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Las Vegas product Jonah Laulu was casualty of Colts DT depth, bonus draft pick for Raiders

Raiders wanted to draft Las Vegas product Jonah Laulu. And thanks to the Colts deep DT room, the Raiders got him anyway

To be honest, this is one of the few years I can recall there being less struggling with predicting who the Raiders might keep and who they might cut. That’s not to say my predictions were perfect — they were pretty close — that’s to say there weren’t a lot of guys getting pushed out due to a numbers issue. Which is to say just too much talent at that position.

There were several positions, however, where they had the opposite problem. The most glaring was probably defensive tackle.

Outside the top three of Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, and Adam Butler, no one was stepping up to take the final couple spots on the depth chart.

So, when it came time for cuts, the Raiders were on the lookout for a player who was probably talented enough to make their roster, but still found themselves the odd man out on a more talented squad.

That was the case in Indianapolis. They had the good kind of problem where they are very deep at the position and so a tough cut had to happen. GM Chris Ballard had said it was the toughest position for him due to how deep it was.

The result was that both of the defensive tackles they waived were scooped up off the wire by other teams. Their 2022 fifth round pick Eric Johnson II was claimed by the Patriots and this year’s seventh rounder Jonah Laulu was claimed by the Raiders.

“I give Tom Telesco credit, now,” said Ballard of Raiders claiming Laulu. “Jonah, he’s probably not ready, but he will be one day. He’s going to be a good player.”

Telesco and Antonio Pierce were familiar with 6-5, 292-pouner because he is from Las Vegas and attended Centennial High School. And according to Pierce, the team was looking to draft him.

“Jonah was here at our local pro day, and I liked him,” said Pierce. “I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a chance to draft him, but you watch, you just look at your roster, you look at everybody else, you look at the waiver wire, and you make a decision. And we felt Jonah gives us some more depth and a little bit more juice in the D-line room.”

With Laulu available, the Raiders signed him and cut 2023 third round pick Byron Young who had a disappointing rookie season and didn’t appear to have improved any in this year’s camp and preseason.

Hard to say how much the Raiders were really looking to draft Laulu considering their last pick was at 229 where they selected CB MJ Devonshire and Laulu was picked at 234. Pierce and Telesco may have thought Laulu was draftable, but he just wasn’t at the top of their draft board when they picked. That’s how it happens sometimes.

Certainly with just 24 picks left in the draft, the Raiders were already working the phones and likely hoped they could land him as an undrafted free agent if nothing else. But the Colts made sure that didn’t happen.

No matter, in the end they got him anyway. And, for what it’s worth, they cut Devonshire as well and re-signed him to their practice squad.

Big things to know from Chris Ballard’s post-roster cuts press conference

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard spoke with reporters following roster cutdown day. Here are the big things to know from it.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard met with the media on Wednesday following roster cutdowns. In case you missed anything, here is what you need to know from the 20-plus-minute conversation.

If you would like to watch the entire interview, please click here.

– Ballard says that the roster is very flexible, especially during the first month of the season. “How we start is not always how we end up.”

– The most difficult decisions came on the defensive line because of the amount of talent the Colts have there, as evidenced by Jonah Laulu and Eric Johnson both being claimed off waivers.

– “I’m not saying we didn’t try to do some things,” said Ballard about adding to the secondary. “Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.” He adds that they have “good, young talent” on the back end and a lot of belief in their front. “They gotta play.”

– “Sam’s a good football player,” said Ballard about Ehlinger, mentioning that he brings a lot to the football team, both on the field and in the meeting rooms.

– Ballard on Nick Cross: “I think he’s consistently got better.” Ballard adds that he played “really good football” during the preseason.

– “No,” said Ballard when asked if he was concerned about Matt Gay. “He’s a good kicker. A really good kicker.” Ballard says there’s more to the story from last season, but wasn’t going to get into what that meant. He adds that not many can go into Baltimore and do what Gay did last season.

– Ballard on Josh Downs: “Hopeful. Making progress.” Ballard isn’t going to say whether or not he can play Week 1.

– The decision to designate Samson Ebukam to return from IR: “It’s a longshot…but if you’re going to bet on somebody, you bet on Samson. It is a longshot.”

– Ballard also mentions the major strides that linebacker Cameron McGrone has made over the last year. He is sidelined with an elbow injury but the Colts are looking forward to getting him back.

– “No,” said Ballard when asked if designating Jelani Woods to return off IR was an option. “Yeah, no.” Ballard adds that he’s a Woods is a really good kid, was working his tail off, and making good strides. “It does make the evaluation tougher just because he’s been hurt the last two years.”

– “We feel like we will be in the mix.” Ballard has a lot of belief in the leadership, mentioning Shane Steichen, and in the players, who are all very committed.

– Ballard was asked if he views himself as being on the hot seat: “I think every year you do. That’s kind of how I’m wired, but no. Not any different than any other year.”

– “The more he plays, the more he sees, the better it’s going to get,” said Ballard about Anthony Richardson. He adds that he expects Richardson to do a better job of protecting himself and he can see that his comfort in the offense has really grown.

– “Time will tell,” said Ballard when asked if this is the most complete roster he’s had. Ballard adds that he really likes the offensive and defensive fronts. “I think it’s a really good football team, but now we’ve got to go perform.”

– Ballard on Jason Bean: “I really like Jason and what we think he can become.” Mentions that he was really impressed with how he played against Oklahoma State and Cincinnati. Ballard thinks he’s a better thrower than what he’s been given credit for.

– Ballard on the running backs: “Really like the group.” He adds that Tyler Goodson showed a little bit more of a well-rounded skill set than Evan Hull.

– With three draft picks being released, Ballard notes that because they’ve had so many draft picks the last few years, that’s a part of the process. When it’s the team philosophy to accumulate draft picks, some will get cut and some will need development.

– Ballard says he likes what he saw from Blake Freeland at right tackle this offseason, but transitioning to left tackle came with technique issues he will have to fix. Matt Goncalves did some good things at both tackle spots and Ballard feels good about both players. “They’ll continue to compete.”

– “We like Latu. He’s got a chance to do some pretty special things.” Ballard adds that all 10 players along the front, depending on the game-plan, will have various roles this season. “He’s got pretty freaky instincts,” says Ballard about Latu.

– Ballard said Alec Pierce had his best camp and as good as anybody out there. Pierce showed that he can play both inside and out. AD Mitchell is a talented, young player who is still learning. “They’re both going to have really good years and help us.”

There is strength in numbers for the Colts’ tight end position

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard does like the depth of the tight end position and the variety of skill sets this group has.

The Indianapolis Colts may not have a “superstar” at the tight end position, but general manager Chris Ballard does like the depth of the group and the variety of skill sets in the room as well.

“So they’re all viable,” said Ballard of the tight end room. “I mean, they all got a little–do we have a, per se, superstar in the group? Probably not. Do we have really good players at the group? Yeah.”

Coming into training camp, the Colts have seven tight ends on the roster, and Ballard believes just about all of them have a path to contributing to this year’s team.

“I mean, Mo Alie’s got a role,” added Ballard. “(Drew) Ogletree’s got a role. (Kyle) Granson’s got a little bit of a role. Mallory, we think is going to do some really good things. We got to see Jelani.

“Then you got (Eric) Tomlinson, who’s played in this league and is a good Y-blocking tight end. So I think that’ll work itself out over time.”

The strength of this Colts’ tight end unit is the number of different roles that, collectively, this unit can fill.

Alie-Cox and Ogletree are often asked to block, but both, particularly Ogletree, have the versatility to play from the slot, and can be big targets in the passing game for Anthony Richardson when needed.

As Ballard mentions, Tomlinson fills the traditional in-line Y-tight end role, while Woods can add a big play presence to the passing game, especially over the middle in Shane Steichen’s RPO-heavy offense. It is his goal this summer to his spot as a pivotal member of the offense.

“Jelani showed some really good things as a rookie and then was hurt all last year,” said Ballard. “He’s got to stay healthy and let’s see what he’s got.”

Then Granson and Mallory fit the do-it-all move tight end mold, with either being able to handle just about any role within the offense.

Having a diverse group of skill sets at this position will allow Steichen to be really game-plan specific in how he utilizes the tight end room. From week-to-week, to a degree, playing time could be determined by who the opponent is and what the offense needs to be successful.

Last season, 12 personnel–or two tight end packages–was the second-most utilized personnel grouping by the Colts.

“I think with Shane and our offensive staff, they’re going to play to the strengths,” Ballard said. “So like, if those guys end up being, have to be on the field in 12, 13 personnel every once in a while, then he’ll do it.

“He’ll do whatever he thinks and adjust however we have to win. But I do think it’s a good group. Might not be a superstar, but it’s a good group.”

The challenge potentially, or as Ballard put it–a good problem to have–will be determining how many of these players make the initial 53-man roster. Going heavy and keeping five tight ends means going light at another position group, and although Ballard mentioned six of the tight ends being able to have a role, rostering that many seems unrealistic as well.

An added wrinkle in this is Alie-Cox’s contract. He is in the final year of his deal and has no guaranteed dollars left. If the Colts were to release him, they would save $5.9 million in cap space.

“That’s a good problem,” said Ballard about the number of potential contributors at tight end the Colts have. “I mean, I’d rather have–I’d rather us be talking about having five or six viable players at a position than going we don’t have but one viable player at a position. So that’s not a bad thing.”

Ultimately, all of these questions will be answer in the next several weeks as training camp and the preseason unfolds. While this position group may be lacking star power, as a collective unit, there is a lot the Colts’ tight ends can offer the offense this season.

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard bullish on talent in wide receiver room

General manager Chris Ballard is bullish on the talent that the Colts’ have in their wide receiver room.

With training camp underway, Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard feels good about the wide receiver unit that he’s put around quarterback Anthony Richardson this season.

“One, I do like our set of weapons,” said Ballard on Wednesday. “I do like AD Mitchell. I like (Alec) Pierce. You know my feelings on (Michael) Pittman. And I think (Josh) Downs is really freaking good.”

Ultimately, what matters is how the team performs on Sundays, but it’s easy to see why Ballard feels this way.

Although Pierce has primarily been a downfield presence during his career, with 30 percent of his targets in 2023 coming 20-plus yards downfield, it’s his goal this summer to showcase his versatility and that he can impact other parts of the field.

Pittman, meanwhile, has been an uber-reliable target since arriving to Indianapolis. Regardless of the quarterback situation, Pittman has produced, culminating with 109 receptions and 1,152 receiving yards last season.

The addition of Mitchell will add a new element to the Colts’ offense with his 4.34 speed and the explosiveness he brings as a route runner. With that kind of speed, of course, Mitchell can win downfield, but his ability as a route runner allows him to be a viable threat at all levels of the field.

“I think he’s got a rare ability to separate at the top of routes. He’s got an arsenal of releases versus press man, you can see it show up on tape,” said Shane Steichen.

“He’s going to bring that speed element and that big-play ability too as well.”

As the Colts’ primary slot receiver, Downs would put together an impressive and what Ballard believes to be an under-the-radar rookie season.

He would finish last year with 771 receiving yards, while catching 72 percent of his targets with two touchdowns. Among all receivers from the slot, Downs had the seventh-most yards. On the Colts specifically, Downs led the team in missed tackles and average YAC per catch with 30 first downs and 10 receptions of 20 or more yards.

“I don’t think it got talked about enough last year what Downs was able to do,” added Ballard. “Downs did some freaking good things now, and I think he’s about to explode. So I do think we have enough weapons there.”

Between this group of wide receivers, having Jonathan Taylor healthy, and what should be a top tier offensive line unit, Ballard believes he’s been able to surround second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson with a lot of talent.

Realistically, with Richardson having only 98 career dropbacks and 84 total pass attempts, he’s still an inexperienced player who may go through some growing pains. However, with the players around him, success for the Colts’ offense won’t require him to do all of the heavy lifting.

“We liked all the stuff we saw, but he’s still got to go prove it over the course of time, like any player does,” said Ballard. “You can be a flash, but he’s still got to prove it over the course of time. But we think we got a good football team around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to carry us.”

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard not expecting any limitations for QB Anthony Richardson

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard told reporters that he is not expecting any limitations for QB Anthony Richardson at the start of training camp.

Not surprisingly, Colts GM Chris Ballard said that there won’t be any limitations on quarterback Anthony Richardson.

“I’m not expecting any limitations right now,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “None.”

Although Richardson would sit out the final minicamp practice back in early June, which both he and Shane Steichen made clear was nothing more than rest, the reason that this news from Ballard isn’t a surprise is because a few weeks ago, he said the same thing.

“He’ll be full-go,” said Ballard on the GM Re-Shuffle podcast back in June. “He was full-go all the way up until the last day of OTAs, and we had two heavy throwing sessions the two days before, and so we backed off a little on the last day.”

In addition to that, Richardson was a part of a group throwing session recently, with several members of the Colts’ quarterback, running back, and wide receiver rooms getting together for a “second minicamp,” as Richardson called it, in an effort for everyone to find their groove coming into training camp.

Of course, while Richardson is a full-go, everyone will be monitoring how his shoulder responds as camp and the upcoming practices unfold. But overall, the rehab process has been smooth sailing.

“We’re actually surprised there’s only been one day like this,” Richardson said after that final minicamp practice. “Everything’s been smooth sailing so far, and luckily it was the last day, so we’re not too worried about it.

When asked, Ballard would go on to add that he doesn’t expect Richardson to need any built-in maintenance days for his shoulder during training camp. And while the team likes what Richardson showcased last season, with the talent he has around him, he won’t have to be Superman either, which will help facilitate a Year 2 leap.

Highlights from Colts GM Chris Ballard’s training camp press conference

Here are the highlights from GM Chris Ballard’s training camp press conference with Colts players reporting on July 24th.

Training camp is underway for the Indianapolis Colts, with veterans and rookies reporting on Wednesday, July 24th, and the first practice taking place on Thursday.

With everyone back in the building, GM Chris Ballard would meet with reporters. Here are the highlights from that conversation. To watch the full interview, click here.

– Ballard begins by saying that he believes the Colts are a talented team, but there’s work to do. The intensity gets kicked up during training camp when the pads come on. He adds that there is a good mix of veterans and young players on the team.

– Medicals weren’t quite done when Ballard was meeting with reporters, but he did say that Chris Lammons will start on the PUP list following ankle surgery, adding that he’s a week or two away from being ready.

– Tyler Goodson had a toe injury, but Ballard wasn’t sure if he will start on the NFI or PUP lists.

– JuJu Brents had an ankle clean up right after OTAs, but should be cleared soon and may be limited to start.

– Genard Avery is “getting close.” Ballard doesn’t expect him to start on PUP. Braden Smith will get worked back slowly and Ashton Dulin should be “good to go.” Dulin may be a little limited to start.

– Ballard was asked about Ryan Kelly’s contract situation. Kelly told reporters that his representation approached the Colts about a new deal but were told that an early extension won’t be happening. Ballard says the team has proven they are loyal to their own players.

– Ballard says “I definitely think we’re going to be in the mix” when asked about the upcoming season.

– When it comes to positional battles, Ballard mentions the secondary first, which may not be worked out until into the season. The only givens right now are that Kenny Moore and Julian Blackmon will be starting. Ballard adds that Blackmon played “excellent” last year, and mentions Ronnie Harrison when discussing the safety position.

– Other battles include the backup Mike behind Zaire Franklin. The swing tackle along the offensive line is another, and then the backup running back role.

– Ballard doesn’t expect maintenance days during minicamp with Anthony Richardson. “I’m not expecting any limitations right now. None.”

– Ballard likes the football they’ve put around Richardson so he doesn’t have to carry them. They like what they saw from him last season but he’s got to prove it over the course of time.

– “Most likely,” says Ballard when asked if Richardson will play in the preseason.

– Ballard speaks highly of Richardson’s poise. Despite the lack of NFL snaps, you don’t see any panic.

– On the tight end position, Ballard says while they may not have a superstar at the position, they have a lot of talent who can handle different roles. “That’ll work itself out over time.” Adds that Shane Steichen will use 12 or 13 personnel if that’s what the gameplan calls for.

– “I thought he played really well the last two years,” said Ballard about EJ Speed. “I love EJ Speed,” added Ballard. “He loves everything about the process.”

– “He’s able to adapt to whatever the quarterback can do,” said Ballard about Steichen. He adds that the relationship between Steichen and Richardson is really strong. “He’s outstanding,” said Ballard about offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

– “I do like our set of weapons,” said Ballard about the Colts’ receivers. “I think Downs is really good.” Ballard believes they have enough weapons at the position with Adonai Mitchell, Michael Pittman, and Alec Pierce, along with Downs.

– “Jonathan Taylor will have a big year,” said Ballard.

– “We like our young players,” said Ballard about the cornerbacks and safeties. “I’m not saying we won’t do something. We definitely could. But I want to see these young guys get after it and compete.”

– “I think we got a chance to be a really, really good offensive football team.” Ballard believes in that, in large part because of how talented they are upfront.

Colts’ GM Chris Ballard wants to see young secondary compete before deciding to make addition

The Colts aren’t going to decide whether or not to make an addition in the secondary until they see their young cornerbacks and safeties compete.

Two of the bigger unknowns on this Indianapolis Colts’ roster heading into training camp reside in the secondary at cornerback and safety. However, GM Chris Ballard will continue to take a wait-and-see approach before determining if an addition needs to be made.

“We like our young players,” said Ballard on Wednesday. “I’m not saying we won’t do something. We definitely could. But I want to see these young guys get after it and compete.”

According to Joel Erickson of the Indy Star, Ballard added that the secondary picture could take some time to take shape and the battle might even last into the first couple weeks of the season.

In part due to injuries, the Colts had to rely on several young contributors in the secondary last season and the result was inconsistent play. In short, there weren’t enough plays on the football being made, and too many explosive plays given up, with the Colts’ defense ranking in the bottom-third of the NFL in yards per attempt allowed and pass defensed.

“Like I said, sometimes the inconsistency,” said Gus Bradley on the root of the issues last season. There was three or four games where we look back and say it just wasn’t us, and what was the culprit of it, explosive passes and things like that, whether it was a bust coverage here and there. But I think in those times, we’ve just got to make sure the young guys play at their highest level.”

However, all offseason, the Colts have remained bullish about the group they already have, with the only outside additions at either cornerback or safety coming on Day 3 of the draft.

The only locks right now are that Kenny Moore will be in the slot and Julian Blackmon will be the strong safety. “Everything else is up in the air,” as Erickson put it.

However, what we know right now is that JuJu Brents was starting at one of the boundary positions during offseason programs, while Jaylon Jones took more of the starting snaps opposite of Brents than what Flowers did.

Last season as a seventh-round rookie, Jones allowed a 54 percent completion rate on 57 targets, and 10.6 yards per catch with five pass breakups. Flowers’ 2023 season was, unfortunately, cut short due to an Achilles injury.

“I think all those guys, obviously, we drafted two young guys, but I think with Jaylon Jones, Dallis, and JuJu, they’re long, rangy guys that are physical when they get up and press,” said Shane Steichen during minicamp.

“They got good vision. I love those guys. It’s a good room. A good competition there. It’s going to be a good competition, obviously, in minicamp and OTAs, but going into training camp is going to be big for all those guys.”

At safety, this is a two-man battle at the moment between Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas, both of whom saw starting snaps during OTAs and minicamp–although it was Cross who replaced Thomas late last season.

At both the free agent safety and cornerback positions, there remain some well-known players, most notably Justin Simmons, Xavien Howard, and Stephon Gilmore.

With nearly $26 million in available cap space, the Colts have plenty of room to make what will most likely be a relatively low-cost addition, but first, Ballard and Co. want to see how things unfold over the next several weeks, if not longer.

Former Texas WR Adonai Mitchell gets vote of confidence from Colts GM

Good on Chris Ballard standing up for a player who deserved to hear his named called.

Good on Chris Ballard standing up for a player who deserved to hear his named called Friday night. Continue reading “Former Texas WR Adonai Mitchell gets vote of confidence from Colts GM”

GM Chris Ballard: Colts need to see better play out of young DBs in 2024

The Colts relied heavily on several young DBs last season, but as Chris Ballard said, they are no longer rookies and better play is needed.

During his season-ending press conference back in January, Colts GM Chris Ballard acknowledged that he put defensive coordinator Gus Bradley in a difficult spot having to rely heavily on so many young players in the secondary.

However, even with that being the case, and the performance from that group often reflecting that, Ballard didn’t make any outside additions to improve his safety or cornerback rooms during free agency.

In part, doing that is dependent upon who is available, what other teams are interested, the contract, and other factors. But, as Ballard acknowledged when meeting with reporters on Friday, those young players in the secondary are no longer rookies, and a jump in 2024 is the expectation from this group.

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“I think getting Dallis Flowers back will help,” said Ballard. “I think, looking back on it, when I made that statement, the injury part of it played into it, and then we gave him a bunch of rookies. Well now, they’re no longer rookies anymore. Jaylon Jones is no longer a rookie. JuJu (Brents) is no longer a rookie. Dallis Flowers we’re hoping to get back healthy. We got back Kenny (Moore) back in the mix. I think anybody within in the grand scheme of things would tell you that he’s one of the top nickels in the league.

“It’s not like these guys don’t have enough talent. Do we want to add some more? Of course. We always want to add competition. What we did was we gave him a bunch of young players without a vet presence back there other than Kenny and Julian (Blackmon).”

Last season in the secondary, the Colts relied heavily on Brents, a 2023 second-round pick who also dealt with injuries, along with Jones, a seventh-round pick last April. Darrell Baker, a 2022 undrafted rookie, would end up playing 469 defensive snaps, while at safety Nick Cross, who played only 122 snaps as a rookie in 2022, took on a larger role.

The results, as we all saw and Ballard has referred to, were up and down — at best. Explosive pass plays were an issue in 2023, with the Colts ranking in the bottom half of the NFL in big pass plays surrendered.

As a unit, the Colts ranked 22nd in yards per pass attempt allowed and 22nd in pass breakups. During the final four games of the season, with the Colts battling for a playoff spot, the 68 percent completion rate given up ranked 30th during that span.

In other key metrics, like interceptions forced, completion rate allowed for the season and passer rating, the Colts were around the middle of the pack. So it’s not as if it was all bad by any means, but overall, they remained wildly inconsistent, which is to be expected when relying heavily on young players.

“No. Not anymore,” said Ballard when asked if the secondary was too young. ”I think they’ve grown up. It’s been fun to watch them. Once you play 16-17 games in this league, you’ve grown up to the fact where you’re no longer a rookie. So I think we’ll see better play out of them.”

It’s for these reasons that every draft analyst out there has cornerback as a top priority for the Colts to address next week. While Ballard’s hope and expectations are that things improve in 2024, that’s not a given either, and relying solely on that to happen comes with obvious risks.

The good news is that this draft is considered to be fairly strong at the cornerback position. A strong draft class on the offensive side of the ball could push top cornerback options Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold down to the Colts at No. 15.

Other first-round options — perhaps not at 15th overall — include Nate Wiggins, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Cooper DeJean.

With that said, if Ballard does feel strongly about the young defensive backs already on the roster making a leap, then perhaps he doesn’t feel the same urgency as some on the outside to address cornerback right away, which would then free him up to prioritize adding a playmaking presence on offense instead — another big need.

Competition is an important factor when it comes to seeing improved play, and as Ballard mentioned, it is something they are always looking to add. So it’s not a matter of whether the Colts add a defensive back, but more so a question of when.

Regardless of how it happens — a jump by young players on the roster or an infusion of talent through the draft — the play on the back end of the Colts’ defense has to improve.

“It’s kind of like the (expletive)-whipping y’all gave the O-line two years ago,” Ballard said, comparing the criticism to his cornerback room. “Y’all just (said), ‘The O-line sucks. They can’t play.’ I kept going, ‘Man, the second half of the season, I didn’t think it was that bad.’ There were some individual moments, of course, but I thought they got better as they played.”

Colts GM Chris Ballard: OL, WR groups ‘stand out’ in 2024 NFL draft

At his pre-draft press conference, Colts GM Chris Ballard mentioned offensive line and wide receiver as being two standout positions in the draft.

In the upcoming NFL draft, there are two position groups that stand out above the rest, according to Colts GM Chris Ballard, and one of them in particular is a big need for Indianapolis.

“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.

“Wideout is very similar. Those two position groups stand out. They’re really good.”

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Of the top 100 prospects on PFF’s big board, 40 are either receivers or offensive linemen, with 20 players representing each position group.

Early in the draft, the offensive line may not be a huge need for the Colts. The unit tied for sixth in pass-blocking efficiency last season and ranked 11th in run-block win rate. It is returning its starting five, which should include a healthy Braden Smith.

However, as we all know, the draft is about planning ahead. As we look ahead to the 2025 offseason, center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries are both set to be free agents.

Smith, meanwhile, will be in the final year of his contract at that time and comes with a nearly $20 million cap hit. While the Colts have invested in the offensive line regularly in the last few drafts, this is one of the most important positions in football. And as Ballard mentioned, there’s a ton of talent, even in the middle to later portions of the draft, which could be a sweet spot for the Colts to add to this unit.

Receiver is a much more pressing need, with the Colts wanting to infuse more playmaking into the offense. The overall depth of this unit could be elevated as well.

With so much talent in this year’s draft class, Ballard has options. Although receiver is one of the bigger perceived needs that the Colts have, potentially knowing that Ballard can find more immediate impact help on Day 2 or even later could allow him to address other needs early on, such as cornerback, safety or edge rusher.

The top three wide receivers in this class — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze — will all be off the board by the time the Colts are on the clock.

At least based on the outside perception of how this draft might shake out, the only receiver option for the Colts at No. 15 overall could be LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. Other potential first-round receivers, like Texas’ Adonai Mitchell or Xavier Worthy, are projected to go later.

It’s a scenario like this that could lead to the Colts tackling a different need in the first round or even trading back to still land one of those top pass-catchers but accumulating an additional top-100 pick in the process.

During his time as GM, Ballard has shown a willingness to make trades, which has often resulted in him moving down rather than up.

“I just go off history,” said Ballard. “The more picks you have, the better chance you have to hit. Now, of course, you’re not going to hit on all of them, but it gives you a better chance to hit.”

With there being so much talent on the offensive side of the ball in this year’s draft, the benefit for the Colts is that a run on offensive players early on will push down some of those top defenders.

That could mean that cornerbacks Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell, or edge rusher Jared Verse, could be available when the Colts are picking.

“I will say this,” added Ballard, “I do think you’re going to see a lot of offensive players taken early in the first round. I’m not saying it’s a weak defensive class, but it is a really strong offensive draft, especially at the top of it.”