INDIANAPOLIS – Here comes another big body, with intriguing traits at wide receiver on Day 3.
With the 229th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Colts took Charleston wide receiver Michael Strachan in Round Seven.
Here are 3 takeaways on Strachan:
1. Strachan’s Can’t Teach Traits
If you are a Division II wideout who hasn’t played football in more than a year, yet gets drafted, you are going to have some eye-popping things on your resume. That holds true with Strachan. At 6-5 and 226 pounds, Strachan is not some big, plodding wideout. He was a conference champion sprinter at Charleston, to go along with an extremely long wingspan. Strachan dominated at the Division II level for two seasons. In 2018 and 2019, Strachan put up 2,326 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns. He averaged 105.7 receiving yards per game in college. With the D-II fall season getting cancelled in 2020, Strachan opted out of the spring season.
2. Development Time
Given the step up in competition and the fact that Strachan hasn’t played football in nearly two years, this has ‘practice squad’ written all over it for 2021. You can’t teach traits though and Strachan has a body and speed that coaches and scouts dream about. Given the current depth chart of the Colts, it’s difficult to see where Strachan actually makes the 53-man roster, unless he is a special teams demon. But his rookie season could mirror what we saw from Dezmon Patmon last year, on the practice squad—learning, before having a better shot to crack the 53 in Year Two. Strachan, who will turn 24 years old later this year, needs to definitely polish his route running to find a spot where his God-given physical traits won’t simply win by falling out of bed.
3. Wideout Joins The Competition
On the 2021 depth chart, if the wideout group is healthy, there’s not obvious playing time available. Of course, the ‘if healthy’ department is no guarantee with the unfortunate history of Parris Campbell. And then you have to also acknowledge the fact that T.Y. Hilton is playing on another contract year, is 31 years old and also hasn’t ruled out retirement after this season. The long-term future of this position has some potential, certainly. But adding another potential weapon to new franchise quarterback Carson Wentz is important, especially with longer-term questions at the tight end spot. Throw Strachan into the back-end mix with Ashton Dulin, DeMichael Harris and Dezmon Patmon, with 1 or 2 open spots at receiver.
