The Colts had to wait until the 34th overall pick to make their first selection of the 2020 NFL Draft and a video on the team’s website shows that they had a tough choice to make when they got on the board.
Their choice was between wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor and the discussion centered around which player would be a more “explosive” addition to the offense. They ultimately decided to go with Pittman, who General Manager Chris Ballard said was “Vincent Jackson-like” in a pre-draft meeting.
“Every time I watch him, I like him better. He’s big, he’s a build-up-speed guy, he can finish on the deep ball, he wins 50-50 battles. I just think the guy’s gonna be a good football player in this league,” Ballard said.
Head coach Frank Reich agreed with the Jackson comparison and the Colts would be thrilled to get the kind of production that Jackson had for the Chargers — where he played with Colts quarterback Philip Rivers — and Buccaneers. He had six 1,000-yard seasons and five seasons with at least seven touchdowns between 2008 and 2014.
The Colts wound up getting Taylor later in the second round, so it wouldn’t be the first time things played out well for them if Pittman develops into a star.