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With many sites churning out mock drafts for 2021 and 2022 already Josh Ferguson Jersey , we like to assume that we have a good base knowledge of who will be first round picks years in advance. Sometimes though, there are late bloomers and risers that fly up draft boards with strong seasons and propel themselves into first round players without anyone really noticing until draft time. In this week’s Scouting Notebook, I’ll be looking at a couple guys who have emerged as first round players with strong seasons in 2018. There won’t be a guest evaluator in today’s Notebook but I will be throwing in a brand new Colts mock draft in this piece for all of you to enjoy. Without further ado, lets jump into this week’s Scouting Notebook.Jachai Polite, Edge (6’2” 260)Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsBackgroundPolite has exploded in his Junior season with Florida and really caught the eye of many evaluators. Playing in more of a sub-package role in his first two seasons, Polite only tallied 4 sacks in two years. This past year in a starter role, Polite burst onto the scene with 18 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. He was named First Team All-SEC in his breakout season.AnalysisEverything you look for in an edge rusher from an athletic standpoint. Insane burst off of the line that allows him to get to the edge in a hurry. Great bend around the corner too as he utilizes his length and speed to get around opposing tackles. Has all the tools to be a special pass rusher in the NFL. Will need to play more consistently in order to be great in the NFL but Polite has the full package.Film RoomWay too quick to get beaten to the edge, even by receivers and running backs.Insane spin move here to get off of the tackle and hit the quarterback.Quickness, bend, and burst all on display here.Fit with the ColtsPolite would be a great fit with the young pass rushers that GM Chris Ballard has already added to this roster. With Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay serving in more situational roles behind Polite and Jabaal Sheard— in this hypothetical situation— the Colts would have a very stout rotation of young pass rushers. Also, Polite has all the potential to be a stud NFL pass rusher, he just needs refinement. With a player like Sheard and a future Hall of Famer in Robert Mathis coaching him up, Polite just may very well be able to hit that potential with the Colts.Hakeem Butler, WR (6’6” 225)John Gutierrez-USA TODAY SportsBackgroundIowa State’s Butler has flown up draft boards with his highlight reel play this season. Serving the first few years of his career in the shadow of Allen Lazard— although I doubt that the 6’6” Butler could be in anyone’s shadow— Butler has emerged as not only Iowa State’s number one receiver this year, but maybe the number one receiver in the 2019 class. After only garnering 831 yards receiving in his first two seasons, Butler tallied 51 catches for 1126 yards— 22.1 yards per catch— and 9 touchdowns in his Junior season.AnalysisImpressive size and length that Butler uses expertly to beat defenders. Knows how to box out defenders to gain position on jump balls. Very good after the catch as his big, solid frame is too much for defenders in one on one situations. Deceptively quick and agile despite longer frame. Made Bruce Feldman’s preseason Freak List with a projected 37 inch vertical and 11-1 broad jump. Needs to refine his route running a bit but he’s a physical specimen who threatens a defense at all three levels.Film RoomGreat body control, hands, and run after catch here by Butler to turn an underthrow into a touchdown.More of Butler’s insane run after catch ability here as he stiff arms his way for a touchdown.Shows off his excellent hands here as he makes the contested catch with a defender all over him.Fit with the ColtsThis is potentially my favorite fit in the whole class for the Colts. Butler has great size but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s not a great athlete. Butler is fast, agile T.J. Green Color Rush Jersey , and can test defenses from many different areas. With TY Hilton and— potentially— Deon Cain testing teams on the outside, Butler can dominate the underneath and medium areas of the field. If given one on one situations, Butler has the size and athleticism to win more often than not. Overall, I love Butler’s play and I think he’d be a perfect fit with the Colts’ offense.Bryce Hall, CB (6’1” 200)Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty ImagesBackgroundMaybe not as big of a late riser as others in this piece, but Hall is an under the radar guy who could be a first rounder come draft time. A starter since his Freshman year at UVA, Hall has been the model of consistency at cornerback. For his career, Hall has 131 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 5 interceptions, 33 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. Hall was named First Team All-ACC for his stellar Senior season.AnalysisExperienced corner with great length for the position. Great leg drive out of his backpedal to come down field in a hurry. Quick feet which allows him to match some of the better receivers he’s faced. Ball magnet which is evident by his 20 pass deflections in his Junior season. Solid run defender who is a consistent tackler. Very good blitzing from the slot as well. Needs to improve his discipline in coverage but length, athleticism, and experience should put him into first round consideration.Film RoomShowing off his length against one of the top receivers in the class, Hall gets the one handed interception here. Showcases his tackling in space here on this option play.Hall is able to stop on a dime here and break up the pass to the curl route.Fit with the ColtsColts are in desperate need of more talent at corner. Kenny Moore II and Pierre Desir have been solid, but adding a lengthy, versatile guy like Hall could be wise. Hall is a very good athlete— something that most of the Colts’ corners are lacking— and has the burst to fly downhill in zone coverage. His ball skills could add another playmaker to a defense that has forced a turnover in every game this season. His ability to blitz and tackle makes him versatile enough to move around the defense. Overall, Hall would be a solid addition to the Colts’ defense for multiple reasons.Riley Ridley, WR (6’2” 200)Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesBackgroundRarely used in Georgia’s run first offense in years past, Ridley put together a fairly productive Junior campaign. The brother of Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, Riley started his collegiate career slowly https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Matthias-Farley-Jersey , only notching 26 catches in his first two seasons. As a Junior, Ridley was able to get more involved and put together a season with 38 catches for 498 yards and 9 touchdowns. AnalysisGreat size and athleticism that would pair well in the Colts’ offense. Excellent body control on contested balls. Showcases strong hands when catching in traffic. Tough and physical player who isn’t afraid to go over the middle in the danger area. Good route runner when able to show off his ability, much like his brother. Burst and agility are excellent for a receiver his size. Needs more usage and targets as his analysis right now is more of a projection than anything.Film RoomSmart route here as Ridley is able to find the open space in zone coverage and catch the ball in traffic.Great route here as he is able to work himself open and make a nice catch away from his frame. A bit of a backyard style play here but Ridley is able to work himself open late in the game and make the game winning catch.Fit with the ColtsRidley’s size and strength over the middle would fit perfectly with TY Hilton and the Colts. He could line up as the “X” receiver and lock down that position for years. With his burst and strong hands, I’d imagine that Reich could use him similarly to Dontrelle Inman this season but with more upside and greater potential for expanded usage. If he can develop his route running a little bit more, I can definitely see Ridley tearing up the NFL next season if he decides to declare.Mock DraftJust a quick disclaimer for this mock draft before I go through the selections: All of these selections were done using the up-to-date draft simulator at Fanspeak. I tried to keep all of the picks as realistic as possible to where I see players going come draft time. If you would like to do a mock of your own, I strongly advise checking out Fanspeak for yourselves.Round 1: Jachai Polite, Edge, FloridaAthletic, bendy edge rusher with sky high potential. Immediately improves pass rush.Round 2 (Jets): Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa StateInsane athlete with great size as well. Instantly gives Luck another great target in pass game.Round 2: Renell Wren, DL, Arizona StateBest burst off the line in the class. Another pass rusher, this time from the interior.Round 3: Dawson Knox, TE, Ole MissSlipping due to lack of targets, Knox is an athletic pass catching tight end that Reich and the Colts can use in a multitude of ways.Round 4: Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn StateSavvy, lengthy playmaking corner who can instantly come in and contribute.Round 4 (Comp Pick): Jah’Shawn Johnson, S, Texas TechAthletic safety who can come into the box or play in two deep looks with Malik Hooker.Round 5: Tyre Brady Christine Michael Sr Jersey , WR, MarshallMore size and skill at the receiver position. Another productive weapon to add to Luck’s arsenal.Round 6: Karan Higdon, RB, MichiganTough, hard nosed runner who improved a lot as a Senior. Colts need a fourth back who is a tough runner to complete their committee backfield.Round 7: Paul Adams, OT, MissouriBig, developmental tackle to sit behind Braden Smith and Anthony Castonzo.Final ThoughtsWith the Colts finding themselves more on the winning side these past few weeks, they’ve slowly knocked their draft position to more of a mid-first round pick. Not saying that is a bad thing as the young guys are playing meaningful games in December and there are still talented players to be drafted in the mid-late first round. All of these guys listed above could be first round picks but also could be available with the Jets second round pick that the Colts acquired in this past draft. There is plenty of talent to be had in this upcoming draft and the Colts are looking at three top 50 picks potentially. Again, if any of you have any suggestions for future Notebooks or any players you want to see featured in these pieces, comment below or tweet me @Zachhicks2 on twitter. Let’s do something fun today and have everyone submit their own mock drafts in the comments below. I want to see who you all select with the Colts’ draft picks in the 2019 Draft. While Braden Smith’s game stood out the most against the Dolphins, there were numerous key blocks and penalties called involving other players. The final Colts Film Room for the Week 12 game against Miami will analyze these plays. If you missed it, we already spent time focusing on Smith’s struggles. Zach Hicks also broke down center Evan Boehm’s performance and offered a season-long perspective on second-year corner Quincy Wilson.Let’s see who else stood out.No player has had a greater impact on the improvement of the Colts offensive line since Week 5 than starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo (#74). Indianapolis did not give up a sack for five weeks after he returned to the lineup and the ground game started to pick up considerably. These facts don’t mean that Castonzo will be perfect on every snap. This is the first would-be sack of Andrew Luck that was called off due to a defensive penalty. Let me be clear, had this remained a sack, it would not be all on Castonzo. Luck holds the ball way too long here. Even Quenton Nelson (#56) is holding on for dear life by the time Luck goes down.However, it is entirely fair to point out that Castonzo lost the edge on this block. Robert Quinn (#94) is able to turn the corner too soon and it leaves Castonzo desperately reaching to knock him off track. It has been some time since Luck has taken a shot like this one.We will call this play The Great Escape颅鈩? This sealed the game and is an example of the type of play that few NFL quarterbacks are able to make. Luck’s ability to feel pressure and the strength and athleticism to avoid it and maintain his balance after contact is incredible. If he goes down here, the Colts are forced to punt and the game is not decided until overtime.There were two losses by the offensive line. Castonzo fails to seal Andre Branch (#50). He gets far too much penetration and is dangerously close to a sack, or a possible strip sack. This is a match-up between an offensive tackle and a linebacker, and Castonzo needs to anchor better. Branch gets up into his collar bones and controls the engagement.Mark Glowinski (#64) also fails to block Akeem Spence (#93). Spence is running a slant, crossing the face of the center and attempting to go through the B gap outside of Glowinski. Center Evan Boehm (#67) passes Spence outside but Glowsinki fails to seal. Spence is already parallel with him and crossing the line of scrimmage by the time he attempts to recover.The pending convergence of Spence and Branch are what forces Luck to escape. Pressure from both sides, no escape route to the outside, and pressure coming into a quarterback’s face is almost always check mate. Castonzo and Glowinski are lucky and their charming quarterback is something special.One of the primary areas that received a considerable boost after Castonzo returned from injury is the running game. This play could have gone for huge yardage. Unfortunately Pat McAfee Color Rush Jersey , Castonzo failed to maintain his block on Quinn, who rips out of the block and tackles Marlon Mack (#25) shortly after he cross the line of scrimmage. If Castonzo holds his block. Boehm’s second-level block and Jack Doyle’s (#84) seal on Kiko Alonso (#47) would have given Mack a whole lot of green to work with.Speaking of Jack Doyle, if you want to know why it will hurt to lose his contributions on offense, look at this play. I’ve already noted that Doyle is the best blocking tight end on the team. He is more effective sealing on run plays and chipping before he goes out into his route than any other player on the roster.Here, Doyle chips down on Branch and releases to seal the outside lane for Mack. He finds Rakwon McMillan (#52), initiates the block, and runs him 8 yards downfield. If Boehm is able to get a better block on Spence in the middle of the field, Mack has an inside cut-back lane and might still be running.One of the most challenging areas for young NFL running backs is pass protection. There are numerous reasons. Some want to avoid extra contact, given that they play an already brutally physical position. Some don’t understand who to block or how to identify pressure pre-snap to be very effective. Some make contact but are simply ineffective.Indianapolis has three running backs on the roster with less than two full years of experience. Only Jordan Wilkins has any meaningful size, as it relates to taking or delivering a blow as a blocker. One of the biggest concerns for feature rusher Marlon Mack last season was his weakness as a blocker, particularly compared to Frank Gore.This is an example of Mack making some progress. His first step is to release to his right but he keeps his eyes on the defense and quickly recognizes the blitz. He takes a hard step and generates a lot of speed in a short space to deny the blitz and give Luck a clean pocket.This is Quenton’s Nelson’s first holding call. The play is supposed to go to the right but Boehm is unable to kick the defender out of the rushing lane. Mack is left to improvise and bounces back to find some running room. There isn’t any to be found. Branch is waiting to clean up the play as Castonzo had released to the second level to look for defenders to block downfield. Nelson displays an incredible first step and athleticism to seal inside. Davon Godchaux (#56) drives him back into the traffic and forces him to stand up. For all intents and purposes. both players are out of the play at this point. Godchaux has his back to Mack and has no idea he is there until he is smoked in the side as Mack dives forward for yards.The reason Nelson drew the penalty is because his left hand is on Godchaux’s shoulder pad.It is unlikely that this play turns out any different if Nelson’s hand is inside the shoulder pad but that is what draws the call.This hold may have been called for similar reasons. Nelson squares up Sylvester Williams (#98). Once Williams notices the play is going outside, after he started to commit inside, he reaches out to make a play. Reaching means you surrender your base. When you surrender your base against Quenton Nelson, you drink tea.Note that Nelson’s right hand is outside of Williams’ shoulder pad. this is the logical explanation for the holding call. However, we slow down the play considerably to highlight the movement of Nelson’s right hand. He can’t be holding with that hand when the hand is free to move up and down in the frame. What makes the call more frustrating is that the flag is thrown from the side judge who is about 15 yards away off-screen to the right. He is looking through Marlon Mack as he runs by and determines that because Williams is on the ground, Nelson must have held him.Speaking of drinking tea, Nelson serves up a particularly strong batch on this play. He quickly establishes outside leverage to seal Robert Quinn inside. Nyheim Hines (#21) is releasing outside to create yards in space on this play.Once Nelson gains the advantage, he presses it. For good measure, he presses it some more. He wants to let Quinn know who Daddy is, in case he had forgotten. It is hard not to love seeing an offensive lineman do this kind of thing. Particularly if he is on your team.I bet Andrew Luck sleeps well at night.