Colts GM Chris Ballard mentions at two prospects in pre-draft press conference

Draft season is a pretty hazy time in the midst of an unavoidably news-hungry NFL offseason.

All NFL front office staff and agents are subjected to smokescreens, but there are some needles in the haystack that fans and analysts can begin to decipher.

Since the 2023 NFL season ended, Indianapolis Colts supporters have debated which position their team will pick first in the forthcoming draft. Three positions (CB, WR, and EDGE), as well as one outlier — Brock Bowers — have been the subject of much discussion. Fortunately, draft week is upon us. All that remains is to piece the puzzle together, and I believe Colts general manager Chris Ballard gave us with the missing piece this past weekend.

In his pre-draft press conference, Ballard disclosed a position struggle that he and his scouting team had been watching closely recently. He rapidly attempted to quell the speculative flames surrounding the position in issue, but I couldn’t resist.

Chris Ballard from his pre-draft presser:

“We just had a long discussion about a couple of guys (not gonna tell you which side of the ball) but what’s the vision for the player? It’s easy for scouts/FO to have a vision, but the coach has to have the same vision.” pic.twitter.com/GKb4kOxOmF

— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) April 21, 2024

Cornerback is the position that many believe the Colts have somehow shoehorned themselves into. After deciding to keep an entire secondary filled with youth, injuries, and below-average play, selecting CB with their first pick looked inevitable. Throughout the pre-draft process, the Colts have allocated a significant amount of money to some of the class’s finest offensive playmakers.

Some may chalk it up to due diligence, but I believe it goes deeper. Since his media availability at the NFL Combine, Ballard has emphasized the importance of adding explosiveness to the team. like may mean adding a defensive back or a pass rusher to the defense, but given the amount of resources spent to explosive wideouts, it appears like a pass-catcher is what they’re looking for.

LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. and Texas’ Xavier Worthy are two prospects who I believe are at the top of the Colts’ want list. Both standout wide receivers are the essence of explosiveness, and drafting either in the NFL Draft instantly boosts any NFL WR room’s explosiveness.

Colts HC Shane Steichen, a product of Norv Turner’s coaching tree, believes in the offensive theory that spacing and downfield passing assaults go hand in hand. Steichen has been blessed with top-tier arm talent since joining the NFL as an offensive coordinator in 2020. After Minshew took over for the 2024 season, Steichen’s offensive identity was called into doubt owing to the former’s physical limitations, so Steichen dug deep into his bag to propel this new and rather limited version of the Colts offense to the edge of playoff contention.

The hypothetical selection of either Thomas Jr. or Worthy should not signify third-year wide receiver. Alec Pierce is already on his way out, but it does provide a brief indication of how enthusiastic they are about the prospects in issue. Pierce performed admirably last season, but it is not unrealistic to expect either to be an immediate upgrade, particularly Thomas Jr.

Based on the Colts’ resource allocation throughout the pre-draft process, I don’t believe they’ve done more due diligence on a single player than Xavier Worthy. They formally met at the Combine, sent him to his Pro Day, and brought him in for a Top 30 appearance. No other prospect has been said to have sparked as much interest as Indy, though I assume this is to assure comfort in eventually selecting Worthy if Thomas Jr. is gone before the Colts’ selection.

Shane Steichen’s blood flows when spacing allows for a vertical passing game, and Thomas Jr. or Worthy are ideal candidates. Dallas Turner and Brock Bowers, as well as the top cornerback trio of Quinyon Mitchell, Terrion Arnold, and Cooper DeJean, will most likely compete for the Colts’ first round pick. Though, given how the board is expected to fall and what Ballard, Steichen, and Co. are aiming for, I am convinced that the Colts will take Brian Thomas Jr. in the 15-20 range, whereas I envision a Worthy selection in the 20s if he [BTJ] is gone before then.