Colts’ Mike Strachan ‘just wasn’t ready’ for bigger role in 2021

The Indianapolis Colts still have high hopes for wide receiver Mike Strachan, who spent the 2021 season acclimating to life in the NFL.

The seventh-round pick was a healthy scratch for the majority of the season but was on the active roster for the entirety of it. He played a combined 62 snaps (15%) on offense with 52 of them coming in Weeks 1-2. After Week 9, Strachan didn’t see the field at all.

General manager Chris Ballard told the media in his year-end press conference that Strachan simply wasn’t ready to take on a bigger role in the offense but that the team still sees him as a player with immense upside.

“Just wasn’t ready. Really talented guy. We have high hopes for him,” Ballard said. “Like him. He has upside. We think he has a bright future.”

At 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds, Strachan has the build to be a game-changer. His strong showing during training camp and the preseason had many excited that the Colts may have found a diamond in the rough—one that could contribute much earlier than expected.

But the adjustment to the NFL is difficult. This is especially true for Day 3 wide receivers and it only gets harder considering Strachan was coming out of Division-II Charleston and had already taken a year off due to COVID-19.

“I think the year off, small school,” Ballard said. “I think the one position that is hard when you come into the league is wideout because these corners are really good and then the defensive coordinators are really good at disguising the coverage. And in our offense the adjustments you have to make on the run, it was just all new to him.”

The athleticism and size that Strachan brings to the boundary are certainly exciting. Working on his technique off the line and nuance when it comes to his route stems is what the Bahamas native will be working on entering Year 2.

With a need at wide receiver, there is an opportunity for Strachan to work in a bigger role for the 2022 season as long as his game continues to progress in the right direction.

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