In a recent mock draft from Will Brinson of CBS Sports, rather than trying to predict who the Colts and every other team would pick or what need they should prioritize in the first round, he set out to do the opposite.
In the ‘Worst Mock Draft Ever,’ as Brinson titled it, it was his intention to “troll every single NFL fan base” with the worst possible pick for their team.
So, for the Colts, that meant taking an offensive tackle in the first round. At pick 15, Brinson had the Colts selecting JC Latham from Alabama.
Here is what Brinson had to say about the pick:
“Hey buddy that offensive line is getting older in Indy.”
In an extremely deep offensive tackle class, Latham is among the best. At right tackle for Alabama last season, he surrendered just two sacks and 14 pressures while also being one of PFF’s highest-graded run defenders.
The Colts, of course, have much more pressing needs than at tackle at cornerback, receiver, and edge rusher.
Tackle is a position group that the Colts have invested in during recent drafts, selecting Bernhard Raimann, Blake Freeland, and Jake Witt. They also have Braden Smith returning this season as well.
The Colts’ offensive line was one of the better units in football last season, ranking 11th in run-block win rate and sixth in pass-blocking efficiency–and they return their entire starting five.
But as we take a look ahead to 2025, there are some potential unknowns at one of the game’s most important positions. Smith will be entering the final year of his deal and comes with a cap hit of almost $20 million. The Colts still don’t know what they have in Freeland, who took his lumps as a rookie when called upon.
However, that doesn’t mean they are going to spend a first-round pick on the position, either. As already mentioned, this is a group that’s in good shape and it’s a very strong position group in this year’s class, with GM Chris Ballard believing that very good players can be found in the middle and even latter portions of the draft.
“I think there’s a few positions that’s got some real depth,” said Ballard Friday at his pre-draft press conference. “Like the O-line in this draft is excellent and there’s depth throughout. I truly believe you’re going to get a really good player in those mid-rounds and even some later because of the depth of the group.”
With only four true offensive tackles currently on the roster, this will be a position group that the Colts have to add to, even if it’s just purely for depth, as they’ll need more bodies to get through training camp and the preseason.