Mike Strachan Earns Well-Deserved Spot on Colts’ 53-Man Roster

In what likely will come as no surprise to many, rookie wide receiver and preseason standout Mike Strachan has made the Indianapolis Colts’ final 53-man roster.

The 6’5” former DII wideout was a seventh-round pick by the Colts in this past April’s draft. Strachan left a strong first impression from the start of training camp, making one highlight play after another.

In his first-ever NFL game, Strachan had three catches for 57 yards on five total targets, including a one-on-one jump ball-like grab. Additionally, Strachan has previously mentioned modeling his game after two Hall of Fame wideouts in Calvin Johnson Jr. and Michael Irvin.

“Two players I kind of watched and studied growing up, number one Calvin Johnson and number two Michael Irvin,” Strachan said. “I’ve also had the opportunity to meet Michael Irvin and those two players — they’re great, they’re in the Hall of Fame. [There’s] so much to learn from them, especially with what they did throughout the course of their careers.”

Speaking of the Lions, Strachan’s biggest performance of the preseason came against Detroit, catching five passes for a total of 61 yards.

Fans have even given Strachan the nickname of ‘MegaStrachan’ as he continued to impress. As good as he’s been, though, there were some instances where the rookie played like, well, a rookie.

Strachan’s rare combination of size and speed caught the Colts’ attention rather quickly. And from that point forward, it didn’t take long for the rookie wide receiver to assert himself amongst the rest of the receiving corps.

“I’m more fast than what people think,” Strachan said. “I have the ability to move, use my size to my advantage, and come in and out of my breaks. My speed is definitely something I use to my advantage also with my size.”

It’ll be interesting to see the kind of in-game action Strachan may receive this season. If anything else, Strachan give the Colts another big-bodied wideout to pair alongside second-year receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

The Colts have confidence they can continue to help the wideout redefine his skillset. But it’s been Strachan’s consistent playmaking and overall confidence which awarded him a much-deserved spot on the team’s roster.