AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Calvin Ridley

Colts

• NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah said general managers and coaches around the league think Kentucky QB Will Levis will be a good fit for the Colts at No. 4 overall: “There’s a lot of people in the league that you talk to — GMs and HCs — that feel like Will Levis is a good fit. The stuff he can do, athletically, is intriguing when you think about Shane Steichen and his work w/ Jalen Hurts and Herbert,” via Zak Keefer. 
• When comparing Levis and Florida QB Anthony Richardson, Jeremiah thinks Levis is currently further along with his development: “Levis is further along in his development, and might not have as much upside, but tomorrow he’s going to be ahead of Richardson.” (Keefer)
• Colts GM Chris Ballard said they would like to add depth to their offensive line, tight end, and cornerbacks groups through the 2023 NFL Draft: “We’d like to add some depth… It’s a good OL draft. Tight end’s about as good as I’ve seen. Secondary, CB, in particular, really good depth,” per Joel A. Erickson. 
• According to Zak Keefer, Indianapolis has 17 players with first-round grades in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Calvin Ridley

Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley feels “wiser” after taking two years away from the game and is curious to see if he’s faster or stronger on the field. 

“They say two years off, but what about the healing process that I got with the time off? What if I got faster? What if I got stronger? Obviously, I got wiser, so why can’t I be better? I kind of look at it like that. Obviously, two years off, I have the leg tightness. I got to go through all the crap. I see myself being a good player, I do,” said Ridley, via John Shipley of FanNation. 

Regarding his article in the Players Tribune on his battles with gambling and mental health, Ridley explained he wanted people to know what he was going through. 

“Honestly, when I did that, I really did that for myself. I did that just to let some people know what was going on because when I was on that year suspension, I’d come outside sometimes and talk to certain people I wanted to talk to, friends. I would just listen, I would be like, ‘Oh, that’s what you think and that’s what you’re thinking.’ For me, personally, it was more of a way to get it out and say, ‘Alright y’all, I love football,’” Ridley said. “I just had it hard at that point, I was in my fourth season, and I didn’t want it to be that hard. I’m a great player who works and needs an off-season in order to be great, most of us do. That’s kind of what I was saying. I was just like, ‘I work hard. I was hurt. I’m not soft at all, at all.’ I was in a tough situation, a lot of people I would’ve wished to see how you would’ve handled it. That’s all I was saying.”

Ridley feels the Jaguars were a productive offense last season but started games “a little slow.”

“Yeah, one of the biggest things when I was watching was noticed they’re good, but maybe starting off a little slow. Getting a little behind and then making a big comeback,” Ridley said. “What if you started off so amazing in the beginning and finished off like that? Like wow, what a team could be. I was thinking that I know the player I am and the systems I’ve been in, I’m one of those players that they try to get the ball to, sometimes, on the first play of the game. I’m always pretty much ready to crank it open, get it open, and I feel like I could help start that energy and start moving the ball right away as soon as the game pops off.”

Jaguars

Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun said the team has placed an emphasis on creating more turnovers defensively this offseason.

“This shirt man, this is what the defense believes in right here,” Oluokun said, via Jags Wire. “We were down and out. Then, we started talking about thinking takeaways. Coach Bob Sutton said if you want to become an effective defense in the league, you’ve got to take the ball away. So, we all came back after OTAs, and this was in all of our lockers: think takeaways. Me personally, I want more takeaways. Elevate my game, elevate this defense, and we got to be thinking it at all times. You go to sleep thinking it, you wake up thinking it, it’s going to happen for you. We’re going to get more takeaways.”