5 Intriguing Indianapolis Colts 2024 NFL Draft targets: Defense

The 2024 NFL Draft is a week away. Many different analysts and experts are still completing mock drafts, projecting different prospects for the Indianapolis Colts. One thing that horseshoe fans need to remember is that head coach Shane Steichen said regarding retaining defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is continuity.

This played a major role in the Colts retaining nearly all of the same defensive players from last season. It doesn’t mean that the team shouldn’t go out and some younger and more explosive talent to the defense. This unit still needs a better number-one corner, a premier defensive end, and some promising youth in the middle of the defensive line.

Here are five players in this year’s draft that are the most intriguing for the Colts.

Mohamed Kamara – Colorado State

6-foot-1, 248 lbs

A statement that is made often is that scouts will always find talent. To be fair, Colorado State is not a tiny school as it’s in the Mountain West Conference but it’s not a Power Five conference. Regardless Mohamed Kamara racked up stats while playing for the Rams, as in 45.5 TFLs and 30.5 career sacks. And when watching his tape you can’t help but get Robert Mathis vibes.

Both Mathis and Kamara are similar in stature, meaning they are both considered undersized defensive ends by NFL standards. This is one of the biggest knocks on him and why he will be a Day 2 or Day 3 draft selection. At this point, he needs to develop a counter or second move to include in his pass-rushing arsenal, as he’s very reliant on his speed and heavy hands. There are times when his rush to the quarterback, and with the help of the tackle, takes him past and his pursuit back is lacking.

A perfect secondary or counter-pass rush move would be the spin move. Kamara is fast off the snap, utilizing his power, strength, and the aforementioned heavy hands to get the sack. His nimble feet help him take down running backs or quarterbacks when escorting them to the sideline if he’s not able to get to them in the backfield. There’s no question that Kamara will need some development but his upside is enticing.

Decamerion Richardson – Mississippi St.

6-foot-2, 188 lbs

Decamerion Richardson is a name that is not being talked about a lot as we near the draft. And it’s not surprising as he is very raw but he is someone who can be a perfect scheme fit for the Colts. If both Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell are off the board at 15, then Richardson is someone the horseshoe could take later in the draft. In the past few years, they’ve selected cornerbacks who needed a couple of years of seasoning before being ready to play in an NFL game, such as Isaiah Rodgers and Dallis Flowers. Richardson fits in the same bucket.

He has a higher RAS (9.7) than Flowers (9.5) and is graded a little bit lower (5.84) than Rodgers (5.92) by NFL.com. Richardson needs work on his technique as his ability to track both the quarterback and wide receiver is lacking, he’s too upright in his backpedal and seems stiff when trying to cover a receiver.

However, he faced off against LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas. In that game, he allowed a combined three catches on the four times he was targeted, with only one pass interference call against him. Because of Richardson’s size and length, he makes the 50/50 throws incredibly tough to catch. He has 4.3 speed and is strong in bump and run coverage. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him playing this type of coverage in his rookie year as he has a quick and powerful punch.

Malik Mustapha – Wake Forest Jr.

5-foot-10, 209 lbs

There have been many great safeties to play in the NFL and, therefore, many players for the younger generation to try and emulate. For Colts fans, one of their favorites is Bob Sanders. So when Malik Mustapha said at the combine that he models his game after Sanders, it certainly got the fan base’s attention. Mustapha and Sanders share a similar Relative Athletic Score. When watching Mustapha’s film, you can see the impact Sanders has had.

Unfortunately for Mustapha, his style of play isn’t in as high of demand. His play in coverage leaves a lot to be desired, giving up a lot of big plays. Considering how fast he is, clocked 23mph in a game, it’s surprising that he gets beat over the top so often. And when Mustapha gets beat, he gets grabby. Another reason he struggles in pass defense is he plays more reactionary than instinctive or anticipatory, and he’s beatable on pump fakes due to his aggressive play on the field.

Mustapha will rotate and play on obvious running down in his rookie season. That is, until he’s able to be less of a liability in the passing game. He contests catches well with good timing and can disrupt the passing lanes. He tracks the ball well in the air, and due to his strength, he can disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage. Mustapha closes quickly on the ball carrier as he tries to run through them. He is a sure tackler with good balance and tackle-ready posture.

Also Read:
5 Indianapolis Colts’ most intriguing 2024 NFL Draft targets: Offense

Jordan Magee – Temple

6-foot-1, 288 lbs

GM Chris Ballard’s “sweet spot” in successful drafting is linebacker. During his now eight seasons with the Colts, he’s drafted nine linebackers and has found success with six of them. And of those six players, four of them played at non-Power-5 schools. All this is to say that Jordan Magee could be just another successful draft day selection, even if he is a bit of a project. E.J. Speed is the most recent linebacker project who took time to best utilize his athletic ability and Magee grades similarly.

Magee doesn’t have the ideal size for an NFL linebacker nor great speed, 4.55 40-yard dash. The scouting department will need to do their homework on whether he can become an asset in man coverage or continue to be a liability. In zone coverage, he is fine. Magee is aggressive in triggering downhill, but his impatience leads him to misread the developing play. He’ll need to improve his disengagement from blockers too.

As previously mentioned, he is quick in getting downhill in gaps and wrapping up the running back in the backfield for a loss. And because of his size, he can get “pinballed” in the interior but his eyes are in pursuit of tackle opportunities. Magee has received praise for his high-football character and on-field intelligence. He also comes with an aggressive play demeanor.

Ruke Orhorhoro – Clemson

6-foot-4, 294 lbs

Ruke Orhorhoro (O-row-row-row) is a very raw and athletic defensive tackle in this draft. His upside is as high as a Day 1 pick; unfortunately, he’ll get drafted on Day 2 because of how much development he’ll need to reach his ceiling and be a consistent contributor amongst his defensive lineman teammates. It’s easy to see his growth throughout college.

88 TKL, 39 Solo, 25.5 TFL, 12 Sacks, 9 PD, 2 FR

As of right now, Orhorhoro doesn’t have a consistent pass-rush repertoire. Converting his speed to power would be helpful. His hand placement needs better work if he’s to succeed against more skilled linemen. It would also help if he focused more on making a play than beating his matchup; this happens from time to time. Orhorhoro also needs to be mind of his pads, making sure he doesn’t get too high and complicating his engagement with his blocker.

The majority of the time he is underneath his opponent’s pads, utilizing his strength and athleticism to disrupt the play or set a firm edge. His potential is going to be hard for coaches to pass up. Orhorhoro keeps both his hands and feet together when sliding laterally past blockers. He also shows the ability to line up all over the defensive line. His next coaching staff will be wise to help give him space to take advantage of his foot quickness and sudden hands.