Observations from Colts' first open OTAs practice on Nyheim Hines, Stephon Gilmore and more

INDIANAPOLIS -- For the first time in two seasons, the Colts are on the field for organized training activities.

Wednesday afternoon's voluntary practice was the first made open to the media this spring, and it offered the first look at some of the big acquisitions of the offseason. Here are some observations:

1. These practices are an interesting contrast in perspective between players and coaches. Frank Reich has lamented for two years that he hasn't gotten the chance to work with  them on the roots of a passing game, to build chemistry between  new quarterbacks and receivers and to install the concepts early. This year's new starter, Matt Ryan, seems to share that viewpoint and was active and instructional in working with the young receivers he's tasked with building. Indianapolis' new position coaches moved quickly and efficiently through different workstations as well. So that's one side of it.

2. The other side of it is how veterans see it. Outside of the passing game, it was a much more individualized approach. Kenny Moore II stood by in a gray hoodie, making a point that he was present with his team but not participating until he receives a reworked contract. Darius Leonard was in uniform but decided late to sit out to rest his ankle, which surprised Reich. Yannick Ngakoue was not spotted in any of the drills. Stephon Gilmore joined the field a little late and ran at a walkthrough pace.

These are the players who don't need this time of year, really. Yes, Ngakoue and Gilmore are new to the team, and that's why being physically present matters. But they're island players as edge rushers and cornerbacks, and in half-speed drills, there's often more to lose with a pulled muscle than to gain in terms of technique.

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3. The one exception was Nyheim Hines. He was the fastest player on the field at the speeds he was operating, from running routes on occasional motion from the slot to catching passes out of the backfield. Nobody touched the ball more than he did in this setting.

But perhaps it shouldn't be surprising because of how much Hines, Reich, Chris Ballard and others have emphasized the need to get him more involved. After catching 63 passes with Philip Rivers in 2020, Hines caught only 40 from Carson Wentz last season, and that was with an extra game. He seems itching to get back to the role he had with more steady passers.

"If I was going to be in a fantasy league, I think I’d pick Nyheim this year," Reich said with a smile.

4. On defense, the player who seemed to bring it the most was Brandon Facyson. Often playing with the first-team defense as Gilmore gave way, he operated in tight cushions and flew in for multiple pass breakups, including one on a ball from Ryan.

It's no surprise he was locked in, given that he and Ngakoue are the two players who played for new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley in Las Vegas last season. But he approached the setting far more competitively than Gilmore, who as a former Defensive Player of the Year has nothing to prove here. Facyson signed a one-year deal worth $3.84 million this spring, and his competition with Rodgers should make for one of the better starting battles of training camp.

5. The best offensive play I saw was a catch Ashton Dulin made along the sidelines. Matt Ryan let it rip from more than 30 yards away, and Dulin spun in the air while falling backward to reel it in before landing out of bounds.

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Dulin signed a restricted free-agent tender this spring that will pay him $2.4 million this season. As of right now, that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver on the Colts roster. It might not be a coincidence. He’s developed enough as a special teamer in three seasons that the Colts would like to deploy his deep speed more in the offense. The opportunity is there for some snaps in the slot, where the Colts seem to be banking on a committee unless Parris Campbell can stay healthy for the first time.

6. The best play from a defensive player came from Zaire Franklin, who flew from zone coverage into a passing lane in the middle of the field to break up a pass, earning whoops and hollers from his teammates.

Franklin signed a three-year, $10 million deal this spring to remain as one of the Colts' leaders and special teams standouts. But Indianapolis also did not draft any linebackers this year, so he'll be a primary backup to Leonard and Bobby Okereke in the new man-match scheme along with E.J. Speed, who had his own nice breakup of a pass in the flats to Taylor.

7. This is the first time that rookies share a practice field with veterans, and it makes for some easier observations. What was most noticeable is just how big the two new tight ends are. Second-round Virginia product Jelani Woods is 6-foot-7 and looks like another Mo Alie-Cox when he crouches down on the line. Sixth-round Youngstown State product Drew Ogletree is not only tall at 6-5 but he’s also incredibly thick in the upper and lower body. He's listed on the roster at 260 pounds, but he looks even thicker than that.

The transition at tight end from college to the NFL is one of the toughest of any position, and both Woods and Ogletree started playing the position in college. But the Colts were attracted to their physical profiles, such as both being able to bench press 225 pounds at least 24 times, as traits that can smooth the transition to a run-heavy offense.

"One of the things you see when you work with him is how big he is. He's going to have a really, really big passing frame," Colts tight ends coach Klayton Adams said of Olgetree. "I had the opportunity to work with him on some 1-on-1 run-game fundamental stuff, and you start seeing how talented he is there. Even though he was a wide receiver, he's a little bit more raw as a route-runner than he is as a guy I think has a chance to be a good in-line blocker."

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: What happened at Indianapolis' first open voluntary practice?