With cornerback, edge rusher, and even tight end help available at pick 15, The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez has the Indianapolis Colts going in a completely different direction in his recent mock draft.
Sanchez has the Colts selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at 15th overall. Before we take a 30,000-foot view of this selection, let’s discuss Guyton first.
Guyton measures in at 6-7 and weighs 322 pounds with 34.12-inch arms. He tested extremely well, posting a Relative Athletic Score of 9.74 out of 10.
Guyton has played 1,095 career snaps, most of which came over the last two seasons and at right tackle. During that span, he allowed two sacks and 16 pressures. For what it’s worth, he’s graded out better as a pass-blocker by PFF’s metrics than a run-blocker.
This is very much a selection where the Colts would be betting on Guyton’s traits and upsid, which to an extent, is what the draft is about.
For more on his game, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in his pre-draft scouting report:
“Ascending tackle prospect with the traits and tape to project a bright future as a high-level pass protector in the league. Guyton has battled injuries and had limited reps coming over from TCU after the 2021 season, but his flashes have been complemented by increasing consistency. He plays with a high center of gravity and needs to get stronger, but leveraged hand strikes can help overcome those concerns. He should continue to get better as a run blocker but might never shine in that department. Guyton’s value comes with his pass protection, as he has the length, feet and body control to become a human roadblock. He should become a talented starter at either tackle position.”
On the roster at the tackle position are Blake Freeland, Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, and Jake Witt. Overall, the Colts offensive line last season ranked 16th in sacks given up and allowed the ninth-lowest pressure rate. This unit would also rank sixth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.
Not to say that competition shouldn’t be added or that the Colts aren’t on the lookout for additional depth at tackle, but this is a position group they have invested in recently, and with players like Quinyon Mitchell, Terrion Arnold, Brock Bowers, and Dallas Turner all available when the Colts were picking in Sanchez’s mock draft, if the draft were to play out this way, I don’t know that Guyton would be the pick.
In the second round of Sanchez’s mock, the Colts make another somewhat head-scratching pick, taking Michigan’s Mike Sainristil. Sainristil is one of the best nickel cornerbacks in this draft class, but the Colts did just re-sign Kenny Moore, one of the better nickel corners in the NFL, to a new contract.
Cornerback is a need for the Colts, but what they need is another boundary presence.
Sainristil stands 5-9 and weighs 182 pounds. He recorded a RAS of 8.51 at the NFL Combine. Sainristil is a former wide receiver who converted to cornerback for his final two seasons at Michigan, and those ball skills clearly translated over. From 2022 to 2023, Sainristil totaled seven interceptions, including six this past season, and 12 pass breakups.
In total, he allowed a completion rate of 62 percent on 116 targets for 11.9 yards per catch while making 99 of his 113 tackle attempts. Part of the nickel cornerback’s duties include helping out in the run and blitzing off the edge, two areas where Sainristil proved to be reliable.
The draft isn’t solely about addressing the biggest positional needs that each team has but it’s also about finding players who can provide the biggest long-term impact, sometimes regardless of what the position is. However, with that said, this mock draft doesn’t align all that well with where the Colts’ roster is currently at.