Colts sound excited about rookie TE

Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star believes 4th-round TE Kylen Granson could quickly impact the Colts offense. Beat writers can get caught up in hype at times, but Erickson's article provides some interesting quotes from Colts decision makers. "When you watch the tape, you see that he has explosive speed," HC Frank Reich said of Granson. "He has quickness, foot and body quickness. He's also dynamic with the football in his hand. That can be a great element for our offense." Assistant director of college scouting Matt Terpening added: "He's a total mismatch tight end. This kid has big-time sped, he can get down the seam. He makes really big plays. He's got excellent hands, and he's got route instincts and route feel." Granson will be worth watching through the offseason and summer. Indy has elected not to re-sign Trey Burton so far, leaving Jack Doyle (23 catches in 2020) and Mo Alie-Cox (31) atop the TE depth chart.

Colts beat writer Zak Keffer expects both WR T.Y. Hilton and TE Jack Doyle to retire. Speaking on the Colts’ TE situation, Keffer notes that Mo Alie-Cox is slated for free agency, making 2021 rookie Kylen Granson the current starter. Indy will surely add competition over the next few months. But note that Granson has the catch-first skill-set and athleticism to potentially develop into a sleeper. He exited college with 129-1,879-16 in 37 games. This past year, he notched 11 catches for 106 yards as the Colts’ 3rd TE.

Colts TE Kylen Granson got work with the 1st-team offense in Wednesday's training-camp practice. In fact, he caught a team-high 3 passes from QB Carson Wentz. "Granson may be more involved than I initially thought," Sports Illustrated's Jake Arthur writes. "He was very much in the mix throughout practice and is the clearest choice for the Colts' athletic 'Y' tight end." It's rare for a TE to make a fantasy impact as a rookie. But Granson might be an exception. The Colts absolutely love him, HC Frank Reich's offense tends to target the TE at an above-average rate, and TEs Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle aren't exactly stiff competition. Keep an eye on Granson over the next month.

The Colts selected SMU TE Kylen Granson in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Granson, a Senior Bowl participant, stands just over 6’1 and 241 pounds. A strong athlete, he played WR for 2 seasons at Rice but left the program due to a coaching change. He spent the past 2 seasons at SMU, racking up 78-1,267-14 in 23 games. Indy’s current TE depth looks thin with Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle, but Granson profiles more as a part-timer/H-back.