Running back isn’t the biggest need for the Indianapolis Colts. Yet, drafting Cam Skattebo would be an excellent move. The running back out of Arizona State is projected to go as early as the second round and as late as the fourth round in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Perhaps tight end and the secondary are Indy’s two biggest needs. The team could take Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the first round if he’s still available at the 14th overall pick. And maybe they could address the secondary in rounds two and three. Then they could land Skattebo in the fourth if he’s still around.
The Colts are coming off a disappointing 2024 season, finishing with an 8-9 record and missing out on the playoffs once again. Indianapolis needs as many playmakers as possible, and that’s exactly what Cam Skattebo is.
The Indianapolis Colts Should Draft This Big 12 Running Back
Cam Skattebo
Cam Skattebo starred at Rio Linda High School in Rio Linda, California. He rushed for 3,550 yards and 42 touchdowns during his junior season. He helped the school win a state championship that year. Despite an electrifying high school career, Skattebo received only one Division I offer, from his hometown school of Sacramento State.
Skattebo would play two seasons at Sacramento State. During the 2022 season, he rushed for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns, threw a touchdown pass, and returned an onside kick for a touchdown. After such an impressive season, he earned first-team all-Big Sky, Big Sky offensive player of the year, and an FCS All-American honors.
Skattebo transferred to Arizona State following his two-year stint at Sacramento State. Last season, he rushed for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 45 passes for 605 yards and three touchdowns. Skattebo was impressive during Arizona State’s Peach Bowl loss to Texas in double overtime. In the losing effort, he rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, caught eight passes for 99 yards, and even threw a 42-yard touchdown pass.
Why the Colts Should Draft Him
The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor is one of the NFL’s top running backs when healthy. He led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2021. Last year, he rushed for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns and made his second career Pro Bowl.
While the Colts have a superstar in Jonathan Taylor, they lack a productive backup for him. Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson, who played behind Taylor in 2024, just aren’t the answers. Cam Skattebo, though, could be just what the Colts need. He possesses elite contact and good vision. Although he’s not the fastest player in the draft, he’s a great pass-catcher who can also showcase physicality as a pass-protector.
In 2023, Indianapolis had a solid backup running back in Zack Moss. However, he left and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals last offseason. The Colts never managed to replace him. Maybe Cam Skattebo could replace Moss and fill in if Taylor goes down with an injury. And, who knows, he just might throw a touchdown pass every once in a while.
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