Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Dametrious Crownover is PERFECT Indianapolis Colts OT Prospect

Starting point is 00:00:00 Our prospect spotlight series continues today, and Zach has for us someone who just screams Chris Ballard offensive tackle. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. now the number one sports podcast network out there. I am Jake Arthur, the Indianapolis Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports. I am joined by the one, the only, Zach Hicks, the best film guru in the Colts stratosphere whatsoever. And today we are continuing our draft spot, our prospect series.

Starting point is 00:00:58 And this is our first week of it. We've already gone to Missouri twice. We have stayed a little bit on the defensive side of the ball. That's clearly what we're skewing towards. But Zach is really, he's specialized in offensive line play the last few years through the draft guides that he's been a part of. And he's got one for us today that I've got to be honest, it just absolutely screams Chris Ballard offensive tackle.

Starting point is 00:01:23 Yeah, and the offense tackle we're going with is Demetrius crown over from Texas A&M. I wouldn't say a senior ball standout. I think his first couple days, or first day was pretty rough, but he did clean it up, I think the final two days and ended up having a pretty decent week. But this is a massive, massive offensive tackle prospect. 6 foot 6, 331 pounds with 35 and 5 eighth inch arms, former tight end that moved out to offensive tackle during his redshirt freshman season at Texas A&M. So there's still some raw elements to his game.

Starting point is 00:01:58 But I really liked what I saw in film. I think there's so much to build. upon. And I want to preface this by saying, my last two draft prospect spotlight guys that had done for the series had been like top 50 guys. I wanted to go a little bit more in the weeds here. We're crown over at best maybe squeaks into a third or fourth or fifth round range. He's explosive. He's, you know, started the last couple of seasons at Texas A&M. But there are some things that worry you on film as well. But to start with the positives, massive, massive human being with grown man strength playing in the SEC.

Starting point is 00:02:33 You could tell just how powerful and how strong he is. I really like his first step in his past sets, especially as the season went on. By his final game of the season, I thought he looked a lot smoother in his footwork. And yeah, he's just a guy who like, if defenders want to get into his chest, that's fine. Like they can get there,

Starting point is 00:02:50 but he's got so much natural strength and power in his upper half. And when he started to figure out the lower half and figure out those feet late in the season, he was able to turn out some pretty good games. I thought one of his best games of the year came in the playoff game against Miami, where, I mean, he gave, I think, a sack to Ruben Bain pretty late in that game. But outside of that, he held his own against Akeem Messador, who might be a first-round pick. And then, like I said, Ruben Bain had the one big win.

Starting point is 00:03:16 But besides that, he held Bain in check. And Bain's probably going to be a top 10 pick in this draft as well. So crown over, I thought, really improved as the season went along. I think he's still really raw. His hands are a major work in progress. and he is stiff as a board when it comes to playing offensive tackle. But like I said a lot with Jalen Travis during the season and last year during the draft process with him, some players are just too big and too explosive to fail for me.

Starting point is 00:03:42 So he might have a limited ceiling because of just being stiff and like maybe he's never going to be like a true like top 10 right tackle in football or top 15 right tackle in football. But I think because he's so big and so explosive, he's going to be a good pass protector. And I think he brings the right demeanor in the run. game as well. He's looking to finish. He's looking to drive guys. His down blocks are really, really good. And I think this is the perfect project to give Tony Sparano, Jr. The Colts gave him Jaylon Travis last year. And Travis went from, you know, this potential swing tackle guy to now

Starting point is 00:04:14 potentially the right tackle of the future. I think they could do a similar thing with crown over. I think his profile is very, very similar to Travis in a lot of ways. And again, Tony Sparano Jr. got really good returns on that profile last year. So if you just want to give Spirano another one of that exact same profile and just have him go to work. I think Crownover is that guy in this draft. But yeah, in terms of talking like the Chris Ballard of it all, too, Jake, former tight end, senior bowl stand out, has the massive size as well. It's everything that Chris Ballard typically likes in his offensive tackle.

Starting point is 00:04:48 So I really like crown over as a fit for the Colts. Yeah, without a doubt. I mean, I like a bigger offensive tackle, of course, especially one with the length of a guy that has nearly 36-inch arms. And height-wise, he's just a shade under 6-7. Some places do have him listed as 6-7. But, yeah, I think you do see the natural athleticism and fleetness of foot come through,

Starting point is 00:05:14 and you see that he is a former tight-in who just bulked up and got to play offensive tackle. Because, like you said, his footwork is all over the place, but he's nimble. You know what I mean? Like he's not a bigger guy that's like stuck in the mud. And, you know, he's a lot of those bigger guys just have too much sand in the pants. You know, like they just can't move.

Starting point is 00:05:36 But he can. He does just look like a very, a guy who's young to the position and just has so much technical work, you know, with his hands, his feet. He's just kind of skating by on athleticism and vibes and strength right now. You know what I mean? But yeah, he absolutely fits. it's the Colts. There's so much about it. And we're actually going to go further on that. Where could the Colts get him? What could they're playing for him be and what ultimately could his role be on a Colts offensive line that's not taking on many new starters right now, but they

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Starting point is 00:08:22 We are talking about our latest player draft prospect spotlight in our series here. we just got it underway this week. And again, I just, the more I look at it, I can't really get over how much Demetrius crown over offensive tackle from Texas A&M is just such a Colts guy. So from his frame to his background of being a tight end, being at the senior bowl, the fact that like a lot of Colts swing tackles or just kind of tackles in general,

Starting point is 00:08:54 you'd have to take him in the middle of the draft, like probably third round at the earliest, like you said. when I was looking at, you know, the compilation of draft boards and everything earlier, I think fourth round is probably where a lot of people are slating him. But that's, I dig it. You know, the Colts entrusted a guy like Jalen Travis to win their swing tackle job last year. Now, Crownover, I think, is a bit more raw, although, you know, Travis came from the Ivy League to major college ball for his final year there.

Starting point is 00:09:25 But, you know, right now it's kind of open behind. Travis, and that's assuming Braden Smith moves on because it's Blake Freeland or, you know, you bring back Luke Tanuda to compete. Like, you don't really have much at offensive tackle right now behind your starters. So where could the Colts get crown over? And if they got him, where do you see the journey of his career going? Yeah, I think you nailed it in a lot of ways there. I think around the fourth and fifth rounds, he is a bit more raw than a Jalen Travis.

Starting point is 00:09:55 I think than last year, Travis was more NFL. already with his hand usage and some of the things he did in past protection, where I think crown over, again, there's still a bit of work in progress with that stuff, especially with the hands. The hands and just hitting his targets and making sure they're not wrapping around defenders and they're actually staying in front of them, I think is going to be the key. But we did see major improvements and major strides in his footwork as the season went along. So I do see the projection for him. I see the path for him in the NFL.

Starting point is 00:10:25 In terms of his year one role in the NFL, I think it would be like competing for a swing tackle job. You know, I think competing with a Blake Freeland in camp or Luke Tanuda, like you said, Jake, or maybe another veteran the Colts could bring in in free agency would be the best path for him. And again, if he goes on a similar route as Jalen Travis, where Travis was the swing tackle, competing for it in training camp, was able to kind of marinate on the bench for the first couple months of the season. And then when he got out there for the final four or five games, he looked like an NFL ready offensive tackle that was capable of being a starter going forward. I'm not saying crown over is going to make that same leap.

Starting point is 00:11:03 But I think if you give him that proper time just to sit on the bench, learn, I think I saw an interview recently with Tony Sparano Jr. where he was saying like every Friday he was meeting with Travis to watch film and talk through some things and figuring out like where he could get better. You put crown over in that similar type of environment. I think he can easily get up to speed and become a very good swing tackle for your team. And that's kind of where I see his role being in the NFL. I don't know if you'll ever be a starter because there are some limitations to his game

Starting point is 00:11:34 and he does have a little bit of a ways to go. But I think he can be a league average pass protector that gives some pretty good effort in the run game. And I think that's a very valuable swing tackle. Again, we're talking about the state of offensive tackle play in the NFL. If you can be a league average pass protector that can get some push in the running game, that's a pretty darn good backup offensive tackle to have. And I think that's what Crownover can be. So given that he doesn't go absolutely crazy at the combine,

Starting point is 00:12:00 which I think he's going to put pretty good explosive numbers. I think that might shock some people. But everything I saw in film, I think he could put up a similar combine as Jalen Travis. It's just if I'm him, I would avoid the agility drills, the three cone and the short shuttle. But I certainly think he can put up a good combine and maybe get into round three because someone buys the project. But if he's there in round four,

Starting point is 00:12:24 round five, I really do like him a lot for the Colts. And I think he could be that perfect swing tackle that they're looking for. And if we look at the history that Chris Ballard has had a drafting offensive tackle, I mean, it's usually 6-6, 6-7, 6'8 in terms of guys like Travis and Jake Witt,

Starting point is 00:12:39 Jackson Barton, Zach Banner. I mean, gosh, Zach Banner was massive back in the day. And then they like those dancing bear types. You know, like even Travis, who was one of the biggest guys they've taken tested out of this world at the combine, right? Aaron Hart Ryman, one of the greatest testers ever at the combine for an offensive tackle. Blake Freeland, another fantastic tester.

Starting point is 00:13:04 Jake Witt at the pro day was like an insane tester. So I think a crowd over hits the numbers I expect him to. I think he's going to check every single metric that the Colts look for at the offensive tackle position. I think Sparano Jr. prefers these bigger size offensive. of tackles, like that he was with the Giants and they took Evan Neal. He was with the Giants, I think, when like, Jermaine Eleanor was over there as well. The early parts of his career, another big, lengthy offensive tackle. So I think this is the type that Spirano likes.

Starting point is 00:13:33 It's the type that Ballard likes. And with the Colts needing a swing tackle, I think this is the guy that I would target if he's there in round four or five. And like I said the other day with, I think, mock draft Monday, take an offensive tackle every single year. I don't care what round you were taking them. Take an offensive tackle every year because you never know. when that swing tackle becomes the most important player on your football team.

Starting point is 00:13:54 So I think Crownover has the traits and the goods to be a good NFL player. I saw the improvement throughout the year. And he has NFL ready strength as well. So I think he'd be a very good swing tackle for the Indianapolis Colts. Yeah. So I think ideally the Colts could find a swing tackle to actually stick around for a couple of years. It's been a while. Like I think Lorraven Clark was like the last one who had any extended action with the Colts.

Starting point is 00:14:19 You know what I mean? You know, Matt Gonzalez, Matt Pryor, Blake Freeland, like everyone just gets rotated through every Jalen Travis is now perhaps going to be a starter. So if you could find a guy that's number one, your starting five is pretty set. And you don't have like any big pending for agents. And then you've got a guy and perhaps crown over here who solid but not like necessarily threatening for the starting five, you could get some continuity there. Like you could get a guy your confident could come in off the bench, but you don't have to replace him again every year like you've continued to have to do.

Starting point is 00:14:57 But that would be a nice problem to have, I think. Yeah, no, absolutely. I promise not to bore you guys too much with offensive line play. But this is the position I truly nerd out with. And I like to sneak in a couple. So let me have a couple offensive linemen here. I do think the Colts need to seriously look at this O-line class in terms of at least on day three to add depth to the roster. and I think crown over would be one of the crown jewels of day three if he were there for a team like the Indianapolis Colts.

Starting point is 00:15:24 But let us know what you think in the comments section below. And thanks again for tuning in to yet another bonus episode of Locked on Colts. We back yet again next week. So make sure you subscribe to our show to get all the latest episodes. And if you don't already, make sure you're following at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arth. I found at Beck Hicks to all on socials. And if you never miss an episode, just remember the Everydayer Club is built for you. get Locked on Colts audio ad free plus members only Discord access and much more.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Dametrious Crownover is PERFECT Indianapolis Colts OT Prospect

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