Indianapolis Colts get UDFA steal in WR Penny Hart

The Indianapolis Colts have a very talented roster and added an intriguing playmaker to compete for a spot in UDFA WR Penny Hart.

The Indianapolis Colts are building a heck of a team and thanks to a really strong 2018 NFL Draft class coupled with the health and dramatic improvement from Andrew Luck at the quarterback position, this team is poised to contend for a while.

For undrafted free agents with the Colts, a deep roster obviously means less of a chance to make the team, but for former Georgia State receiver/returner Penny Hart, there’s a great chance to crack the roster before the going gets too tough.

Hart was a star at Georgia State where he posted two seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving and 20 total touchdowns (19 receiving, 1 punt return) over the course of his four years there.

There are always reasons why guys fall out of the NFL Draft if they have good tape and solid production. Either they don’t project well physically, athletically, or they have some type of injury or off-field concern.

Sometimes it’s a combination of both.

For Hart, it was likely a regression in production his senior year at Georgia State coupled with really poor athletic scores at his pro day.

For a 5-foot-8 receiver to be running in the 4.6 range with below average or even bad explosiveness (33.5-inch vertical) is just got good at all.

In fact, it points directly to the reason Hart wasn’t drafted despite draftable tape in college.

Hart doesn’t have the size to body up with defensive backs and win at the catch point. He’s got to win with quickness and speed, win in space, and make plays after the catch.

These athletic measurables don’t point to him being able to do that but I’ll always defer to the tape here.

Hart did a good job working from the slot at Georgia State and won with quickness, showed a really good ability to catch the ball deep downfield over his shoulder, had a deceptively broad catch radius for his size, and played a lot bigger than 5-8.

If any quarterback can find a way to get this kid the ball, it’s Andrew Luck.

Hart had nine catches for 128 yards against Oregon as a true freshman. He played inside and outside throughout his years in college and showed he can make plays in space as a returner.

Hart followed up an outstanding four-year career in college with an excellent week at Senior Bowl practices. I’m banking on this guy being a surprise for the Colts.