As the old saying goes, "You've gotta go through the rain to appreciate the sun."
For the Indianapolis Colts, that couldn't be more true in the context of some of their draft picks from the past compared to recent times.
For example, under former general manager Ryan Grigson, the Colts made some questionable early-round draft picks. The residual downturn of those selections helped lead to the new era under Chris Ballard and a much more balanced roster fueled by picks that have worked out much better to this point.
For the Colts, they landed the 24th-overall pick with their 2013 selection of Bjoern Werner, an edge defender out of Florida State who never quite took off.
Werner wasn’t a particularly high-end athlete coming out of college. The selection was a head-scratcher for as high as it was. After recording pass-rushing grades of 49.9, 57.2, and 50.5 in his first three seasons, Werner never played another down in the NFL.
This pick and others like it during this era of Colts football have been kicked around ad nauseam over the years, so we won't dwell on it too much.
In his three-year career with the Colts from 2013-15, Werner started just 16-of-38 games, totaling 81 tackles (11 for loss), 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumbles recovered, 5 pass breakups, and 10 quarterback hits.
Injuries — particularly to his foot, knee, and shoulder — were a big problem for Werner, as he felt he could never fully play like himself.
"It's that simple," Werner told reporters in 2015 about injuries causing his ineffective play. "Since I've entered the league, I haven't been healthy one time."
Although he was drafted to be a solid all-around outside linebacker who could rush the passer, Werner never settled into that role although there was a brief period where he was playing the run well.
Regardless, it wasn't enough and he was waived during the 2016 offseason.
Werner then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was let go before the season. He then retired.
What did you think of the Werner pick, before and after? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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