Just two weeks away from my favourite NFL event
The only use for mock drafts, if you ask me, is to have fun and look forward to inarguably the most important event of the NFL offseason. I am not going to sit here and tell the Colts what they should do, nor I will be arrogant enough to claim to have any sort of clue to what the team will do. Still, there is no harm in imagining potential scenarios, and discussing whether as fans we would be happy or not with them.
I will be using PFF.com Mock Draft simulator to run the scenarios, of course they might not be entirely realistic and the board is subject to change as we move forward in the offseason.
Round 1, pick 14: Trade down
Tyler Warren will probably not be available when the Colts pick at #14, so unless Ballard is really aggressive and trades up in the draft to get him, the team will be in a weird position, one where trading back would make plenty of sense. This draft class is particularly strong in that 40th-80th range, and using the draft value calculator, something that makes sense is trading back to the 19-24 range and getting and extra second round pick in the process.
Round 1, pick 19-24: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
I was really tempted to get Michigan’s tight end Colston Loveland with this pick, but the drop off between him and Warren does not convince me enough for him to be worth picking here, and there are some intriguing options in the mid rounds. I also have a theory that the tight end position is not that important in an offense where the quarterback cannot hit a pass shorter than 10 yards. Now the other massive need for the Colts is edge rusher, even more so after Dayo Odeyingbo signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
James Pearce Jr. is an athletic freak, the sort of player that any defensive coordinator would love to have on his defensive line, and one that can give the Colts their future Robert Mathis/Dwight Freeney pass-rushing duo, playing alongside Laiatu Latu. Pearce and Latu would also benefit a lot from new coordinator’s Lou Anarumo more exotic blitz packages, and not being handcuffed by Bradley’s strict edge rushing approach.
Round 2, pick 45: Demetrius Knight Jr., linebacker, South Carolina
Linebacker is the next biggest need for the defense, and one with a ton of uncertainty regarding this upcoming season. E.J. Speed is gone, and who knows whether Anarumo thinks Franklin is a starting caliber linebacker or not. Other than that, he has Jaylon Carlies and Segun Olubi, neither with much experience or pedigree enough to inspire confidence.
Knight Jr. would come in and most likely start right away for this unit, giving the Colts their first three-down linebacker in what seems like ages, and recent history has been nice for the team drafting Gamecocks’ linebackers.
Round 2, pick 52-62: Elijah Arroyo, tight end, Miami
With the extra pick the Colts got after trading down in the draft, they get an enticing tight end prospect, with just one season of starting experience but traits that project as a dangerous receiving option, a big need for the offense according to Steichen.
Arroyo is nowhere near as polished as either Warren or Loveland, but his safe hands and top speed make him an intriguing option to try and stretch defenses and give AR a viable deep threat down the middle. At worst, he is a more explosive Kylen Granson, which is already an improvement on the current state of the offense. Even if Jelani Woods is healthy and starts playing up to his potential, Arroyo could still find a role as a big-slot type receiver, something the team does not currently have.
Round 3, pick 80: Wyatt Milum, tackle, West Virginia
Milum has almost impeccable tape playing at left tackle for West Virginia, but his short arms make him a potential starting guard at the next level. Offensive line is once again a need for the offense, and getting a player as refined as Milum, with his experience, and potential to play anywhere along the line is a massive asset. This is a player that could make the transition to guard and take over on the right side, or even take over the right tackle spot should Braden Smith retire or miss time due to injuries, but it is going to take some time to get there.
Round 4, pick 117: Jeffrey Bassa, linebacker, Oregon
The Colts have a history of drafting former safeties to play linebacker, a trend gaining steam in the NFL as tight ends get more and more athletic, and slower guys (cough, Zaire, cough) get caught up in coverage time and time again. Bassa has plenty of experience, and has shown improvements in each of his seasons played for the Ducks. It also helps that he could begin his career as a rotational linebacker playing exclusively on passing downs, while the aforementioned Zaire Franklin focuses on down and short situations.
Round 5, pick 151: Luke Kandra, guard, Cincinnati
Milum might take some time to get used to playing on the right side of the line, and also sliding inside, so the need for a starter at the right guard position is still there. Enter Luke Kandra, who has close to 2.000 snaps at the position, and was serviceable both in pass protection and run blocking. He is not the most physically imposing player, at just 6’4’’ and 323 pounds, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and consistency
Round 6, pick 189: Ty Robinson, IDL, Nebraska
At 6’6’’ and 310 pounds Robinson more than fits the physical profile to give DeForest Buckner a breather every now and then, and has experience playing anywhere on the defensive line. His first two seasons were rather unspectacular, but he really put things together this year, racking up 6 sacks with one of the highest pass-rushing win rates in the country. Robinson could be a productive rotational player on the line.
Round 7, pick 232: Jalen Travis, tackle, Iowa State
There is the annual Sherpa annual Draft conspiracy article coming up, and I do not want to spoil anything about that masterpiece, but let’s just say that Travis makes plenty of sense all around. There is also not much expectation regarding 7th round picks, so even if this is a practice squad player it still is a good pick.
Overall, the Colts would come out of the Draft with some much needed blue-chip talent on the defensive side of the ball, fresh replacements on the offensive line to help keep Anthony Richardson (or whoever plays at quarterback for the Colts) upright, and a potential playmaker at the tight end position. In this scenario they do not have many glaring holes on the roster, and if Richardson manages to find at least a tiny sort of consistence, then this team should be playoff bound.