Colts draft WR Josh Downs - Round 3, Pick 79

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

The Ringer had ranked Downs as #42 on their Big Board (for comparison, the website Tankathon had him ranked at #49).

Below is the Ringer's scouting write-up.

https://nfldraft.theringer.com/

UNDERSIZED BUT SUPER-PRODUCTIVE PASS-CATCHING DYNAMO who plays big and brings twitchy change of direction skills.

Comp: ELIJAH MOORE

SCOUTING REPORT BY DANNY KELLY
Downs has a short, slightly-built frame but brings natural playmaking talent and a ball-winner’s mentality. An excellent all-around athlete who also starred in high school track, finishing third in the state triple jump and fourth in the long jump, he was a former four-star prospect out of Suwanee, Georgia. After seeing limited action as a freshman, Downs broke onto the scene to earn AP Second Team All American honors for the Tar Heels in 2021, catching 101 passes for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He put together a strong encore in 2022 while finishing as a Biletnikoff Award Semi-Finalist, reeling in 94 catches for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games.

Downs is extremely quick and shifty as a route runner, showing the ability to separate from defenders almost instantly. His suddenness helps him to discard coverage and open up for his quarterback early in his route. He’s dangerous on a whip-route and likes to vary route tempo to lull defenders to sleep. He attacks opponents’ leverage and uses head fakes and stutter steps to get them turning in circles. He shows a good feel for spacing and knows how to settle into the open zone. He’s effective on screen passes and is a surprisingly tough runner with a nose for the end zone. He’s a chains-mover who finished top 10 in the country in total first-down receptions (54). And despite his diminutive size, he’s surprisingly competitive at the catch point. He will go up and pluck the ball at the highest point and he is fearless in traffic. He caught 13 of 18 contested catch targets in 2022, per PFF. He primarily aligns in the slot (83 percent of the time) but also sees snaps on the outside. He brings special teams value and averaged 11.1 yards per return on 26 punt returns over the last two years.

Downs’s small frame could be an issue for some teams. He flashes deep-shot potential (and he did turn 18 deep targets this year into five touchdowns, per PFF) but he was mainly a low aDOT (8.8 yards) target in the Tar Heels offense, seeing his yards/reception drop in 2022 (from 13.2 to 10.9). He may be viewed as a slot only at the next level. He won’t offer much as a blocker; he’s got the size disadvantage and his effort isn’t always there. He missed two games after suffering a knee injury against Florida A&M.

WHY HE COULD RISE
Downs is a highly productive and tough pass-catcher who can separate as a route runner and win at the catch point; he adds special teams value.

WHY HE COULD FALL
He’s short with a small frame; he may be viewed as a slot only.