Nyheim Hines Adds Versatility to Colts Offense

The Indianapolis Colts selected a special teams ace and change of pace/receiving back, Nyheim Hines, with the 104th pick in the 2018 NFL…

---

Nyheim Hines Adds Versatility to Colts Offense

Hines is short but well built, he has more power than wiggle

The Indianapolis Colts selected a special teams ace and change of pace/receiving back, Nyheim Hines, with the 104th pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Hines explodes on tape with elite speed (4.38 40 time), played both WR & RB at NC State and was effective his last year (2017). His overall college resume was average (he avg only 5.4 YPC on 258 career college carries) and his athletic testing was only above average (great speed but below average burst, agility and SPARQ numbers). There is a lot of opportunity in the Colts backfield.

RB Nyheim Hines

• Size: 5’8” / 198
• Draft Selection: #104 (2018)
• Depth Chart: RB2 (competing w/ Marlon Mack & fellow rookie Jordan Wilkens)
• ’18 Outlook: RB4 (RB3 if he gains more than passing down snaps)
• Athletic Profile: Above Average (Player Profiler)
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenyny7/
• NFL Comparison: CJ Spiller / Ronnie Hillman

Outlook: Hines explodes on tape (and combine) with his 4.38 40 speed on full display. His receiving technique is sound, looking & catching the ball with his hands. He can set up defenders with quick moves to gain separation on routes. Yet he doesn’t have explosive long speed (he gets caught from behind in the open field too much). His running style is more physical and north/south than is typical for sub 200 pound passing down looking specialist. There is also a yellow flag around college productivity (poor YPC and YPT stats for an explosive player). Overall his floor is high with an Indianapolis offense desperate for playmakers. If Luck returns to full health, this offense will produce more touchdowns and available production all around.

Opportunity: The Colts lost approx. 290+ annual touches (avg. of last 3 years) when Frank Gore signed in Miami. This provides a major opportunity for Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, and Jordan Wilkens. Hines would seem to have the passing down role sealed up (that’s 50+ targets and approximately 100 carries), which would make his floor approx. RB4. The challenge is if he doesn’t gain the early down work, his ceiling is RB3.

Long-term: Hines has the explosive playmaking ability and offensive versatility to carve out a long NFL career. The open question is whether he can develop into more than a special teams ace and passing down option. On tape, there is enough “wow” and discipline running through the tackles to say yes. Poor agility and burst metrics coupled with low college productivity leave legitimate concerns for whether Hines can handle a larger workload. This is an intriguing fantasy prospect that if things break right will be an RB2 producer and has a path to RB3.