Check out our latest 7-round mock draft following the NFL combine!
With the NFL Scouting Combine officially behind us, the Indianapolis Colts will continue to work on their big board ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.
Even with all this new information from the combine, it’s still a mystery which direction the Colts will go when April 25 arrives. One thing is clear, however. Explosiveness will be the key trait the Colts are looking for on both sides of the ball.
Though it wouldn’t be a Chris Ballard draft without trading back one or five times, we opted against doing so in this iteration. We’ll have plenty of mock drafts that feature trades coming up but until the compensatory picks are set, we’re going with a straight-up prediction.
Without further ado, here’s our post-NFL combine mock draft for the Colts:
In PFF’s post-Super Bowl mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected an extremely athletic cornerback and tight end.
The Indianapolis Colts might not be on the clock for the 2024 NFL draft yet, but that doesn’t mean that experts can’t think of the possibilities.
It’s mock draft season, Colts fans, and Pro Football Focus has prepared some scenarios in which the team drafts a cornerback with their first pick and a tight end with the following pick to give Anthony Richardson another target.
In PFF’s Post-Super Bowl 2024 NFL Mock Draft by Trevor Sikkema, the analyst has Indy drafting Terrion Arnold, a cornerback from Alabama, at pick No. 15 in the first round and Ja’Tavion Sanders, a tight end from Texas, at pick No. 46 during the second round.
Here’s what Sikkema said about the Colts selecting Arnold at No. 15 overall:
Cornerback is the biggest area of need for the Colts, and they’ll have a chance to get a good one here. Arnold has elite size, ball skills, and movement skills to be a potential Pro Bowler.
Corner is a position that the Colts certainly need. The Colts spent the better part of the 2023 season playing musical cornerbacks after unexpectedly losing Isaiah Rodgers and dealing with injuries from Dallis Flowers and JuJu Brents that impacted the lineup.
If they added someone like Arnold into the mix, it would add immediate depth to the secondary, but possibly someone who could be a starter down the road. Arnold is a fantastic athlete (Chris Ballard’s favorite kind of guy) and a known ballhawk with exceptional instincts that allow him to use his speed to react and change direction flawlessly.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
The Colts’ tight end room is in pretty decent shape, despite the lingering injury to Jelani Woods that kept him out during the 2023 season.
Kylen Granson grew as a trusty safety valve, and Will Mallory, when healthy, also added a little gusto. Where this gets interesting is understanding how much Indy still believes in veteran Mo Alie-Cox.
Alie-Cox has been underwhelming since Jack Doyle retired, and moving on from him wouldn’t be out of the question. If the Colts decide to part ways, it would not be shocking to see them add someone like Sanders from Texas.
Sanders was a very reliable target for Quinn Ewers and co. during the 2023 season and while he won’t wow anyone with elite speed, his ability to catch and separate or turn upfield quickly, creating explosive plays, is noteworthy. He’s also got a big frame, at 6’4 and 245 pounds, that makes him a nightmare matchup for secondaries.
Daniel Jeremiah has the Colts adding a CB in his latest mock.
Though the 2024 NFL draft is still months away, the Indianapolis Colts are hard at work putting together the big board of prospects.
Finding a cornerback may be near the top of the list in terms of needs to target during the draft, and the No. 15 overall selection slot gives Indy a chance to add some premier talent.
In the latest mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Colts used that pick to select Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins.
Wiggins is going to put on a show at the NFL Scouting Combine and might be drafted earlier than this slot. The Colts have proven they value traits, and this Clemson product is the big-time-traits corner in this year’s draft.
There is no denying the Colts love to harp on traits. It’s not always what they search for, but Chris Ballard has made it clear the organization believes their draft picks should have a certain baseline of athleticism.
Wiggins is an intriguing prospect. He has the length and athleticism that Ballard will love, and he shows plenty of promise to work both in press-man and in zone coverage.
There are questions about his physicality and overall ability to be a productive asset against the run. While that’s not necessarily the top priority for a cornerback, it is something the Colts value highly. This is especially true when considering Gus Bradley’s scheme.
The zone-heavy scheme Bradley implements often results in the cornerbacks needing to have an edge when it comes to run defense.
It will be interesting to see how highly the Colts value Wiggins’ upside as a cover corner despite questions about his run defense, but he’s certainly a name to keep an eye on at the NFL scouting combine next week.
Our first mock draft of the offseason ahead of the NFL combine.
The Indianapolis Colts are focusing on gathering their draft board ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, and the scouting combine should help them do so in a major way.
At this point in the offseason, it’s far too early to know exactly which way the Colts will be leaning with the No. 15 overall pick. Considering they don’t have a need at quarterback, they can essentially go any direction they want.
A lot will change at the NFL scouting combine in Indy next week but before it arrives, here’s a seven-round mock draft for the Colts:
Here’s how all seven rounds of the 2022 NFL draft could shake out for the Indianapolis Colts
The 2022 NFL draft is just days away, and your favorite NFL team is about to add tons of young talent to help improve their chances of success in the upcoming season.
Here’s how all seven rounds of this year’s draft could shake out for the Indianapolis Colts:
