Colts TEs Kylen Granson and Jelani Woods have been "up-and-down so far, and need to stack more consistent days together," The Athletic's Zak Keefer writes. "Granson had too many drops in the spring and hasn’t flashed much in Westfield," Keefer adds. "Woods, a rookie, is probably coming along a little slower than the team would like. He’s looked lost at times." It's not a major surprise that Granson and Woods, 24 and 23 years old, respectively, are off to slow starts. We'll continue to monitor their progress, but Mo Alie-Cox looks like a safe bet to open the season as Indianapolis' lead TE.
Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.
Colts 3rd-round TE Jelani Woods carries “potential to earn immediate snaps,” per beat writer Stephen Holder. The 6’7, 253-pounder arrives after Indy used a 2021 Round 4 pick on Kylen Granson, who garnered only 15 targets as a rookie. Veteran Jack Doyle retired over the winter, and the supersized Mo Alie-Cox re-signed on a 3-year deal. “The offense,” HC Frank Reich said, “wants to be tight end-centric in some ways. A lot of playmaking goes on in the middle of the field.” Woods, 23, is a long-shot for redraft relevance. But the Colts supply a fine landing spot for his dynasty value.
The Colts selected TE Jelani Woods in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. A 1-year producer at Virginia (44-598-8), Woods goes a towering 6’7, 259 pounds. Athletically, he tested off the charts with a Relative Athletic Score of 10.0 (out of 10.0). Converting to TE just a few years ago, Woods is a raw product, but he landed in a spot where he can work into Indy’s rotation slowly. The Colts used a mid-round pick on Kylen Granson last year, while they signed Mo-Alie-Cox to a 3-year, $18 million deal in March.
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.
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