In the first round of the NFL Draft, the Colts had the 27th overall pick.
Many people believed that Indy would draft a wide receiver or a defensive tackle. The experts were proven wrong as Indianapolis drafted running back Donald Brown, who was a complete start at Connecticut.
As a receiver wasn’t found for the Colts, they eventually decided to pick one in the fourth round: Austin Collie from BYU.
At 6’2″ and 210 pounds, Collie looked to be a dominant starter at the slot position as he may be competing against Pierre Garcon, Roy Hall, and even Taj Smith.
Collie looked like a dangerous player with his size and his ability. Take a look at what he has done at BYU:
| Category | Number | BYU Rank, All Time |
|---|---|---|
| Career receptions | 215 | 1st |
| Career receiving yards | 3,255 | 1st |
| Career receiving touchdowns | 30 | 1st |
Take a look at what he did in the NCAA!
| Category | Number | NCAA Rank, 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving yards per game | 118.31 | 1st |
| Total yards receiving | 1538 | 1st |
| Consecutive 100 yd. receiving games | 11 | Tie 1st, shared with Michael Crabtree |
| Receiving yards per catch | 8.15 | 3rd |
| Total receptions | 106 | 3rd |
| Touchdowns receiving | 15 | 4th |
| Total all-purpose yards per game | 162.46 | 12th |
Now we can see why the Indianapolis Colts decided to pick him, but it did look surprising seeing him picked in the fourth round. Luckily, the Colts snabbed him.
With Collie having a pretty good resume with the stats we have witnessed so far, it may be time to jump to something: could it possibly be the next coming of Brandon Stokley?
The receiver was commented by quarterback Peyton Manning as the “greatest slot receiver in NFL history”, but when Stokley left after the remarkable 2006-07 season, it brought Manning down a bit. That’s when Indy brought in wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, whom many would believe was the next coming of Stoke.
Could he be?
First, Stokley and Collie were both picked in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Both also played for the Colts, of course, and they both play at the slot; they also have the same skin color. However, those are mostly comparisons in appearance, not talent.
We don’t know how good Collie may be in the NFL. He may become a bust and a waste of a draft pick just like Wes Pate was with the Baltimore Ravens a couple of years ago. However, Indy is known for making good quality draft picks in late rounds. If Collie had proved that he was a number one receiver in college, there is surely a good chance he can be an extrordinary slot receiver in the NFL as well.
Soon, the Eagles and 49ers may regret drafting Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree.
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