Defensive line

While the defensive line position is deep this year, the talent has a significant dropoff after the first round. Plus with the Colts’ lack of ability to generate pressure from the interior, this should be the route to go in the draft.

Ballard always mentions having to build in the trenches, and he has done that on the offensive side since taking over, but the defense hasn’t got as much attention.

Since 2017, Ballard has drafted one true interior defensive lineman, that was in 2017 in the fourth round when he took Grover Stewart. While Ballard has spent high capital on the offensive line, he hasn’t done so on the defensive line.

There are two immediate impacts defensive lineman at the top of this draft that the Colts could very much get at 13. Derrick Brown is projected to go in the top 10, but if teams go after quarterbacks early on, Brown could fall.

The other option is South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw. Projections have him going around 10-15 so he is very in play for the Colts, and Kinlaw has traits that fit what Ballard likes in a prospect: superb athleticism, smart and instinctive, can play multiple positions and is charismatic.

With the lack of true talent in the later rounds, the Colts should go in the trenches this draft at 13 and try to get one of the two interior forces that are coming out in this draft.