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Andrew Luck would play better after shoulder surgery.He did.Frank Reich acknowledged some of his best work came in a backup role.Apparently Matt Slauson Color Rush Jersey , It still does.A healthy Luck and an opportunistic first-year coach led the Colts on a historic midseason turnaround, ending with a playoff run and a glimpse into a potentially promising future.“We left our hearts on the field every game,” Luck said Sunday, a day after a 31-13 elimination loss at Kansas City. “I know we all wished we played better yesterday. It’s sad. We wanted this somewhat magical season to continue and we’ll use that to motivate us.”That could be bad news for a team that seemed to defy the odds at every turn.Most figured the Colts hit rock bottom when Josh McDaniels backed out of a deal to become the Colts’ new coach while Luck continued to rehab his throwing shoulder in early February. General manager Chris Ballard wasted no time in making Reich, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Eagles, his second choice.The odd sequence included Reich inheriting a defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus, who he didn’t know much about and was already plotting a conversion from a 3-4 front to a 4-3. Reich followed the advice of Ballard by keeping him in the same role and adding two more first-year coordinators to his staff.To outsiders, it looked like a complete rebuild.But the Colts never bought into the perception and delivered the kind of season nobody thought possible when they lost their fourth in a row in mid-October.That’s when things changed.Luck rounded into form, the Colts developed a balanced attack, their revamped offensive line became a virtual fortress and the oft-criticized defense suddenly emerged as one of the league’s stingiest units.The Colts (11-7) won nine of their last 10 regular-season games to become the third team in league history to make the postseason after starting 1-5, followed by a wild-card win at Houston.“You wonder as a first time head coach, what is this really going to be like? I just couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams how this year was,” Reich said. “The guys in this building, the guys in that locker room, the coaches and players they just exceeded any of my wildest expectations.”Everyone else’s, too.Luck had the best overall season of his career, throwing for nearly 4,600 yards and 39 touchdowns while setting career highs in completions, attempts and percentage. He was sacked a league-low 18 times, one season after the Colts allowed a league-high 56 sacks.Meanwhile https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Anthony-Walker-Jersey , Marlon Mack fought off injuries to finish with five 100-yard games — the most by a Colts running back in more than a decade.Eric Ebron finally delivered on the first-round promise the Detroit Lions saw in 2014 by catching 13 touchdowns to lead the league’s tight ends and earning his first Pro Bowl selection.“It was a helluva time, a helluva season,” center Ryan Kelly said. “Guys were fighting for each other and it was just a good time.”But Reich’s favorite might have been watching the rookies develop.Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith were rock solid at left guard and right tackle, and linebacker Darius Leonard led the league in tackles with a franchise-record 163. Nelson and Leonard became the first rookie teammates to earn first-team All-Pro honors since Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers achieved the feat in 1965.Now, with Luck heading into his first healthy offseason in four years, a veteran coach and proven players, Reich knows the expectations will increase next season and he promises to be ready.“We had an opportunity to learn so many lessons this year,” he said. “We lost four or five and then won 10 or 11. So we’ve had a taste of that. I think handling success and high expectations is always more difficult but I believe in the guys, the players, the leaders to get that done.”NOTES: Kelly wouldn’t rule out having surgery on his injured left knee but described the procedure as minor. … Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle said he spent two days in the hospital after suffering a season-ending kidney injury in late-November. Doyle told reporters he was feeling “pretty good,” though he’s still recovering. … Kicker Adam Vinatieri hopes to return for his 24th season after missing the shortest field goal of his career on Saturday. He broke the NFL’s career scoring record this season and now has 2,600 points. … Indy signed tight end Billy Brown, cornerback Jalen Collins, offensive linemen Antonio Garcia and De’Ondre Wesley, receivers Krishawn Hogan and Steve Ishmael, quarterback Phillip Walker and defensive linemen DeShawn Williams and Anthony Winbush to futures contracts Sunday. What do pundits around the draft world think of the Indianapolis Colts’ 2019 draft haul?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Indianapolis Colts Draft GradesNew,66commentsWhat do pundits around the draft world think of the Indianapolis Colts’ 2019 draft haul?EDTShareTweetShareShareIndianapolis Colts Draft GradesDerik Hamilton-USA TODAY SportsThe 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone, and we are now doomed to an incalculable amount of days until the return of football. That doesn’t mean the analysis is over, however.After the draft wraps up, experts around the internet love to hand their report cards out to teams around the league https://www.coltsfanshop.com , even if GMs can’t be bothered to look at them, or care about them in any way.Arguments can be made as to whether or not this practice is a useful way to spend resources and time, or if it is a fruitless effort that can only make you look silly down the road (see: Darius Leonard’s post-draft grades from last year).Regardless, they are out there and it’s our job to read them and allow the comments section to light ablaze with ridicule of the thoughts and opinions that the national media put out there.Let’s not delay any longer, here are some of the grades that the Indianapolis Colts’ have received for their 2019 draft haul:Peter Prisco — CBS SportsGrade: B-Best Pick: Parris CampbellWorst Pick: Ben BanoguGrader’s Analysis: Prisco applauds Ballard’s manipulation of draft picks, as he was able to obtain 10 of them. Specifically, he is a big fan of Campbell and posits that Rock Ya-Sin will be a solid starter for the horseshoe.Andy Benoit — Sports IllustratedGrade: BGrader’s Analysis: Benoit likes that the Colts have been going defense heavy since GM Chris Ballard came aboard. He believes Parris Campbell and Rock Ya-Sin will contribute quickly.Mel Kiper — ESPNGrade: AGrader’s Analysis: Kiper calls this his favorite draft class in the league.Kristopher Knox — Bleacher ReportGrade: A-Best pick: Rock Ya-SinGrader’s analysis: Knox asserts that adding Parris Campbell to the receiving room was a brilliant move, and that Ya-Sin has the potential to be a Day 1 starter.Dane Brugler — The AthleticRanking: 16thBest Pick: Parris CampbellWorst Pick: Ben BanoguGrader’s analysis: Brugler sees the upside with Banogu, but points out that the pick was a little high for his taste. He feels Campbell has the capacity to become an all-around receiver that can line up anywhere on the field.Mark Maske — Washington PostGrade: B+Grader’s analysis: Maske doesn’t sugar coat it; Ballard has earned the benefit of the doubt after last year’s draft class. Maske feels that trading out of the first round and selecting Ya-Sin, Banogu and Campbell were shrewd moves by the GM.Nate Davis — USA TodayGrade: B+Grader’s analysis: Davis really enjoys the prowess that Ballard displayed by obtaining three 2nd round picks. He noted that the Khari Willis pick is a secretly impressive move by Ballard, especially when he can pair with Malik Hooker at safety.Evan Silva — RotoworldGrade: AGrader’s analysis: Silva was fawning over the expertise that Ballard’s mind possesses. He most notably singled out Okereke as a poor man’s K.J. Wright, proclaimed Banogu as the most athletic edge-rusher in the draft class and called Marvell Tell a freakshow with press-cornerback capabilities. Pro Football FocusGrade: AverageGrader’s analysis: PFF might be the only football site that isn’t impressed with the selection of Parris Campbell, as they fear his run after catch ability is replaceable compared to intermediate and deep route running (a short-sighted opinion). Ya-Sin is a solid selection, in their eyes, and Banogu didn’t rank highly due to him being a raw prospect, but their team recognizes that he has sky-high potential.ConclusionAverage letter grade: BNote: Brugler and PFF’s grades were assigned a C, as they were both middle of the pack assessments.