INDIANAPOLIS – If Philip Rivers receives induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, he will inevitably thank tons and tons of people.
A group he definitely should offer some gratitude for is all those ‘big body wideouts’ he’s been throwing to in his career.
The likes of Vincent Jackson (6-5), Malcolm Floyd (6-5), Keenan Allen (6-2), Tyrell Williams (6-4) and Mike Williams (6-4) have all been frequent targets of Rivers.
Currently, those body types are difficult to find on the Colts 2020 roster.
And while the likes of T.Y. Hilton (5-10) and Parris Campbell (6-0) can create space in other ways, it’s been proven year after year that Rivers has thrived with taller wideouts.
Let’s take a look at the top two leading wideouts for Rivers in every season since 2010.
-Of those 20 players, 17 of them stood at least 6-2.
-Of those 20 players, 9 stood at least 6-4.
Currently, the Colts don’t have a single wideout on their roster taller than 6-2.
Shouldn’t that be a concern?
To some, this might seem a bit nit-picky.
But the evidence over a decade of time has shown that Rivers finds his most success with bigger wideouts.
That body type is something that the Colts aren’t really used to at the wide receiver position, and that dates back to the days with Peyton Manning under center.
One of the attributes that the Colts point to as a reason why they wanted Rivers came from his ability to test the field vertically.
Rivers and the Chargers finished last season 10th in the NFL with 57 passing plays of at least 20 yards.
However, when watching some of those plays, it’s clear that having a guy like Mike Williams (6-4) or Keenan Allen (6-2) climbing the ladder for 50/50 balls was a massive advantage.
The Colts don’t have that type of player.
Many fans of the Colts have been pleading for a wide receiver (or two) to be drafted next week.
Well, there’s a certain size element to that receiver that the Colts should be looking for in trying to help their new man under center.
