Colts Urged to Keep An Eye On Playmaking 2025 NFL Draft Hopeful

The Indianapolis Colts could have an eye on talented pass-catchers next spring to pair with Anthony Richardson.

Dec 30, 2022; Jacksonville, FL, USA;Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) celebrates his touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the fourth quarter in the 2022 Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

It's never too early to start thinking about the future, right?

When it comes to the Indianapolis Colts, it's hard to think about anything but the future right now, both short and long-term.

How will Anthony Richardson look in camp? Will he bounce back from a lost rookie season to cement himself as the franchise quarterback? Will the defense re-establish itself?

Over at Pro Football Focus, they have their eye on the future as well, as NFL Draft Analyst Trevor Sikkema recently posted one offensive player that each of the NFL's 32 teams should keep tabs on for next year's 2025 NFL Draft.

Arguably the most commonly-mock player to the Colts in this April's draft was Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders before the Colts got on the clock. However, Sikkema thinks Richardson and the Colts offense will have a shot at another high-impact tight end in 2025 with Notre Dame's Mitchell Evans:

The Colts' offensive line bounced back in 2023, finishing the season with a 74.0 unit grade after recording a 68.4 mark the year prior. They also added Adonai Mitchell to their receiving room to complement Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.

Indianapolis' next offensive addition should come at tight end. Notre Dame's Mitchell Evans will look to continue the long NFL tight end lineage the program has set up, and although he doesn’t appear to be as athletic as Michael Mayer or Cole Kmet, he is close and brings in impressive contested catches over the middle as a reliable first-down option.

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The Colts don't have many holes right now. They know they're young at cornerback but they've stood firm in their defense of the group. Safety is the roster's biggest question mark but it's not necesarilly a premier position. Tight end, however, could be a need for the Colts heading into the 2025 offseason, which is surprising given the young talent on the roster.

Jelani Woods showed flashes of being a playmaker as a rookie in 2022 but missed all of 2023 with hamstring injuries. Drew Ogletree is another big-bodied, talented athlete, but has dealt with injuries and missed the back half of last year with an off-field issue. Will Mallory showed the makings of a reliable chain-mover last year as a rookie but is still an unknown, and Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox are a pair of fine veterans who have perhaps reached their potential and are set to hit free agency after the season.

With all that said, if the young nucleus of Woods, Ogletree, and Mallory fails to meet expectations in 2024, then it opens the door for a player like Evans.

Evans (6'5", 260, 21 years old) has started 14-of-29 games in three seasons for the Fighting Irish, missing the first six games in 2022 (broken foot) and the final four of 2023 (torn left ACL) but ultimately catching 34 passes for 482 yards (14.2 avg.) and 2 touchdowns. Evans quietly came "out of nowhere" to outside observers to become Notre Dame's leading receiver before his disappointing season-ending injury.

The Colts haven't had many long-term examples of solid tight end play in recent memory. Dallas Clark's exit was over a dozen years ago, Jack Doyle was as reliable as they come but not a star, and Eric Ebron's incredible 2018 campaign didn't develop into anything more than a flash in the pan.

Could a player like Evans write a new chapter?

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