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Former North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Downs has been garnering early hype and with the Colts restructuring their offense, the opportunity is there for him to gain a role.
Standing 5-10, 175-pounds, Downs is in line to operate out of the slot in the Colts’ offense. He is by no means a guarantee to earn the starting position, with Indianapolis bringing in former Bills slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie over the offseason.
The season is still a long way away and it remains to be seen if Downs plays off of the early hype, but he has a path to a significant workload in his rookie season. Let’s take a look.
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What Did Josh Downs Accomplish In 2022?
Josh Downs finished his North Carolina career fourth in all-time receiving yards behind Tar Heel greats Ryan Switzer, Hakeem Nicks, and Quinshad Davis. He was the go-to target for Sam Howell in 2021 and remained so for Drake Maye last season.
With Maye under center, Downs grabbed 94 receptions for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns. While he primarily operated out of the slot over the course of his career, he proved to be more than a quick route guy.
With 4.48 speed and an ability to catch the deep ball along with dominance from the slot, Downs has all of the tools to be an elite receiver despite his smaller stature.
While the 2023 season will be his first in the NFL, he has the talent to be an immediate producer.
Will Josh Downs Have An Expanded Role In The Colts' Offense?
Colts receivers coach and all-time great Reggie Wayne is already taking the Downs hype to another level, saying that he thought Downs was “the best receiver at the combine.”
While the Twitter account NFL Rookie Watch thinks that every rookie is a future Hall of Famer, they are not wrong about Downs’ route running abilities.
With the early approval of his positional coach and his proven talent and college production, it seems unlikely that Downs loses out on the starting slot receiver job to Isaiah McKenzie. From there, the question is how often will the Colts throw the ball?
In year 1 of the Shane Steichen regime with a raw rookie quarterback in Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis is projected to be a run-heavy team. All Colts receivers are unlikely to offer much weekly stability with the way this offense is expected to run. A fair comparison is the Chicago Bears in 2021 and 2022.
While Downs is very talented for a third-round pick and looks to be on track to start in the slot, be cautious in selecting him. He is a great dynasty stash, but temper expectations in year 1.
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