Downs enjoyed a breakout of sorts in 2024, his second pro campaign, finishing with more targets, catches, yards and touchdowns than he had the year before as a rookie, despite playing three fewer games. He spent most of his time in the slot again, perhaps limited by a 5-foot-9, 171-pound frame, yet averaged a respectable 11.2 yards per catch and scored three of his five TDs from outside the red zone. What the full-season numbers don't show is how Downs piled up volume with Joe Flacco at QB, drawing nine-plus targets in six of the seven games in which Flacco took a majority of snaps (and averaging 7.3 catches in those contests). In the seven full games Downs and QB Anthony Richardson played together, there was just one instance of reaching nine targets and none with more than five receptions. The big question now is whether Richardson can win a job battle with Daniel Jones, who wouldn't necessarily make the Colts better but almost certainly would be better for Downs' fantasy value. The lack of size and straight-line speed (4.48 40) further limit Downs' ceiling, especially in non-PPR leagues, but it was encouraging to see him earn targets ahead of fellow Colts wideouts Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell for much of last season.
