In a year where the Draft is lacking top-end talent, having a pick at #14 is not ideal. The Colts will be hoping that there are multiple QBs selected early so that some of the better prospects fall. Indy has plenty of roster spots to fill, so a stick and pick, best player available plan could work well. However, a poor start to the season would heat up the warm seats that Shane Steichen and
Chris Ballard currently sit on, so this is a pick that they need to get right.
The Colts need defensive linemen and defensive backs. This draft class is packed with talented edge rushers and defensive tackles, but Indy can wait until the later rounds to find value at those positions. The team must add a corner, and Jahdae Barron would make sense but, again, there's value at that position further down, especially in RD2. In the last mock, I had the Colts selecting Nick Emmanwori, and he'd certainly be considered strongly in this scenario, but this team needs to select the player who will have the most immediate impact. For me, the biggest impact will come on offense.
The tight ends on the Colts' roster would struggle to be the #2 TE on most other teams. Mo Alie-Cox recently re-signed, but he only had 12 receptions in 2024. Cox, and Andrew Ogletree, are good blockers, but they're not going to dominate as pass catchers. Indy would love Tyler Warren to fall, but Colston Loveland is just as good. Loveland had a 90.6 PFF receiving grade in 2024. Ok, he's not the greatest blocker in the world, but Anthony Richardson would benefit from having another big, reliable receiving target in 2025.
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- David Payne, DraftTek Senior Analyst