It's baaaaaack. If you were familiar at all with my work at Stampede Blue prior to joining Sports Illustrated, then I am sure that you have heard of the Build-A-Ballard series. This is the third installment of the popular series that takes a look at past draft trends and traits that General Manager Chris Ballard seeks out in the NFL Draft. The goal is to use Ballards time in Kansas City (where he was the the Director of Player Personnel or Director of Football Operations from 2013 to 2016) and his time in Indy to figure out who he may covet come draft time.We already know Ballard loves athleticism and leadership on and off the field, but this series hopes to shed more light on traits he is looking for and help to uncover some of the players he may target in the draft.The focus today will be on one of the Colts biggest positions of need, wide receiver. Will Chris Ballard add a receiver early in the draft?During Ballards tenure in Indianapolis and in Kansas City, his organization has drafted nine wide receivers in nine drafts. In most of those seasons Roquan Smith Jersey , wide receiver was a core need for his team, but very little draft capital was used to addre s the need. The top pick used to addre s the position over that time-frame was a second round selection in 2019 and in 2020.We will examine six of the nine prospects to find common traits.Chris Conley, WR, Georgia (2015)-- 3rd Round PickSize:62 213 poundsMeasurables: 40 Time: 4.35 seconds / Bench Pre s: 18 reps / Vertical Jump: 45 inches / Broad Jump: 139 inches / 3-Cone: 7.06 secondsCareer Stats: 117 catches for 1,938 yards with a 16.6 yards per catch average and 20 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Accelerates through deep balls and quick to find ball in flight and make adjustments to seal the deal.- Drops and raw route running.Daurice Fountain, WR, Northern Iowa (2018)-- 5th Round PickSize:61 210 poundsMeasurables: 40 Time: 4.46 / Vertical Jump: 42.5 inches / Broad Jump: 134 inchesCareer Stats:150 catches for 2,077 yards with a yards per catch average of 13.8 and 23 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Explosive athlete, flashed physical ability to make acrobatic finishes and a capable playmaker after the catch.- Raw route runner and level of competition concerns coming out of the FCS.Deon Cain, WR, Clemson (2018)-- 6th Round PickSize:62 202 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.43 / Bench Pre s: 11 Reps / Vertical Jump: 33.5 inches / Broad Jump: 115 inches / 3-Cone: 6.71 secondsCareer Stats Charles Leno Jersey :130 catches for 2,040 yards with a yards per catch of 15.7 and 20 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Legit deep target with jet gear to get vertical once he clears defenders edge and talented after the catch. - Raw route running and his high drop rate.Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State (2019)-- 2nd RoundSize:511 205 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.31 / Bench Pre s: 11 Reps / Vertical Jump: 40.0 inches / Broad Jump: 135 inches / 3-Cone: N/ACareer Stats:143 catches for 1,786 yards with a yards per catch of 12.4 and 23 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Elite, blue chip speed as a ball carrier and a terrific open field athlete.- Raw route running, inconsistent hands, and his depth of target in college.Michael Pittman Jr, WR, USC (2020)-- 2nd RoundSize:64 223 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.52 / Bench Pre s: 13 Reps / Vertical Jump: 36.5 inches / Broad Jump: 121 inches / 3-Cone: 6.96Career Stats:171 catches for 2,519 yards with a yards per catch of 14.7 and 19 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Big, strong and not afraid to drop a shoulder on someone and a large catch radius and hand strength to make plays on ball adjustments.Scroll to Continue- Lack of true Dan Hampton Jersey separation and not being a nuanced route runner.Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston (2021)-- 7th RoundSize:64 226 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.54 / Vertical Jump: 35 inches / Broad Jump: 127 inches / 3-Cone: 6.96Career Stats:127 catches for 2,332 yards with a yards per catch of 18.3 and 27 touchdowns.Overview of Pick:+ Large catch radius and hand strength to make plays on ball adjustments and an explosive Gale Sayers Jersey athlete, flashed physical ability to make acrobatic finishes.- Raw route runner and level of competition concerns coming out of a small school. I actually don't have too many changes to add to this position this year. This is definitely one of my more accurate positions in this series and the selection of Michael Strachan last year all but confirmed most of my analysis. The only slight add that I would make is that he likes players that are ELITE athletes, typically with RAS (relative athletic scores) above 9.00.Here are the common traits that can help us build a rough mold of what Ballard might look for in rookie receivers:Well built, 200+ pound players (outside of Tyreek Hill)Strengths: Elite athletes, speed and explosion, vertical threat, ability to adjust to difficult pa ses, preferably outside receiversWeakne ses: Raw route running, drops, struggles beating pre sExperienced blocker/willingne s to blockLeadership/Team Captaincy/ (a Ballard trademark with the Colts)1.) Alec Pierce, Cincinnati Size:63 211 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.33 / Bench Pre s: N/A / Vertical Jump: 40.5 inches / Broad Jump: 129 inches / 3-Cone: 7.13Career Stats:106 catches for 1,851 yards with a 17.4 yards per catch average and 13 touchdowns.Why He Fits:I made a quip yesterday that Alec Pierce was born for this series. From the second I watched his college film, I knew that he would be a perfect fit for what Chris Ballard wants in his receivers. He is a phenomenal receiver that won in multiple David Montgomery Jersey ways in college. He is explosive and could win behind a defense and he is fluid enough to win as an underneath option. He has some work to do to become a well-rounded receiver, but I absolutely love his fit in Indy with Pittman Jr.2.) Christian Watson, North Dakota StateSize:64 208 poundsMeasurables:40 Time: 4.36 / Bench Pre s: N/A / Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches / Broad Jump: 136 inches / 3-Cone: N/ACareer Stats:105 catches for 2,104 yards with a 20.4 yards per catch average and 14 touchdowns.Why He Fits:Watson is one of the more dynamic players in this entire draft cla s and his Combine performance certainly showed that. The freak athlete absolutely tore up the event, which is no surprise to anyone that watched him at NDSU over the past four years. He certainly has some questions in his game and needs to improve his intermediate route running, but he has superstar potential at the