The Indianapolis Colts drafted their franchise quarterback and hopefully one of their best playmakers, wide receiver Josh Downs. They already have Jonathan Taylor as the team’s best playmaker, followed by Michael Pittman Jr. Last year’s rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce could become another one, and so could tight end Jelani Woods or this year’s rookie tight end Will Mallory.
It will depend on quickly these players build chemistry with Anthony Richardson and confidence in new head coach Shane Steichen’s offense.
One thing that Downs has going for him is that he has a reputation for catching any pass that comes near him. Despite his smallish 5-foot-10 frame, Downs has shown the ability to make plays with any quarterback. This is good considering he will play with his third different quarterback in as many seasons.
Downs is expected to line up mostly in the slot for the Indianapolis Colts this season. But what can fans expect from him in his rookie year? Here’s a closer look at the newest wide receiver for the horseshoe.
Related: Why the Anthony Richardson pick might be a turning point for the Indianapolis Colts
Josh Downs’ college success
First things first for Downs is that he’ll need to beat Isaiah McKenzie for snaps. The Indianapolis Colts signed McKenzie in free agency. It’s easy to say that both players are comparable due to their stature and position on the field. But that’s where the similarities end. McKenzie is more of a gadgety player that Buffalo was trying to develop into a slot receiver.
Whereas Downs is a wide receiver and shouldn’t need as much development. He’ll need to get acclimated to playing against NFL defensive schemes and players. But there are certain aspects of his game that provide optimism for him to succeed early.
Now, considering Downs’ size, is it reasonable to expect him to have such a high success rate with contested catches? Most likely not but that doesn’t mean Richardson should just shy away from those types of throws to Downs.
- Josh Downs stats (2022): 94 receptions, 1,029 yards, 11 TD
In fact, the best areas of success for both of these players align, close to the line of scrimmage and downfield. If these two players are able to build a strong rapport, this duo’s connection could be referred to as “Area 51”, in reference to their jersey numbers.
Related: Grading the Indianapolis Colts’ 2023 NFL Draft, from Anthony Richardson to Jake Witt
Shane Steichen’s use of a third receiver and the Indianapolis Colts
While Downs’ and Richardson’s profiles provide optimism for the Indianapolis Colts in this upcoming season, does Steichen’s offense also align?
| Team | RB receiving yards | TE receiving yards | 3rd WR receiving yards |
| Chargers | 993 | 652 | 132 |
| Chargers | 403 | 613 | 511 |
| Eagles | 253 | 830 | 299 |
| Eagles | 169 | 702 | 354 |
This is where there can be some legit concern. Clearly, Steichen likes to utilize his tight ends in the passing game. So much so, that they’re the third-leading receiver on the team in yards. In fact, there was only one year where the third wide receiver eclipsed 400 yards receiving.
Meanwhile, the running back had two seasons of going over 400 yards. Remember, just two years ago, the Colts had only one receiver on the entire team surpassing 400 yards receiving.
So, it’s possible that Steichen’s offense doesn’t really utilize a third wide receiver and instead likes to utilize different positions as the offense’s third receiver. Or the way these numbers played out is simply because of the personnel that was on the team. And Steichen created the offense to take full advantage of its best players.
While he was in LA his running back and tight end Austin Ekeler and Hunter Henry, in Philadelphia, it was Dallas Goedert and Kenneth Gainwell. The Indianapolis Colts currently don’t have a player on the roster that would be equivalent to the aforementioned players. This is no disrespect to Jonathan Taylor as he is a special running back but he does not have the pass-catching chops of Ekeler.
Now, maybe in the crowded Colts tight end room, the team does have a Goeder or Henry. It’s possible one of those players could break out and create even more competition for Downs. Or it’s possible that in Steichen’s mind, and what he’ll see on the field, Downs is the team’s third best-receiving option. And if that’s the case, as the numbers bare out, Downs can be in store for a good rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts.
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