Indianapolis Colts: Grover Stewart brings size, athleticism and big potential

The Indianapolis Colts continue to beef up their defense in the mid rounds with the selection of massive D-II defensive tackle, Grover Stewart.

New faces are abundant in Indy. The key for success within an NFL franchise is not only having big name superstars, but also having quality developmental players behind them. The NFL Draft has come and gone and the Indianapolis Colts have acquired eight new faces — lets take a look.

I have done similar pieces on Malik Hooker, Quincy Wilson, Tarell Basham, Zach Banner, and Marlon Mack, each of whom may offer a relatively quick impact. Others may take a little longer to develop, which include: Grover Stewart, Nate Hairston, and Anthony Walker.

I will soon turn my attention to Hairston and Walker, along with the undrafted free agent additions such as Trey Griffey (son of Ken Jr) among quite a few others. For now, our focus is getting to know, Grover Stewart, who was selected in Round 4 with the 144th overall pick. The defensive tackle from Albany State is a load at 6-5, 295 pounds.

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Stewart is another big addition for the Colts, and I mean big. His profile on NFL.com lists him at 295 pounds, however, other reports show his weight at 300, 334, and even 347 pounds. He weighed in at 295 his first year in college, and again, at 335 in 2016 per NFL.com.

Needless to say, he is one big boy. Fortunately, he has been able to maintain his production with the additional weight and his size may allow him to be a force to be reckoned with on the inside of the defensive line.

Playing for Albany State, a Division-ll school, Stewart has very little experience against NFL quality players and will likely struggle as he adjusts. He has, however, shown few signs of said struggles in his experiences against high-caliber players to this point.

He is a big man, used to overpowering opponents, and his techniques may in-turn offer a fault against players with more quickness, speed, and power than he has handled during his time at Albany State.

Described with terms like run-stuffer, violent-worker, brute-force, raw, unskilled-with-hands, and of course, massive, Stewart should solidify himself as a rotational player and back-up at first with potential to secure a starting role a year or two down the road.

Here is a report on Grover Stewart from DraftAnalyst.com:

"Stewart looks the part and played to it on the small-school level, dominating opponents and being a disruptive force. He possesses all the tools necessary to line up at defensive tackle in a four-man front, though he’ll need a bit of time to smooth out the rough edges. More than anything else, Stewart must improve his fundamentals."

And another report via Fox59.com:

"A massive human being with impressive athleticism for his size, Stewart dominated small-school competition. He relied on his physical advantage in college and remains extremely raw. The 23-year-old is a project but could become a solid nose-tackle two or three years down the line."

Next: Early 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Who do Colts select?

I am excited about the possibilities he brings to Indy. Men with his size and athleticism are rare and if he can make the transition to a higher level and learn some additional skills he has a very big upside and he could present a very big problem for opponents, pun intended.