Among their many needs to address this offseason, the Indianapolis Colts should be looking to add more talent to the wide receiver room.
While general manager Chris Ballard remains bullish on the current skill sets the room has, additions need to be made. Outside of Michael Pittman Jr., who enjoyed a strong breakout campaign in 2021, the Colts didn’t have many options for quarterback Carson Wentz.
That’s why Pro Football Focus believes Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster makes a great fit for them in free agency.
2021 Player Grade/Rank: 59.2 (N/A)
2021 Team Position Grade/Rank: 68.2 (23rd)Colts quarterback Carson Wentz might be the most scrutinized player in the NFL, and perhaps rightfully so, but his lack of receiving options this season flew very under the radar. Second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. cemented his status as a clear No. 1 this season, going over 1,000 yards receiving and earning a 79.9 receiving grade that ranked 18th.
Outside of Pittman Jr., legendary Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton once again struggled to stay healthy, as did 2019 second-round receiver Parris Campbell. The Colts’ top two tight ends are also set to be free agents, leaving a huge void on an offense already looking for more.
Smith-Schuster is a sure-handed slot receiver who can feast underneath while Pittman Jr. works the outside, and Wentz could certainly stand to benefit from a consistent check-down option. Smith-Schuster has dropped just 4.8% of targets in his NFL regular-season career (ranking above the 75th percentile among qualifying wide receivers), and he was able to return several months early from what was expected to be season-ending shoulder surgery, so he should be 100% come Week 1, 2022.
Smith-Schuster is an interesting option to complement Pittman Jr. from the slot. He might be out of the price range for the Colts considering they don’t like to pay up in free agency and Ballard believes in the talent they already have.
Having a short-area target like Smith-Schuster wouldn’t be a bad addition but it won’t mean much considering Wentz appeared allergic to the check down in 2021. Maybe Smith-Schuster would change that, but it’s doubtful given what we know about Wentz’s game.
How the Colts go about free agency will be a major storyline this offseason and with a need at the wide receiver position, Smith-Schuster could be a target if he’s in the right price range.
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