The Indianapolis Colts are preparing to begin the 2023 regular season, which means the upcoming draft class isn’t at the top of the priority list.
Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look at what the start of the 2024 draft could look like for the Colts. Where they will end up is a mystery, of course, but our friends over at Draft Wire conducted a two-round mock draft following the opening week of the college football season.
Holding the No. 3 overall pick in this mock draft, the Colts opted to go with Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu.
The Colts go for an elite player to protect their new franchise quarterback.
In this mock, the Arizona Cardinals held the first two picks thanks to their 2023 draft trade with the Houston Texans. The first two picks to go were quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. No surprise there.
Fashanu has been a prospect linked as a potential fit for the Colts during the early mock drafts. If the Colts hold the No. 3 overall pick, it’s more likely they trade out of that spot to a team with a need at quarterback.
In the second round, the Colts held the No. 35 overall pick and found their potential replacement for Jonathan Taylor in the form of Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Of course, we have no idea what the future has in store for Taylor and the Colts. But if he’s gone by the time the 2024 offseason gets going, the Colts certainly could be in the market to draft a running back.
Henderson exploded for a fantastic freshman campaign in 2021, taking 184 carries for 1,248 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. He added 27 receptions for 312 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
As one of the top backs going into the 2022 season, Henderson was hampered by a foot injury, which limited him to just eight games while clearly keeping him from being an explosive runner.
We’re so far away from the draft that these projections will change over the course of the next eight months or so, but these will be some prospects to keep an eye on as the college football season gets underway.