Colts Named Strong Fit for Underrated TE Prospect

Despite the Indianapolis Colts making decent work around the roster through their offseason moves so far, there’s still one major question mark this team still has within their group that could still benefit from being addressed ahead of next season.

That’s the tight end position, and after years of not having a stable option starting in the offense for the past half-decade, it seems long overdue for the Colts to dabble into adding talent early in the draft, as long as the board falls in their favor.

Of course, we’ve seen multiple connections between the Colts and top tight end options in the class like Tyler Warren, and in some cases, Colston Loveland to be the potential fill-in for that hole. However, what if luck doesn’t fall in favor of Indianapolis for them to be forced to pivot in a different direction?

Luckily, there’s still a few eye-catching options a bit later down the board that could pair as a strong fit alongside the Colts offense.

In the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ Mason Cameron, the Colts could be the perfect place for Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo, who he names the best for Indianapolis on day two of the draft.

”Adding playmakers at the tight end position will be a priority for the Colts, and this year’s class features many. While Tyler Warren is the top option for the team's drafters in PFF’s mock draft simulator, Indianapolis can find a versatile playmaker with solid movement skills in Arroyo. He could contribute early as a reliable big slot after posting a 95.0% catch rate on catchable passes when lined up in the slot in 2024.“

The mentioned Warren has gotten his fair share of ties to the Colts in the weeks leading up to the draft, but with that surging interest could come another team to slide in and pick up the Penn State tight end ahead of Indianapolis. But if that does transpire, Arroyo is a strong plan B to lean with.

He comes off a nice season led by Cam Ward at Miami, where he finished his season with 35 catches, 590 yards, and seven touchdowns in 12 showings.

For reference, the Colts themselves haven’t had a 500-yard tight end on the roster since Eric Ebron. It’s time for some reinforcements to come into play.

It could be hard to expect a rookie tight end to emerge as an immediate contributor in year one. Sure, Brock Bowers made it happen last season, but his borderline Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign was an anomaly. Still, if the Colts could add a young tight end with high potential to grow further in this offense, the rationale is there for Indianapolis to spend one of their top three picks at the position.

In an effort to put Anthony Richardson in the best place to succeed next season, surrounding him with offensive talent is a great place to start. Arroyo is a dual-threat tight end with nice receiving and blocking versatility, making this an eye-catching fit for the Colts to investigate.

The plan A for the Colts later this month would likely still be to run to the podium with Tyler Warren’s name on the draft card if he’s available at 14, but don’t count out Arroyo either if Indianapolis shows to be truly aggressive in upgrading their tight end spot.

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