Horseshoe Huddle

Build-A-Ballard: Who Colts May Target at Wide Receiver in 2023 NFL Draft

Which wide receivers in the 2023 draft fit Ballard’s preferred mold?

Zach Hicks

The Build-A-Ballard series is back for another run for the 2023 NFL Draft. Last year was the absolute peak of the series when the Indianapolis Colts selected Alec Pierce, the face of the entire offseason for these articles. Can we top that massive hit this year?

This is the fourth installment of the popular series that takes a look at past draft trends and traits that General Manager Chris Ballard seeks out in the NFL Draft.

The goal is to use Ballard’s time in Kansas City (where he was the the Director of Player Personnel or Director of Football Operations from 2013 to 2016) and his time in Indy to figure out who he may covet come draft time.

We already know Ballard loves athleticism and leadership on and off the field, but this series hopes to shed more light on traits he is looking for and help to uncover some of the players he may target in the draft.

The focus today will be on one of the Colts’ biggest positions of need, wide receiver. Will Chris Ballard add another receiver early in the draft?

Notable Drafted Players

During Ballard’s tenures in Indianapolis and in Kansas City, his organization has drafted 10 wide receivers in 10 drafts. In most of those seasons, wide receiver was a core need for his team and he has shown to use some decent draft capital to address the need. The top picks used to address the position over that time-frame were second round selections in 2019, in 2020, and in 2022.

We will examine six of the 10 prospects to find common traits:

Daurice Fountain, Northern Iowa (2018)-- 5th Round Pick

Size:

6’1” 210 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.46 / Vertical Jump: 42.5 inches / Broad Jump: 134 inches

Career Stats:

150 catches for 2,077 yards with a yards per catch average of 13.8 and 23 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Explosive athlete, flashed physical ability to make acrobatic finishes and a capable playmaker after the catch.

- Raw route runner and level of competition concerns coming out of the FCS.

Deon Cain, Clemson (2018)-- 6th Round Pick

Size:

6’2” 202 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.43 / Bench Press: 11 Reps / Vertical Jump: 33.5 inches / Broad Jump: 115 inches / 3-Cone: 6.71 seconds

Career Stats:

130 catches for 2,040 yards with a yards per catch of 15.7 and 20 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Legit deep target with jet gear to get vertical once he clears defender’s edge and talented after the catch.

- Raw route running and his high drop rate.

Parris Campbell, Ohio State (2019)-- 2nd Round

Size:

5’11” 205 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.31 / Bench Press: 11 Reps / Vertical Jump: 40.0 inches / Broad Jump: 135 inches / 3-Cone: N/A

Career Stats:

143 catches for 1,786 yards with a yards per catch of 12.4 and 23 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Elite, blue chip speed as a ball carrier and a terrific open field athlete.

- Raw route running, inconsistent hands, and his depth of target in college.

Michael Pittman Jr, WR, USC (2020)-- 2nd Round

Size:

6’4” 223 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.52 / Bench Press: 13 Reps / Vertical Jump: 36.5 inches / Broad Jump: 121 inches / 3-Cone: 6.96

Career Stats:

171 catches for 2,519 yards with a yards per catch of 14.7 and 19 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Big, strong and not afraid to drop a shoulder on someone and a large catch radius and hand strength to make plays on ball adjustments.

- Lack of true separation and not being a nuanced route runner.

Michael Strachan, Charleston (2021)-- 7th Round

Size:

6’4” 226 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.54 / Vertical Jump: 35 inches / Broad Jump: 127 inches / 3-Cone: 6.96

Career Stats:

127 catches for 2,332 yards with a yards per catch of 18.3 and 27 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Large catch radius and hand strength to make plays on ball adjustments and an explosive athlete, flashed physical ability to make acrobatic finishes.

- Raw route runner and level of competition concerns coming out of a small school.

Alec Pierce, Cincinnati (2022)-- 2nd Round

Size:

6’3” 211 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.41 / Vertical Jump: 40.5 inches / Broad Jump: 129 inches / 3-Cone: 7.13

Career Stats:

106 catches for 1,851 yards with a yards per catch of 17.5 and 13 touchdowns.

Overview of Pick:

+ Elite vertical threat with great speed and the ability to high point passes in traffic. One of the best contested catch players in the class but also brings a ton of juice on the outside.

- Stiff player that has a raw route tree.

Changes From Last Year + Common Traits

I actually don't have too many changes to add to this position this year. This is definitely one of my more accurate positions in this series and the selection of Alec Pierce last year confirmed most of my analysis. The only slight add that I would make is that he likes players that are ELITE athletes, typically with RAS (relative athletic scores) above 9.00.

Here are the common traits that can help us build a rough mold of what Ballard might look for in rookie receivers:

  • Well built, 200+ pound players (outside of Tyreek Hill)
  • Typically above six feet tall (Parris Campbell and Tyreek Hill the lone exceptions)
  • Minimum of 35 inch vertical and 120 inch broad jump (Deon Cain lone exception)
  • Strengths: Elite athletes, speed and explosion, vertical threat, ability to adjust to difficult passes, preferably outside receivers
  • Weaknesses: Raw route running, drops, struggles beating press
  • Experienced blocker/willingness to block
  • Leadership/Team Captaincy/Senior Bowl (a Ballard trademark with the Colts)

2023 Draft Players Who Fit

1.) Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss

Size:

6’2” 220 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.46 / Bench Press: 22 / Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches / Broad Jump: 129 inches

Career Stats:

112 catches for 1,758 yards with a 15.7 yards per catch average and 12 touchdowns.

Why He Fits:

Jonathan Mingo is a monstrous slot receiver that plays with great play strength and explosion. The production may not have always been there in college, much like with Alec Pierce last year, but Mingo is a player that's presence is felt on every snap. He knows how to create with the ball in his hands and he is a powerful blocker that wears defenders down in the slot. If the Colts want more size in their next slot receiver, Mingo would be the perfect selection later on day two.

2.) Cedric Tillman, Tennessee

Size:

6’3” 213 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.54 / Vertical Jump: 37 inches / Broad Jump: 128 inches

Career Stats:

109 catches for 1,622 yards with a 14.9 yards per catch average and 17 touchdowns.

Why He Fits:

Tillman is an excellent jump ball receiver that is as smooth as it gets in the vertical game. He missed some time this past year, but he was dominant during his junior season back in 2021. He is a developed pass catcher that can make big time plays in traffic down the field. If the Colts want to form a monstars group with Michael Pittman Jr moving to the slot, grabbing Cedric Tillman could be really fun for this team. 

3.) Andrei Iosivas, Princeton

Size:

6’3” 205 pounds

Measurables:

40 Time: 4.43 / Vertical Jump: 39 inches / Broad Jump: 128 inches / 3-Cone: 6.85

Career Stats:

125 catches for 1,909 yards with a 15.2 yards per catch average and 16 touchdowns.

Why He Fits:

Andrei Iosivas is the typical mold of wide receiver that Chris Ballard targets on day three of the draft. He is a lower level player that offers extreme upside to go along with his currently raw play (Mike Strachan/Daurice Fountain). While it hasn't worked for the Colts so far, it never hurts to keep throwing picks at extreme athletes. Even if it doesn't work, there is always a chance that the player turns out like Ashton Dulin (a top tier special teams player).

Honorable Mentions

Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia: Workout warrior that posted elite numbers at the NFL Combine. He could be a great vertical threat with the right coaching.

Rashee Rice, SMU: Explosive vertical threat that is extremely raw in his overall game. If he can improve his press package, he could be a decent role player in the NFL.

Michael Wilson, Stanford: Big and hardworking player that does everything that a coach would want out of a wide receiver. Should be a top tier special teamer/role player.

Matt Landers, Arkansas: Another workout warrior that flashes some ability in the vertical passing game.

Jadon Haselwood, Arkansas: Underwhelming long speed but good feet and fairly explosive for his size.

Jason Bronwlee, SMU: Explosive and lanky player that can win jump balls down the field.

Final Thoughts

With GM Chris Ballard’s track record for drafting receivers, these are the prospects who might stand out for him during the draft. He tends to like raw players with an All-Pro ceiling who have yet to put it all together. He places a heavy emphasis on speed and play-making while not worrying as much about drops or route running.

It is important to note that this analysis could be entirely wrong as it relies heavily on his time in Kansas City. It is entirely possible that Ballard disagreed with much of the decisions made during his time with the Chiefs’ organization at the receiver position. For all I know, Ballard could take a 5’9” slot receiver in round one. Who knows? However, this series should give some kind of insight into who Chris Ballard may want to target based on his past.

Learn more about these draft quarterbacks and many, many more by pre-ordering the Indy Draft Guide!

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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