The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver corps added two new faces to the room this offseason, and the position will have a lot to say about the production of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.
While the Colts wide receiver room doesn’t boast an elite name, there is plenty of talent and potential in the room. One believer in that potential is NFL.com’s Adam Rank, who believes the room could outperform expectations in 2023.
In his “State of the Franchise” series, Rank noted the wide receiver corps shouldn’t be overlooked.
… people shouldn’t overlook: The Colts receiving corps could be kind of nice. I like Michael Pittman Jr. an awful lot. He is consistently one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL. The team also drafted Josh Downs in the third round in April. But really, the player I like the most from the Colts’ receiving corps — the guy I almost listed as the team’s 2023 breakout star — is Alec Pierce. The second-year pro is the field-stretching deep threat. Putting Pierce in Shane Steichen’s vertical passing game could really unlock his production. And … AND this team has Jelani Woods as a potential breakout at the tight end position. A lot of young quarterbacks need that gamebreaking pass catcher (SEE: C.J. Stroud in Houston), but Anthony Richardson could have multiple options in Indianapolis.
Like most wide receiver rooms across the NFL, the production of the position hinges largely on what type of quarterback play they will receive. Steichen’s offense has proven to provide plenty of fireworks when things are going well.
Entering his fourth season, Michael Pittman Jr. will likely be the leader in targets while second-year receiver Alec Pierce fits perfectly as the type of deep threat that thrives in Steichen’s scheme.
It has been noted that Steichen had his eyes on rookie Josh Downs throughout the pre-draft process, and veteran Ashton Dulin could be a sneaky option to outperform typical WR4 expectations due to his speed.
Again, much of their bottom-line production depends on the quarterback position, but this room could be a strong asset if things go according to plan.
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