Colts’ 2018 draft class remains stellar in re-grade

The 2018 NFL draft class for the Indianapolis Colts remains one of the best of that year even as the group enters its fourth season in the league.

In a ranking of the classes of the 2018 draft from The Athletic, the Colts came in at No. 2 behind only the Baltimore Ravens, who sport the likes of Lamar Jackson, Orlando Brown and Mark Andrews.

For each team, Dane Brugler listed the best player, the best value and the biggest miss from each class.

Quenton Nelson was the best player for the Colts, which is no surprise. He has three All-Pro selections and is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Not much more to be said there.

The value came down to linebacker Darius Leonard and right tackle Braden Smith, who were selected with consectuvie picks in the second round of that draft. Brugler went with Leonard.

“Leonard has a very compelling resume and is the obvious answer here. Over the last three seasons, he leads the NFL in tackles per game (9.9) and has tallied 416 total tackles, 15 sacks and seven interceptions. No player comes close to that production in all three categories,” wrote Brugler.

Finally for the biggest miss, Brugler went with edge rusher Kemoko Turay, who has flashed some during his time with the Colts. However, the pick hasn’t panned out too well due to injuries. Still, there is hope.

“After a promising rookie season with four sacks as a subpackage rusher, Turay has managed only 2.5 sacks in 11 games the last two seasons. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in 2019 and did not look 100 percent healthy in 2020 as he struggled to make much impact. It would not be a surprise if he changes this label with a healthy and productive season,” wrote Brugler.

This class is still the foundation for many positions on the roster, and it will likely continue to be regarded as one of the best drafts from that year due to Nelson, Leonard and Smith.