COLTS

Colts sign three undrafted free agents

Stephen Holder and Manny Randhawa
Harvard Crimson Zack Hodges #99 in action against the Princeton Tigers during a college football game on Saturday, October 25, 2014 in  Princeton,NJ.  Harvard won 49-7.

Colts insider Stephen Holder reports that the Colts have signed three undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the NFL draft earlier today:

Hodges, an outside linebacker out of Harvard, is 6-2, 250 pounds. Here's NFL.com's draft profile:

STRENGTHS Gets upfield with good burst after snap. Good speed to the ball when in back-side pursuit. Has sudden change of direction. Can plant his foot and turn the corner at a tight angle when rushing. Loose, athletic hips. Pushes tackle to high point of arc and can work back underneath effectively. Spin move can become a featured pass-rush weapon. Plays with natural leverage and bend.
WEAKNESSES Spotty level of competition. Had sacks where he was barely contested around the corner. Ball awareness is inconsistent and he doesn't always trust his eyes. Lacks NFL bulk. Needs to add functional strength. Gets redirected and knocked off-balance too easily. Raw as a pass rusher with below-average hands. On the ground too often. Evaluators question play demeanor and toughness. Takes undisciplined angles to the quarterback. Showed hip tightness and stiffness when asked to go through linebacker drills at Senior Bowl and Combine.
DRAFT PROJECTION Round 7 or priority free agent
NFL COMPARISON O’Brien Schofield
BOTTOM LINE The edge-bending potential are both there, but Hodges is still very raw and lacks the functional strength to set the edge as a defensive end while lacking the fluidity in space to be a 3-4 outside 'backer. He appears to be a project who must live in the weight room in order to be able to become a more complete physical talent.

Varga, a running back from Yale, is 5-11 and 222 pounds. He was listed on NFL.com's All-Underrated draft team. Here's the NFL.com draft profile:

STRENGTHS Muscular, well-defined physique. Has hands the size of an offensive lineman. Determined player with willingness to switch from running back to fullback. Strong legs to power through angle tackles. Runs with above average change of direction and uses effective spin move. Able to stop on a dime and make defenders miss. Showed reliable hands out of backfield at Senior Bowl practices.
Tyler Varga


WEAKNESSES Small for a fullback. Ducks head and leads with his shoulder when throwing a block. Must improve hand usage in pass protection. Willing to engage, but overwhelmed by size at times in Senior Bowl blocking matchups. Caught between running back and fullback for his NFL position.
DRAFT PROJECTION Round 5 or 6
BOTTOM LINE Could get pushed into the fullback genre when, in reality, he's a running back and an instinctive one at that. Varga's ability to run and catch gives him a shot at the back end of a depth chart, but he might have to show he can take snaps as a move fullback and shine on special teams to make an NFL team.

Celiscar, a cornerback out of Western Michigan, is 5-11, 194 pounds. Here's his Combine profile from NFL.com:

Western Michigan defensive back Donald Celiscar runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015.

STRENGTHS Plays smothering brand of coverage. Thick through hips and thighs with power to manhandle slow or weak receivers from press coverage. Works overtime to stay wired to his man. Excels in trail coverage and has the the feet and feel to shut it down against comebacks or outs and swarm the route. Plays the ball with an attacking style and excellent timing to disrupt the catch. Has quick, bouncy feet with desired short area recovery ability. Has no problem throwing himself into the fray in run support.

WEAKNESSES Average athlete. Gets tilted in coverage by good route runners. Shows marginal recovery speed on extended routes. Too reliant on his hands to corral receivers at the top of their route which could lead to flags on the next level. Doesn't have the deep speed to fade his aggressive tendencies when receivers fool him with varied route speed and get over the top.

NFL COMPARISON Glover Quin

BOTTOM LINE Physical, ball-hawking cornerback who is at his best in bump and run coverage. Celiscar allowed just 35.7 percent of passes his way to be completed in 2014 and posted 33 passes defensed and seven interceptions over last two seasons. His ball skills are no fluke, but his lack of deep speed and fluidity could limit his draft standing and force him into a zone-based defense. It's hard to get a read on his open-field instincts, but it wouldn't surprise to see a team consider him at safety in the pros.