Getty Former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney will make a reappearance with the team for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Defensive end Dwight Freeney recorded 107.5 sacks and hit opposing quarterbacks 113 other times in 11 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He will be a little more cordial when he makes a reappearance for the team during the 2022 NFL Draft.
NFL writer Kevin Hickey of USA Today reports the Colts announced through their draft release on April 26 that Freeney is scheduled to reveal one of the team’s selections over the 2022 draft weekend.
Freeney will announce one of Indianapolis’ seven picks.
Looks like Dwight Freeney will be announcing one of the Colts’ draft picks. I would expect one of the Day 2 picks
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell usually announces all of the first-round picks. The Colts, though, enter the 2022 draft without a first-round selection anyway.
Draft picks are always subject to change through trades, but going into the draft, Indianapolis possesses the No. 42 and 73 overall selections on Day 2. Both of those choices came from the Washington Commanders in the Carson Wentz trade.
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Dwight Freeney a Worthy Choice for Draft Pick Announcer
With Peyton Manning being the obvious exception, it doesn’t get much more legendary for the Colts than Freeney. He made first-team All Pro in 2004, 2005 and 2009 while playing in Indianapolis. Freeney also made seven Pro Bowl teams in 2003-05 and 2008-11.
He bounced around on five different teams during the final five seasons of his career. But while he continued to excel as a pass rusher specialist until his retirement and even played in a Super Bowl for the Atlanta Falcons in February 2017, Freeney’s best seasons came with the Colts.
Over 11 years in Indianapolis, he recorded seven double-digit sack seasons. Freeney also finished in the top three in the Defensive Player of the Year voting three times with the Colts and led the NFL with 16.0 sacks in 2004.
Although 2006 wasn’t one of his better individual seasons, Freeney played well during the 2007 postseason run to help the Colts win the Super Bowl.
Freeney will become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot next year.
Dwight Freeney to Announce Offensive Player?
With the number of sacks he recorded, it would be ironic if the player Freeney announces for the Colts is a quarterback. That’s not very likely given that Indianapolis traded for Matt Ryan this offseason, but there’s a good chance the name Freeney reads will be an offensive player.
In a Colts-centric mock draft, analyst Andrew Moore of Sports Illustrated projected the Colts to draft an offensive player with their first three picks.
Digital content producer Joe Hopkins included a trade in his all-Colts 2022 NFL Mock Draft, but he also predicted Indianapolis to select an offensive player with its first three selections.
In a joint mock draft from ESPN, draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. also projected the Colts to select offensive players with their Day 2 picks.
Wide receiver has been the most popular position to appear for the Colts in mock drafts because Indianapolis currently only has one wideout on its roster who has posted more than 400 receiving yards in an NFL season.
Offensive tackle and tight end have also been popular choices for the Colts in mock drafts.
But whether Freeney announces an offensive player’s name or not, it will be great to see him representing the Colts once again.