mover with effortless range, he has the ability to make plays over the top and at the line of scrimmage in run defense.

Adding him next to Hooker would make offenses fear two playmaking safeties on the backend with ball hawking ability. He may have to be taken with the 34th pick after a strong performance this week but I love Adderley’s fit with the Colts.

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1.) Charles Omenihu, DE

School:

Texas

Size:

6’6” 275 pounds

Career Stats:

115 total tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in his college career.

Fit with the Colts:

One of the better players in this draft class, Omenihu has a huge chance to fly up draft boards with a strong week in Mobile. He has excellent size and length and has consistently improved each season as a pass rusher. His athleticism with that size is also a handful for opposing offensive tackles.

He would be an excellent fit in the Colts’ defensive scheme as he is a good run stuffer on the edge on early downs and transition inside on obvious pass plays and wreak havoc from the interior. Omenihu is like;y my top overall prospect in Mobile and the number one guy I am watching for the Colts this week.

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Other Notable players to watch on the North Team:

Kris Boyd, CB, Texas

Talented player who needs a strong week of practice to climb draft boards.

Will Harris, SAF, Boston College

Reliable tackler and overall solid player. Would be a great fit next to Hooker.

Drue Tranquill, LB, Notre Dame

Excellent coverage backer who could immediately step in as a dime player for the Colts.

Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois

Super raw but has every trait you look for. Could sit and develop behind Anthony Castonzo.

Alex Wesley, WR, Northern Colorado

Super productive and athletic small school guy. Watch out for this guy this week.