Like every team, the Indianapolis Colts want to have an outstanding 2025 NFL Draft. The Colts have the 14th overall pick in the first round and the 45th overall pick in the second round. How can they nail those first two selections?
There are plenty of talented prospects to choose from. In the first round, perhaps they could draft an offensive lineman like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel. They need to replace Will Fries, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. In the second round, should they draft a tight end like LSU’s Mason Taylor? Here are the perfect (and realistic) first two picks for Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Colts Can Nail the First Two Rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft with These Selections
Colston Loveland (First Round, 14th Overall)
A couple of times this offseason, you’ve heard the statement, “The Colts need a tight end.” Okay, maybe you’ve heard that statement a billion times this offseason.
Most Colts fans want the team to select Penn State’s Tyler Warren, the top tight end prospect in the draft. However, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be available at No. 14. Indianapolis can still land a top-notch tight end in Michigan’s Colston Loveland.
Loveland helped the Wolverines win a national championship during the 2023 campaign. Last season, he caught 56 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. While those certainly aren’t superstar stats, they’re great, considering Michigan had one of the nation’s worst passing offenses.
The six-foot-six, 248-pound Loveland has excellent size. He’s too fast for linebackers and too big for defensive backs. Plus, he’s a great route-runner with impressive body control and ball skills.
It’s unclear who the Colts’ starting quarterback will be in 2025. It will be either Anthony Richardson or newcomer Daniel Jones. Whoever it is, will need a dynamic tight end to pass to, and that’s exactly what Loveland is.
Carson Schwesinger (Second Round, 45th Overall)
The Colts need help at tight end, and they also must address the linebacker position. This offseason, E.J. Speed left and signed with the Houston Texans. Plus, fellow free agent Grant Stuard went to the Detroit Lions.
Indianapolis hasn’t replaced either player thus far. That means they’ll look to the draft. Carson Schwesinger would be the perfect selection in the second round. The California native is coming off a stellar year at UCLA. He led the nation with 90 solo tackles and 7.5 solo tackles per game. He also led the Big Ten Conference in total tackles (136) and total tackles per game (11.3). Schwesinger has outstanding instincts in all phases and possesses the athleticism to play in space against a modern offense.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard is often criticized. But one thing he knows how to do is draft. He selected Zaire Franklin in the seventh round back in 2018. The former Syracuse star made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season after racking up an NFL-leading 173 tackles.
Schwesinger could instantly team with Franklin to form a solid linebacker duo in Indy. They could help the team get their struggling defense back on track in 2025.
Main Image: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
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