INDIANAPOLIS — Before discussing the personnel added during the three-day NFL Draft, Chris Ballard took a few moments to address a personal matter.
The Indianapolis Colts general manager and coach Shane Steichen sat at a table in the media room Saturday night wearing coral-colored T-shirts in memory of Coral Terpening. The wife of Matt Terpening, the team’s director of college scouting, tragically died two weeks ago
Ballard’s comments came from a heavy heart.
Coral’s message was spread across the T-shirt.
Your light lives on in all of us. C.C.T.
The T-shirts were sent to every team for draft weekend, and worn in draft rooms. Several teams posted group shots on social media.
Matt Terpening and daughters Stella and Gwenith were in the Colts’ draft room Saturday. NFL Network aired a stirring video at the top of round 5. ESPN followed suit with another version.
“Our guys came up with the idea of these shirts,’’ Ballard said. “I really want to thank Daniel Jeremiah, Rich Eisen, ESPN . . . all the teams across the league. It was a pretty special moment for them.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard. We’ve got great people in this league, great people in this organization.’’
Competition and finding an edge are fundamental bedrocks of the NFL. But when the football fraternity has to deal with tragedy, everyone closes ranks.
“We have great respect and we also have great perspective on what we do,’’ Ballard said. “Our families sometimes have to sacrifice with what we do. When something like this happens, to watch everybody with the support and care and empathy . . . it’s humbling. It sucks sometimes that it takes a tragedy to bring everybody together.
“We should care for people all the time. But I’m grateful and thankful for all those who helped and were a part of this. It was a very, very special day in that regard. It was very emotional, and I’m not one to hide it very well.’’
The weekend was a reminder that even while life must go on, there’s a need to pause, remember and celebrate.
After the emotional opening, Ballard returned to the business at hand.
“Fire away,’’ he said.
First, a review of the Colts’ latest draft class:
Round 1/14th overall: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State.
Round 2/45: DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State.
Round 3/80: CB Justin Walley, Minnesota.
Round 4/127: OT Jalen Travis, Iowa State.
Round 5/151: RB DJ Giddens, Kansas State.
Round 6/189: QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame.
Round6/190: DT Tim Smith, Alabama.
Round 7/232: LB Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin.
“Excited about the guys we got,’’ Ballard said.
He was in a bad mood Saturday morning.
“One, because I hadn’t slept in a while,’’ he said. “But I was trying to figure out, there are certain things we wanted to get done and we had to be able to move back and get a little luck, which we were able to do.
“All productive, all really mature players and men with an element of toughness and maturity that we wanted to add. So, excited about that.’’
The Colts were able to address several areas of need, some more dire than others.
Warren addressed a tight ends room that’s been devoid of a difference-maker since Jack Doyle retired after the 2021 season. He had more receptions (17) and yards (224) in Penn State’s overtime win at USC last season than any Colt tight end had all season.
Steichen’s eyes lit up as he considered the addition of Warren.
“He’s a guy that can do it all,’’ he said. “You guys know that. He can catch, He can run. He can throw.
“I mean, (expletive), we might play him on defense. When he’s got the ball in his hands, this guy is physical, run after catch, he’ll lay the wood to you, hurdle you. It’s going to bring a lot to our football team for sure.’’
Tuimoloau brings a disruptive presence to the defensive line and will help compensate for the free-agent loss of Dayo Odeyingbo.
Walley adds speed and play-making ability at cornerback while the massive 6-foot-8, 339-pound Travis could be the Colts’ swing tackle as a rookie. That would enable 2024 third-round pick Matt Goncalves to replace Will Fries, another free-agent loss, at right guard.
“We’ve had those discussions,’’ Steichen said of Travis. “We’ll work through that.’’
Giddens was a productive runner/receiver at Kansas State, but must work on his blitz pick-up skills.
“I think any running back coming into our league, the hardest thing for them is pass protection,’’ Ballard said. “All of them have to learn. They’re just not asked to do it at the level we are asking our guys to do it, especially with the size of the men they have to block.’’
Colts coaches worked with Smith at the Senior Bowl and came away convinced the 6-foot-4, 306-pounder can be effective as the backup to either DeForest Buckner or Grover Stewart.
“I could feel our defensive staff around the fifth round circling because they were pretty driven to get Tim, as we were,’’ Ballard said. “We think he’s got a lot of upside.’’
Wohler started 25 games at safety for Wisconsin, but the Colts envision him as a possible linebacker.
The draft didn’t offer the Colts a viable option to replace departed weakside linebacker E.J. Speed, but coordinator Lou Anarumo’s creativity might result in the liberal use of just two linebackers — Zaire Franklin and Jaylon Carlies — and an extra defensive back.
“We think we’ll be OK in that area,’’ Ballard said of weakside ‘backer. “You’ve got to understand that (with) Lou, it’s a little different than we’ve done in the past where we had a MIKE, WILL and a SAM.
“Now, we are just playing with a MIKE and a WILL.’’
Leonard adds a developmental prospect in the quarterbacks room.
“I just think the athletic ability that he has at the quarterback position, what he was able to do at Notre Dame this year leading them to the national championship speaks volumes of the player and the competitor that he is,’’ Steichen said. “Just to add depth in that room is huge.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.