The Colts are hoping second-round pick Alec Pierce can make an impact as a rookie and that Parris Campbell can stay healthy long enough to help the offense, but they aren’t looking for either of those players to be their top receiver.
Michael Pittman Jr. jumped from 40 to 88 catches last season and more than doubled his receiving yards as well, which is the kind of leap teams love to see from players in their second season. That leap made Pittman the top wideout in Indianapolis and the 2020 second-rounder is looking to cement that status in his third season with the Colts.
“I’m just trying to take the next step,” Pittman Jr. said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “Last year, I said that I was going to double every single category, and I did that. This year, I’m trying to build on that and become that definite receiver No. 1 that everybody talks about.”
While Pittman set new highs across the board, his production slipped over the second half as the Colts went more conservative with Carson Wentz at quarterback. Matt Ryan is now filling that position and the feeling in Indy is that a similar shift won’t be necessary with the one-time MVP running the offense. If that’s the case, Pittman may be looking at more career bests before the year is out.
