The Indianapolis Colts showed they can still dominate lesser teams in their 38-6 rout of the Carolina Panthers, but the victory wound up hurting their stock in the 2020 NFL draft.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Colts currently hold the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the draft. With a win expected against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, there’s a chance the Colts see their draft stock fall even a little bit further.
Though the Colts have to get through free agency before the draft hits, it has been made clear over the past three offseasons that general manager Chris Ballard prefers to do the majority of his impactful additions through the draft.
The Colts currently have eight picks in the upcoming draft, including a high-second round pick that came in the trade with the Washington Redskins during the 2018 draft.
There are several avenues the Colts could take during the draft. They could target a quarterback, add depth to the interior defensive line or even bring in a future chip in the wide receiver corps.
What happens in free agency will determine much of what the Colts do in the draft, but it seems they are lining up to have a mid first-round pick regardless.