INDIANAPOLIS – When the 2020 NFL Draft rolled around, the focus of the Indianapolis Colts was on the offensive skill positions, and trying to find elite talent for the long-term.
“Our goal this offseason was we needed to add more guys that we thought could be star players,” Chris Ballard said following the draft.
From a roster depth standpoint, the re-building by Ballard has improved what the Colts have from a 1-53 standpoint, with the work he did entering this offseason.
But the team entered 2020 still lacking enough premier talent, particularly at the most impactful positions.
So while a dream scenario from a long-term point of view would have been trading back and acquiring a 2021 first-round pick—as Jim Irsay points out below—the Colts had another dream.
Can we get both Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor in Round Two?
“We never thought we’d see Pittman and Taylor together like this, and still be holding the picks that we hold, because that was our dream scenario—Taylor and Pittman,” Owner Jim Irsay said to Colts.com immediately following the selections of Pittman and Taylor.
In the 23 previous drafts Irsay had overseen as Owner, the Colts had never taken skill players with their first two picks.
In fact, the only time they had ever taken two consecutive offensive players, non-offensive line division, was in 1998 and 2012—aka when they drafted Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
But with the Colts spending the vast majority of their recent premium picks on the defensive side of the ball/the offensive line, it was time to give the skill group some love.
That began with Pittman, who Irsay is giddy about.
“There’s no question that this guy has some Reggie Wayne qualities,” Irsay says of the 6-4, 223-pound wideout. “He is a big target with outstanding hands, runs well. He fits so much in the mold of a Colt on and off the field. Coach Reich, Chris Ballard, all the scouts, everyone had Pittman as saying, ‘That’s the guy that makes the biggest impact for us.’
“One thing I’ll say about Michael Pittman, and I mean this, I’ve been talking to players for almost 50 years when we pick them, and this guy right away wanted to call Philip Rivers and get to work. I mean, literally, on the phone call. I’ve never had anyone ask me that before, and I’ve talked to all our top picks. And it was incredible. He’s the only guy who has ever said, ‘Can you give me his number right now?’ I said, ‘Yeah, Michael, I’ll get it to you in about five minutes.’”
Once the Colts had their big body wideout, the debate quickly turned to making sure Taylor was joining him in Indianapolis.
“We had some really, really good intel about a team our Colts fans know a little bit about that was going to take (Taylor) if we didn’t, and so we talked about sitting tight (but) I didn’t like the idea, and Chris didn’t and Coach didn’t,” Irsay explained.
“This gives us a chance to put it over the top. And I know Colts fans are wise out there and they know how running backs can come in and make a difference right away, immediately, like Marshall Faulk did, like Edgerrin James did. I’m not putting Jonathan in that category, obviously, that’s a long way to climb those rungs to earn it. But running backs make a quick impact, and also Colts fans know running backs touch the ball more than anyone else. And whenever you take a back, you’re already saying, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to handle the ball more than anyone else on the field except the quarterback.”
Dream achieved.
“We,” Irsay said, “really feel we have two football players that are ready to be guys that play on Sunday, immediately.”
