With the 15th pick in the POD Community Mock, the Colts select…
The NFC South has long been considered one of the worst divisions in football, but that is changing. The Houston Texans are one of the most fascinating teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of back-to-back winning seasons, and the Indianapolis Colts surprised many by finishing 9-8 last year. The Tennessee Titans also exist.
Back to the Colts, as they are the team that’s next up in our 2024 Pride of Detroit Community Mock. They finished the year winning six of their final nine games, and are looking to continue that momentum into 2024.
Acting as general manager for the Colts in our mock is commenter twon82.
Catch up with all of the previous picks here.
With the 15th pick in the POD Community Mock, the Colts have selected Cooper DeJean, defensive back out of Iowa.
Here’s twon82 with the explanation:
“The Colts were a bit of an anomaly in the 2023 season. When newly-acquired quarterback Anthony Richardson went down for the season due to a grade three AC joint sprain, most fans wrote them off completely. Gardner Minshew came in and surprised folks, leading the team to a winning record (9-8) and holding up a league average offense. It was the defense that would prove to be the real Achilles’ heel for the Colts. In fact, they gave up the most points in the entire AFC (415) and were the eighth worst in the NFL in defensive yards yielded. Gus Bradley’s defense definitely stands to improve and starting in the backfield would be a perfect place to start.
“One of the most versatile players in the draft is DB Cooper DeJean. He is strong in supporting the run defense, can likely be placed in either the safety or cornerback position, and can contribute strongly on special teams as a punt returner as well. The two major attributes that are touted about DeJean is his size and his football intelligence/instincts. He stands out in zone and has a legit ability to close off windows that opposing QBs attempt to hit. DeJean should prove to be a long term leader on the defense for the Colts. In addition, he has the potential to be a game changer in the field position game by bringing an exciting, dangerous element to punt returns.