Colts boost offense in second round by taking USC’s Pittman, Wisconsin’s Taylor

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts used the first part of the offseason to invest in their defense.

Now it’s time to work on the offense.

General manager Chris Ballard started quickly Friday, grabbing Southern California receiver Michael Pittman Jr. with their first pick in the NFL draft at No. 34 overall. The Colts then traded up to No. 41 with Cleveland to take star Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.

“I was almost certain I was going to be a Colt today,” Pittman said on a video conference call. “That’s why you see the blue shirt. I thought we had a good connection and it felt like it was the right fit.”

Pittman caught 101 passes for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Trojans. At 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, he gives the Colts a bigger body to work opposite Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton. Some thought he might be selected late in the first round after running the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds at the scouting combine in February.

Pittman’s father was an NFL running back for 11 seasons with Arizona, Tampa Bay and Denver.

Indy thought highly enough of Taylor it gave up its original second-round pick, No. 44 overall, and a fifth-rounder to get him.

At Wisconsin, the 5-10, 226-pound back became the first player in Division I history to top the 6,000-yard mark in three seasons, finished his career with back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons and was a two-time Doak Walker Award winner.

He impressed scouts with a 4.39-second 40 at the combine, though he also lost 15 fumbles in college and had an heavy workload with 926 carries.

After taking Taylor, Ballard still had the 75th overall pick late Friday, though with his proclivity for making deals to stash extra picks, he could add even more. With four picks remaining over the next two days, Ballard could go any number of directions.

The Colts made their first big moves last month by trading a first-round pick for Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to fill one glaring need and signing free agent quarterback Philip Rivers to fill another. Ballard gave himself even more flexibility by signing defensive tackle Sheldon Day along with cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie.

On Wednesday, the Colts re-signed receiver Marcus Johnson and added tight end Trey Burton, best known for throwing the touchdown pass to Nick Foles on the “Philly Special” in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory two years ago.

Burton spent the past two seasons with Chicago and will be reunited with Colts coach Frank Reich, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator during their title-winning season. He signed a one-year deal as he continues to recover from season-ending hip surgery in December.

“They love pass-catching tight ends and that’s what I am,” Burton said. “I’m undersized, I know that, but blocking is more a mentality so I think I’ve grown tremendously over the last four years at this position.”

None of the three quarterbacks on Indy’s depth chart — Rivers, Jacoby Brissett or Chad Kelly — is under contract beyond this season. Another receiver or tight end isn’t out of the question, either, after injuries decimated the Colts’ receiving corps last season.

Where else could Ballard look? Perhaps offensive line. Indy’s five-man unit has been one of the league’s best the past two seasons and all five starters are back. But longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo pondered retirement earlier this year before signing a two-year contract.