Todd McShay’s New Mock Draft Has the Colts Taking Two Big Bodied Weapons in the Early 2nd Round

According to ESPN Draft Expert Todd McShay’s latest Mock Draft (subscription), the Indianapolis Colts are projected to select a pair of offensive weapons: USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. with the 34th overall pick and Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet with the 44th overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft:

34. Indianapolis Colts (from WSH)

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC

After trading out of Round 1, this pick is pretty important for the Colts. And with quarterback Philip Rivers on a one-year, go-for-it deal, GM Chris Ballard has to find the veteran a reliable pass-catcher. Pittman can flash in the vertical game, find pockets in coverage and adjust his body in motion to make the catch.

44. Indianapolis Colts

Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame

Finally, a tight end comes off the board. The Colts already have Jack Doyle in the locker room, but they also lost Eric Ebron, and Philip Rivers loves finding his tight ends. Kmet can make the tough, contested catches.

McShay projects the Colts selecting Pittman Jr. ahead of Baylor’s Denzel Mims, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, and Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool at wideout—which seems surprising, especially in Mims’ case.

Regarding Pittman Jr., the 6’4”, 223 pound senior captain caught 101 receptions for 1,275 receiving yards (12.6 ypr. avg) and 11 touchdown receptions in 13 starts for the Trojans during 2019—earning 1st-Team All-Pac 12 honors and was named a 2nd-Team All-American.

He is the son of former Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman Sr.—who played 11 NFL seasons.

Pittman Jr. impressed during the Senior Bowl week and posted strong measurables at the NFL Combine—including a 4.52 forty time at his immense size, 36.5 inch vertical, and 121.0 inch broad jump.

He has the 9th best SPARQ rating (which measures overall athleticism) among wide receivers in his draft class with a percentage in the 85.7% NFL percentile.

While not necessarily an explosive athlete, Pittman is a big bodied possession wideout—with NFL bloodlines, who can win 50-50 jumpballs down the field by using his exceptional size, positioning, and ball skills to separate near the point of attack:

For the Colts, he sounds like a rookie wide receiver, who can contribute immediately and start on the other side of their diminutive, yet incredibly dangerous deep threat T.Y. Hilton.

Colts new veteran starter Philip Rivers has historically loved throwing to big bodied wideouts downfield from Vincent Jackson to Mike Williams, and Pittman would just be the latest beneficiary in-line.

He may not be “the next Mike Evans”, but Pittman has the potential to be a high-end starting #2 wideout long-term as a physically imposing outside weapon for his next team.

Here’s what others are saying on the former Trojans’ standout—who projects to be a Day 2 pick either in the second or early third round:

Meanwhile, the 6’6”, 262 pound Cole Kmet is coming off a strong junior season for the Fighting Irish at tight end, catching 43 receptions for 515 receiving yards (12.0 ypr. avg.) and 6 touchdown receptions in 10 starts—having missed 2 games initially because of a broken collar bone.

Kmet is considered one of the best tight end prospects in what’s considered a relatively weak draft class at the position overall.

However, he measured well at the NFL Combine with a 4.70 forty time, 37.0 inch vertical, and 123.0 inch broad jump—which helped placed him in the 77.4% NFL percentile for his SPARQ rating (also 2nd best in his draft class at tight end).

Kmet is a really good athlete at the position, who has solid hands and can provide a reliable huge target over the middle of the field—who’s not afraid to mix it up after the catch.

As a two-sport athlete, he compares favorably to former Notre Dame tight end and longtime Minnesota Vikings pro Kyle Rudolph with his combination of size and athleticism.

While he’s a willing blocker, he needs to get stronger at his base and at the point of attack but is better in this regard than he’s credited for.

Of course, with former Pro Bowler Eric Ebron leaving in free agency, the Colts could use another tight end to pair with Pro Bowler Jack Doyle—as well as another big bodied weapon to help their offense down in the red zone.

Rivers has excelled throwing to his tight ends in the past (see: Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry), and the Colts offense under head coach Frank Reich has prominently featured two tight ends over the past few seasons.

The team could really use another receiving option as its TE2—although Mo Alie-Cox appears more than fine as an additional blocking tight end situationally.

Here’s what others are saying on Kmet—who projects to be a Day 2 pick and should fall no later than the early 3rd round—as one of the top tight ends taken: