Colts confident Parris Campbell brings unique element to offense

The Indianapolis Colts have quickly become one of the AFC’s top contenders with a healthy Andrew Luck and a roster that’s been masterfully built by general manager Chris Ballard.

Ballard continued that roster construction in the 2019 NFL draft with the selection of Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell in the second round.

Campbell was regarded as one of the most electric receivers in the draft class because of his elite-level speed. He blazed a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, a time that instantly places him among the fastest wideouts in the NFL.

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Campbell was knocked a bit as a prospect because of how he was utilized at Ohio State. He wasn’t asked to do much of anything down the field and was targeted primarily on quick-hitting routes that allowed him to do most, if not all of his damage after the catch.

But remember one of the golden rules of scouting: just because a team doesn’t ask a prospect to do something in college doesn’t mean he can’t do it in the NFL.

The Colts certainly feel like Campbell is going to give them a clear advantage in the passing game this season.

“You know, I think when you get the type of speed that Parris has, that’s just something that you can’t replicate when you’re a defensive coordinator,” offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said last week via Colts.com. “They’re not going to be able to throw anybody out there and say, ‘Hey, run really fast,’” Sirianni told Colts.com. “So the defense is gonna see a different type of speed every Sunday with him out there with the addition of Parris to the other guys that we have on the offense.”

This is pretty much what happened at Ohio State when Campbell caught 90 passes for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018 and emerged as a potential first-round pick.

The combination of Campbell, T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess and Eric Ebron will make the Colts’ passing attack one of the most lethal in the NFL this season.