4 months agoIndianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) put together a rather impressive rookie season. While playing just 69% of offensive snaps in his first year, Downs caught 68 of his 98 targets for 771 yards and two touchdowns. As did Michael Pittman Jr., Downs benefited greatly from the team's pass-heavy offense due to injuries suffered by quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor last season. What lowers his value entering year two is the Colts drafting Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell with the 58th overall pick in April's draft. Mitchell was a projected first-rounder but fell down draft boards due to reported "character issues." Pittman will remain the team's top target, but Mitchell is more than capable of surpassing Downs as their WR2. Downs played the third-most slot snaps in the league as a rookie. This should not be expected to change as he still projects as the team's pure slot receiver -- with Pittman and Mitchell playing on the outside. The third-round pick out of North Carolina ranks as the overall WR64 with an ADP of 135.7 on Underdog. Considering that you can draft him in the 11th-12th round, Downs is worth a late shot as he offers a relatively safe floor but has a capped ceiling in his second season. Update (8/7/24): Downs suffered a high-ankle sprain during training camp practice on Wednesday. His estimated recovery time is four to six weeks, which jeopardizes his status for Week 1. Mitchell and Alec Pierce should see a lot of snaps in three wide receiver sets and an uptick in target share with Downs sidelined.--Saleh