The Indianapolis Colts used one of their fifth-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft to bring California safety Daniel Scott onto the roster.
Despite being an older prospect (he turns 25 in October), Scott has an intriguing future as a special teams ace and depth player in the safety room for the Colts.
Here are five things to know about the fifth-round pick:
1
Elite athlete
To no surprise, Scott is an elite athlete, which was a major theme throughout the Colts’ 2023 draft class. According to Relative Athletic Score (RAS), he ranked eighth-best out of 974 safeties since 1987.
2
Late bloomer
According to Dane Brugler’s draft guide, Scott didn’t pick up a Division-I offer in football until midway through his senior season. Eventually, California defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander made an offer after watching Scott play basketball at St. Francis High School.
3
Two-year starter
Scott was a late bloomer in his collegiate career. After redshirting his freshman season at Cal (2017), Scott started just four games during the three seasons to follow (2018-2020). However, he took on a full-time starting role in 2021 and 2022, starting the team’s final 24 games. During that span, Scott led the team with seven interceptions.
4
Special teams ace
One reason why Scott is so appealing as a fifth-round pick is due to his prowess on special teams. He earned the team’s special teams MVP award in 2019 and has immense experience with 661 collegiate snaps in that phase of the game. It should help him carve out a role right away under new special teams coach Brian Mason.
5
Checking the boxes
By now, Colts fans know there are some certain boxes the front office likes to see in their draft picks. Being a team captain has been a staple since Chris Ballard took over as general manager in 2017. Scott checked that box in 2022. Another theme that has been steady throughout the years includes Senior Bowl participants. The Colts have drafted 26 players who participated in the Senior Bowl since 2017, and Scott is among them.
