Conspiracy Report: Colts GM Chris Ballard Has Leaked the 2026 Draft Plan

What this tells me is that they are very confident in JTT’s ability to start at defensive end opposite Latu. But he absolutely feels they need to add a fastball to the mix.

So with that (very limited) set of criteria in mind, let’s jump into who might be available when the Colts will pick.

Names to know:

Malachi Lawrence UCF- 9.95 RAS if you’re looking for speed off the edge (and I believe the Colts are) Malachi Lawrence has it. The book on Lawrence is that he’s a twitchy speed rusher with plenty of moves to go along with it. He’s inconsistent at best on run downs and will likely be limited early in his career to a role of pass rush specialist. This likely fits what the Colts want from the position given where they’re drafting. If Lawrence were a complete player, with those kind of testing numbers, he would be a high first round pick. As it stands I still believe Lawrence may hear his name called late on day one, just due to how freaky of an athlete he is at the position. If he’s on the board whenever the Colts pick, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in blue and white this fall. Lawrence went to the East-West Shrine Bowl on the West Team. He was coached by Colts Senior Assistant defensive line coach, Matt Raich during the week.

Jaishawn Barham Michigan- 8.82 RAS Barham transferred from Maryland to Michigan in 2023. He started 47 games in his college career. A converted off-ball linebacker, Barham’s RAS clocks in at 8.82 because he’s just 6’3” 240 lbs. Barham has the ability to play inside linebacker or rush from the edge and is explosive when on the line of scrimmage. He’s noted as playing with attitude and as Lance Zierlein called it “a salty demeanor”. What intrigues me the most about Barham is his positional flexibility. On early downs Indy can use him as a linebacker and slide him to the edge on passing downs to get that explosion off the edge. Lou Anarumo can probably think of all kinds of interesting blitz packages for a guy like Barham, as well.

Joshua Josephs Tennessee- 8.45 RAS the production from Josephs is lacking and the pass rushing burst isn’t always there on tape, but it does show up from time to time and it’s hard to call it anything other than explosive when it appears. His vertical jump (38.5) and broad jump (10’9”) bare that out. He is just 242lbs but he has 34” arms and Chris Ballard has to love that. The question becomes, do the Colts think they can get that burst, that jump off the line out of him consistently enough to give them the speed they’re looking for at the position? I can’t answer that question, I’ve only watched about 2.5 games of Josephs and I’d probably have to learn a lot more about Tennessee’s defensive system to be able to and I just don’t have time for that. I will say that he’s not my favorite realistic prospect at the position but if they do select him, I see the vision. Hopefully, if Indy takes him, the Colts staff has more ideas than I do about how to pull that burst out of him more than a handful of times a game.

Michael Heldman Central Michigan- 9.90 RAS I saw Heldman’s RAS score and I wanted to find a scouting report on the kid because I absolutely do not have Central Michigan tape from last season. And I couldn’t find a scouting report either. So I fired up the ole YouTube to find TV copy of Central Michigan games from 2025. The first game I turned on was Central Michigan vs. Michigan. I wanted to turn the tape on, see that he didn’t belong and then move down my list of prospects. Instead, Heldman showed a quick first step, good bend, solid hand usage to get off blocks and he held up well against the run, even stalemating a couple of double teams from the Michigan o-line. He not only belonged against that level of competition, he played well. So I fired up their game against Northwestern. It was a step down in competition, but still better than the rest of the MAC, and I saw the same thing (he did leave the game early due to injury, but point stands). Then I watched him against UMass and saw the same things as before. This kid is legit. He also stood out at the Hula Bowl, you can find several clips of him winning in full team drills on Twitter if you’re so inclined. He played more of a base end role last season and if the Colts are wanting to add a base end with the kind of first step and speed they’ve been talking about all offseason, rather than just a pass rush specialist, I think Heldman could fill the role really well. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him sneak into the back of the third round. I don’t know that he’ll ever be a 10 sack guy at the next level but the only reason he won’t be picked much higher than he is, is because he played at Central Michigan. Heldman played in the East-West Shrine Bowl on the West roster, he was coached by Colts Senior Assistant defensive line coach, Matt Raich during the week.

Keyron Crawford Auburn- N/A RAS Crawford transferred from Arkansas State to Auburn and became a productive player at their “Buck” linebacker spot. As I understand it, the Buck position comes with a lot of responsibilities, more than he is likely to have at the next level. He only played one year of high school football and the word on him is he’s still developing a feel for the game. He is also a highly athletic, twitchy rusher off the edge. As of the time of this writing he hasn’t done any athletic testing, I did find that he played through an injury in 2025, so one would assume he may have had offseason surgery and will be unable to test. Crawford profiles as a highly athletic, ascending talent that should be a better pro than college player.

Mason Reiger Wisconsin- 9.64 RAS if explosion grades told the whole story Reiger might just be the guy the Colts picked. I won’t lie, Reiger was a guy I was excited to watch, I turned on the tape and was disappointed by what I saw. I don’t think he has the kind of initial burst the Colts are looking for. With that said he looked quicker at the East West Shrine Bowl, both during the week and by racking up three sacks and earning himself the defensive MVP award in the process. Reiger is a Wisconsin guy and while I don’t think Ballard drafts from Wisconsin just to do it, it doesn’t hurt that it is Ballard’s alma mater. Reiger started as a walk-on at Louisville, before playing in 43 games at Louisville and Wisconsin (transferring in 2025). He did miss the 2024 season due to a knee injury that required a bone graft. Reiger played in the East-West Shrine Bowl on the East roster, he was coached by Colts assistant defensive line coach, Kalon Humphries during the week.

Keyshawn James-Newby New Mexico- 7.54 RAS his RAS score is low, I know. But James-Newby ran a blazing 4.53 second 40 yard dash and has 33” arms, which we know Ballard loves. He started his career at Montana Tech, then transferred to Idaho and then to New Mexico, and he was highly productive at each stop. He finished his college career with 247 tackles and 37.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles in each of his final two seasons. His RAS is what it is because he’s 6’2” 238lbs. Normally that would be somewhat of a dealbreaker but if the Colts are looking to double up at the position on day three, there are few prospects with more unteachable physical tools than KJN. James-Newby played in the East-West Shrine Bowl on the West roster, he was coached by Colts Senior Assistant defensive line coach, Matt Raich during the week.

Aidan Hubbard Northwestern- 8.76 RAS with his 6’4” 260lbs frame and 32” arms, Hubbard looks the part in uniform. His 40 yard dash time was slower than Indy would probably like to see, but his 38.5” vertical and 10’ broad jump likely go a long way in making up for that. Hubbard is a loose fit in that he doesn’t play the run well and his tape doesn’t exactly make him seem “twitchy” on the field. But once again Hubbard played in the East-West Shrine Bowl on the West roster, he was coached by Colts Senior Assistant defensive line coach, Matt Raich during the week. Hubbard is another “if they double up” candidate, late on day three.

Honorable Mention:

Cashius Howell Texas A&M- 8.11 RAS Howell has a lot of things going for him. Tons of experience, a finalist for a long list of defensive awards, highly productive, transferred from Bowling Green to the SEC, twitchy, bendy rusher- all good things. The reason he lands himself on the honorable mention list, and the reason his RAS is so low despite running a 4.59 second 40 yard dash is his size. Howell is 6’2” 253 lbs. But more than just that he has 30” arms which are 3” shorter than anyone Ballard has ever drafted at the position, regardless of skillset. It’s possible they fall in love with everything else but Ballard believes that the NFL is a big mans game and Howell doesn’t check all those boxes. His arms are only 1.5” shorter than some of the guys that made the lists above, but Howell could end up being an earlier day two pick and I just don’t see Ballard taking a swing on a size outlier at this position, that soon.

Dani Dennis-Sutton Penn State- 9.96 RAS with Dennis-Sutton’s height 6’6”, weight 256lbs and insane testing numbers (4.63 40, 39.5” vert, 10’11” broad jump) I was excited to turn on his tape. What I saw did not match those numbers. Dennis-Sutton’s first step and subsequent burst across the line of scrimmage, doesn’t look like someone who put up those kind of numbers. He’s not slow out of his stance by any means, but those numbers are deceptive compared to what the guy showed in game. Given his height, weight and testing, I expect him to be pushed up boards but I’m hopeful the Colts pass on him unless they’re wise to the fact that there’s something in the water in State College, PA as they always turn out players who test extremely well but their ability to actually play in the NFL doesn’t line up, and judge his testing numbers accordingly.

Final thoughts on the position:

This year the draft is incredibly deep with defensive end prospects. In other years guys like Dennis-Sutton might have gone late first, early second, this season he should be available in the third (unless teams are ignoring tape completely). I’m banking a lot on all of the speed talk we’ve heard all offseason. If I’m right on the type of player they’re looking for, I’ve got a chance. If I’ve evaluated these players differently than they have, well all bets are off. I will tell you I like the fit of Jaishawn Barham, with his first step quickness and his ability to play linebacker on early downs if that’s the direction the team wants to go. I think he kills two birds with one stone. I don’t know that Malachi Lawrence will even be available by pick 47 and the second round is probably too early for my favorite prospect of the group Michael Heldman. Predicting defensive ends has been hard to do of late and picking which flavor of defensive end the Colts want adds to the difficulty.

The wide receiver position has been a “tale of two coaches” for Chris Ballard, early on with Frank Reich at the helm, the team seemed to select big-bodied receivers with a penchant for contested catches and their ability to run block. During the Shane Steichen era, the team has focused primarily on smaller, quicker, polished route runners who have an ability to separate from defenders, getting open quickly against man coverage. After trading away Ad Mitchell a season ago and Michael Pittman Jr., earlier this offseason the Colts should look to add a player to produce and grow with their newly re-signed franchise quarterback (like it or not) Daniel Jones.

Like the Edge position, this year’s receiver class is deep. It lacks the star power at the top of the draft that recent drafts have had but this year is littered with future starters and contributors on each day of the draft. So who’s it gonna be?

Names to know:

Skyler Bell Connecticut- 9.83RAS the two biggest knocks on Bell are that his route running is too mechanical and he isn’t a natural hands catcher. But I do remember Reggie Wayne forcing a lot of body catches early in his career, as well. I’m not saying Bell is on par with Reggie Wayne as a prospect, but it is a similarity I remember from watching Wayne those first few years, believing firmly that Bill Polian has lost his fastball. His other knock isn’t that he fails to create separation or that he’s a bad route runner, just that he’s mechanical. These negatives may be overcome by his absolutely insane athletic ability. He isn’t the route runner (or playmaker) that Ad Mitchell was coming out of Texas, however Bell’s vertical and broad jumps are on par with the latest Chris Ballard day two pick at the position.

Germie Bernard Alabama- 9.06 RAS a vertical jump of 32.5” is really, really good for the average person you meet in your day to day life. For an NFL receiver, it’s not great. Outside of that vertical jump Bernard grades out as a very good athlete. His 4.31 shuttle time couldn’t get more average and his 4.48 speed isn’t elite, but it’s still very good. His broad jump, 40 time and 3-cone scores are in-line with Josh Downs, while being nearly four inches taller and weighing 35 pounds more than the Indy slot receiver. Bernard is considered a polished route runner who excels against zone coverage but struggles to separate versus man to man. He is a willing blocker and was used in a variety of ways in multiple roles at Bama. He also played in more than 50 games in college and Chris Ballard told us they’re looking for highly experienced rookies who can contribute right away. The two things that might prevent Indy from turning in his card are 1. he may not be available when Indy is on the board and looking for a wideout and 2. his inconsistency against man coverage. I think Steichen could use him in really interesting ways but we’ve only seen guys who win quick against man coverage get drafted early under Steichen the question becomes, are his strengths enough to overcome this deficiency?

Antonio Williams Clemson- 8.58 RAS Williams stepped on campus at Clemson and at 18 years old, and instantly became The Guy in the receiver room reeling in a team leading 56 catches for 605 yards and 4 touchdowns. His sophomore year was derailed after five games with ankle and foot injuries. His junior year he was named to the first team All-ACC as a receiver catching 75 balls for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was also named Honorable Mention All-ACC as a return specialist. His senior season he suffered a hamstring injury on the first drive, of the first game of the season against LSU. Despite missing multiple games he still led Clemson with 55 receptions for 604 yards and 4 touchdowns. Lance Zierlein describes his route running as containing a “freestyling” element, that helps him create separation from Cornerbacks. We saw similar qualities from Ad Mitchell. Like Mitchell, those freestyle routes may create timing issues between Williams and his quarterback. He’s noted as being a playmaker with the ball in his hands and someone who can run, pass the ball and catch, also similar qualities to Ad Mitchell. Where Williams falls short to the Mitchell comps (among other things) is that he isn’t nearly the athlete that Mitchell is. His 4.41 second 40 yard dash is excellent but, it’s still seven one-hundredths slower than the New York Jet and his broad jump a full foot shorter. Coupled with being three inches shorter and 18 pounds lighter, Williams doesn’t quite match up. However expecting anyone to matchup with Ad Mitchell as an athlete is absolutely asking for too much. I think Williams is a good candidate for Indy who just might be available when the Colts start looking for help at the position.

Deion Burks Oklahoma- 9.11 RAS if Burks lands in Indy he would instantly become the teams fastest receiver. Running a 4.30 second 40 yard dash at the combine. With that said, he didn’t consistently win on deep routes, not that he needs to as Alec Pierce has that role locked down for the Colts, it’s still interesting to note a guy with that kind of speed. Burks is noted as a good route runner and is good after the catch. Burks has short arms and might be a slot-only receiver at the next level but the route running and athleticism might be too much to pass up in the third round.

Ja’Kobi Lane USC- 9.39 RAS if Lane were a better route runner he would be a slam dunk for Indy on day three. That said if they want a Michael Pittman Jr. replacement, Lane is a great option. He does struggle to get off of press coverage, something Chris Ballard has talked about as being a detriment in the past and he doesn’t consistently create the kind of separation Shane Steichen seems to covet. That said, he wins a lot of contested catch situations and it highly valuable near the goal line. At 6’4” and 200 pounds he doesn’t have the bulk that MPJ had, but MPJ didn’t have the speed and acceleration JKL has, either.

Cyrus Allen Cincinnati- 8.69 RAS Allen is noted for being able to create separation with his speed and acceleration. He plays faster than his timed 4.49 second 40 yard dash and he grades out athletically similarly to Josh Downs (if you squint). Allen isn’t a polished route runner, but if he were he likely wouldn’t be a day three option. The real issue I see with the Cincinnati man is that while most of the other players I’ve listed so far have all had potential out wide and in the slot (due mostly to the potential of losing Downs in free agency after next season), Allen is mentioned as being limited to the slot receiver role. Chris Ballard has talked about Josh Downs having the ability to play outside, but in practice we’ve yet to see him produce much in that role. Taking someone like Allen signals the teams absolute belief that Downs actually can play outside and that they have plans to do so.

J. Michael Sturdivant Florida- 9.96 RAS we have arrived at the part of the article where we’re picking out traitsy, freak-show athletes who show just enough skill to maybe, kind of, fit what the Colts are looking for that the position. Sturdivant’s father played receiver at Virginia Tech and his uncle was none-other than Floyd Little. At this point he isn’t a great route runner but he isn’t limited physically in any conceivable way, so there is reason to believe this aspect of his game can improve. He has good footwork, tough over the middle and displays good ball skills working the sidelines. His biggest weaknesses can all be taught. Being 6’2” 207lbs, running a 4.40 40, having a 39” vertical and 10’11” broad jump, cannot. On day three you have to live with some warts and betting on a guy with Sturdivant’s physical tools in the middle of day three, is a pretty good bet to make. If he was a good- not even polished route runner, Sturdivant wouldn’t be a day three prospect.

Ted Hurst Georgia State- 9.90 RAS Hurst is another 6’4” receiver to make this list. Unlike Lane he isn’t a contested catch king. Instead he can create separation with good footwork and knows how to defeat press coverage. The biggest downside is that he doesn’t have much experience run blocking, something that we know Ballard likes from his receivers. He did transfer up in competition going from Valdosta State to Georgia State, but his level of competition was still poor. Hurst is an athletic freak with more developed skills than most athletic freaks that come out of places like Georgia State, but he may not be available when the Colts look to add to the position.

Honorable Mention:

Zachariah Branch Georgia 9.12 RAS athletically Branch is pretty similar to Josh Downs, only he’s more than a 1/10th of a second faster in the 40 yard dash. He’s better with the ball in his hands known for creating explosive plays. Where Branch and Downs really deviate is in how they go about actually getting the ball. Downs was a high level route runner, whereas Branch lived on screens and manufactured touches in the SEC. He was able to use his ability as a playmaker to pick up yards after the catch. Conversely, Downs lives over the middle, reeling in passes after making his defender look silly. Branch is another player most consider to be a slot only prospect. There are two reasons Branch finds himself in the Honorable Mention section of this article. The first is that I expect him to be gone long before the Colts are looking for receiver help and second, because, I just don’t see Chris Ballard rolling out a team with multiple sub 5’10” receivers making up it’s top three players on the depth chart. I don’t think the receiver they take this year needs to be the kind of 6’4” tower that they liked under Frank Reich, but successful 5’9” receivers are outliers and Ballard once said of size, if you draft a bunch of outliers, then you have a team of outliers. Branch might develop into a fantastic playmaker from the slot receiver position, I just don’t think he’ll do it in Indy.

Malik Benson Oregon- 6.05 RAS Malik Benson’s ability as a deep threat is heralded. In fact if DK Metcalf were 4” shorter and 30 pounds lighter, and his vertical jump were 8” shorter and his broad jump 12” less, then we’d be talking about practically the same player. Alright, so Benson and Metcalf aren’t really that much alike outside of their ability deep, their great play speed and their really bad agility testing. When looking through day three prospects, I wasn’t expecting to find a ton of guys who were finished products, especially not when it came to the more technical aspects of playing the position. What I was looking for were guys with some of the tools and the traits to succeed and grow into the type of player Shane Steichen could use in his offense. When I got to Benson I found a guy with track speed and the kind of size you would expect to see from a guy with some ability to develop those more technical aspects. Instead I found a guy who’s exceptional creating separation deep with all of the agility and explosion of a security guard at Greenwood Park Mall. With that said, he’s noted for having a big catch radius and playing with a lot of toughness over the middle. I don’t see the fit in Indy but I will understand the thought process for the team that takes him.

Final thoughts on the position:

Receiver is another position that has become somewhat tough to predict for Indy. In the past you found big prospects, who were productive and could block and if he was a good athlete, Bob’s your uncle. Now, despite having more data on Chris Ballard’s drafts, that data has only worked to muddy the water on the picture that is what the Colts will look for at the receiver position.

It’s entirely possible the Colts want a more direct replacement for Michael Pittman Jr. It’s possible they want another big bodied chain mover and if that’s the case, my list of players above is sure to be more wrong than right. With that said, let’s hope I’ve estimated correctly.

Ah, here we go, a position group I’m confident I at least have a somewhat firm grip on what Chris Ballard and his staff will be looking for. Ballard has consistently looked for a few things along his offensive lines. First he needs you to be big, unless you’re playing center, then as long as you’re more well put together than the average guy in an I70 truck stop at 2 AM, you’re good to go. But otherwise, height and weight seem to matter. You also need to be an elite athlete, all of Ballard’s biggest day two and three hits along the offensive line have graded out as exceptional RAS athletes and I think they’ll continue to look in that direction unless the situation is juuuust right.

Historically the Colts have cared less about arm length on the edges, with Jalen Travis’ nearly 35” arms being the exception. Travis also boasted a 9.09 RAS score to go along with those long arms so when considering the preponderance of evidence, it’s tough think that Travis’ selection marks some sort of shift in philosophy, the way the philosophy has shifted at Edge and receiver in the past few years. That said Chris Ballard does have a history of drafting huge players for his offensive line and it’s hard to argue with his methodology at the position, finding good offensive linemen on all three days of the draft.

The challenge of the offensive line isn’t knowing what the Colts are looking for, it is always narrowing down the field of guys into a list and then picking the right ones for THE List. This year we believe the focus is going to be on finding depth and competition up front, specifically someone who can fill in at center and swing tackle. But I’m not going to completely ignore guards, either. So lets get into it and see what we come up with.

Names to know:

Brian Parker II Duke- 9.13 RAS Parker started most of his 40 games played at right tackle. He never played a game at center but the belief is, it will be his best position in the NFL. Part of the reason most are projecting him to the center position is his lack of arm length. That’s true for most NFL center prospects but at 32 7/8” arms, he measures identically to Bernhard Raimann. To be fair Raimann was a better, albeit older, prospect but my point is, while he is projected to move inside at the next level I don’t believe the Colts would mind kicking him out to right tackle in a backup role if the need should arise. He likely wouldn’t do much to push Goncalves but his addition would provide the team with a solid second option at multiple OL positions.

Travis Burke Memphis- 9.05 RAS Chris Ballard really does love massive offensive linemen and Burke fits the bill. Standing at nearly 6’9” tall and weighing in at 325 pounds, you won’t find many guys like him out in the wild. Oh except for Jalen Travis 6’8” 339 pounds with a 9.09 RAS. Burke isn’t going to fill the hole left by Danny Pinter’s departure, but he will fill the hole left by Braden Smith’s departure to the Houston Texans. The plan wouldn’t be to slot Burke into the starting right tackle but rather let Burke take over as the backup swing tackle if either Raimann or Travis has to miss any time at all. Previously Travis filled the swing tackle role but he’ll be a little preoccupied starting to worry about filling in at left tackle if the need were to arise.

Caleb Tiernan Northwestern- 9.37 RAS Tiernan is nearly 6’8” tall. Ultimately Tiernan may not fit the teams need for a backup center but he is exactly the kind of prospect Indy would be interested in on day two of the draft to fill in at swing tackle. A team captain who played in 52 games, making 43 starts. Most of his starts came at left tackle but he did start games as a redshirt freshman at right tackle. Tiernan’s biggest weaknesses are his 32” arms, which are surprising given how massive he otherwise is. Due to his arm length some people believe he’ll have success moving inside to guard at the next level, if he moves inside his RAS jumps from 9.37 to 9.66. Both scores are solidly elite but it’s tough to argue he has the size and athletic profile the Colts will be interested in.

Diego Pounds Ole Miss- 8.57 RAS Pounds is another large man at 6’6” 325 pounds. Athletically he’s not a perfect fit but he’s still a very good athlete for the position. He only played left tackle in college and he wasn’t a stand out run blocker either. That said if he continues to develop as a player you could do a lot worse than Diego Pounds as your swing tackle.

Jake Slaughter Florida- 9.97 RAS Slaughter is a centers, center who is unlikely to provide much help at guard and you can probably forget about tackle. Slaughter is a highly experienced center playing in 51 games for the Gators in his five years in Gainesville. He was a multi year captain, second team All American, first team All-SEC and was a Rimmington Trophy finalist. If Indy misses out on someone with more position flexibility, Slaughter has what the team is looking for, for depth at the center position.

Austin Barber Florida- 9.81 RAS another player nearing 6’7” makes the list as Barber checks the size box. He has started games at both right and left tackle in his college career. He is someone else on this list that may not be the best run blocker but has the athleticism time to improve all facets of his game and would fit nicely in Indy as their third tackle.

Jager Burton Kentucky- 9.88 RAS last year UK had a center I really liked named Eli Cox. Cox was an excellent athlete who I thought was better than the discourse around him leading up to the draft. The NFL disagreed with me and he went undrafted. He did latch on with the Houston Texans and is currently on their roster. In 2025 Burton took over the spot in the middle of UK’s offensive line and played well. Because of Cox’s play, Burton has started games at left guard, right guard and now center. I don’t like Burton’s tape as much as I liked Cox, but I do like him more as a guard than a center. Either way I think he could be the type of player the Colts take a shot on, on day three.

Trey Zuhn III Texas A&M- 9.99 RAS having started 50 games, 48 at left tackle and two at center, Zuhn is the kind of prospect Chris Ballard was talking about when he said that targeting experienced players could yield immediate results. Zuhn, when moved to center on the RAS website, has the second highest RAS score for a center of all time. The Colts value athleticism on the offensive line and Zuhn has it in droves. The general belief is that due to his shorter than ideal arms he’ll need to move inside in the NFL. The Colts generally don’t concern themselves too much with shorter armed tackle prospects but his potential to play at multiple positions on the line coupled with his ability to be the backup at center from day one may be too much for them to overlook. He played his entire career at left tackle, but if Indy believes there is any chance he could swing to the right side too, his value just goes up that much more. I’m not sure, yet, that Zuhn will make THE List at the end of this article, but this guy’s fit with what we believe the team wants is hard to ignore.

Riley Mahlman Wisconsin- 8.01 RAS Mahlman has the experience the Colts typically look for out of their offensive linemen, starting all four years at both right and left tackle. He is also 6’8”. He has room to add weight only tipping the scales at 308 pounds currently and notably lacking core strength. He is an effective run blocker but was beaten too often in pass protection that may have been due mostly to his shorter arms. Being from Wisconsin doesn’t hurt as Ballard himself was no doubt aware of Mahlman just from being a Badger fan. He may be a good option late on day three if the Colts miss out on a swing tackle prospect earlier in the draft.

Honorable Mention:

Conner Lew Auburn- N/A RAS Lew is considered by many to be the top center prospect in this class. With that said he was a true Junior who only started 25 games at Auburn and will be coming into his rookie year off of a torn ACL. Given the fact that he seems likely to go on day two of the draft and the uncertainty of when Lew will be ready to practice and play this offseason, I don’t think he is a great fit for what Indy is looking for at the position.

Pat Coogan Indiana- 6.80 RAS the only reason I’m including Coogan’s name in this article is because he is almost as Hoosier as it gets. He is from Illinois originally, but he went to Notre Dame as a freshman, played there for four years, transferred to Indiana, helped the Hoosiers win their first national championship in school history and was named the Offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl the first time the award went to an offensive lineman since 1944. Coogan better never pay for a drink in the state of Indiana as long as he lives. But having said that, he just doesn’t fit the Indianapolis Colts OL profile at all. His size is fine for the position, his short arms don’t matter, it’s his athletic makeup that prevents me from giving him the greenlight to be considered. It probably would have been better for him to not run the shuttle drill and his 10 yard split in the 40 yard dash was awful. His vertical jump and broad jump were fine but for a team with a GM who has famously said there’s a reason you test the players athletically, Coogan just doesn’t fit. IF the Colts do take Coogan, it will be because of everything else, not because of who he is as a player and I wouldn’t bet on that happening.

Final Thoughts on the Position:

The number of offensive linemen this year who fit what the Colts might be looking for is smaller than in years past. We’re looking for position flexibility and the ability to fill in at center. Those guys don’t grow on trees but they are easier to find than a day one starter at any offensive line position. If I’ve miscalculated the team’s need for their next offensive line draftee, then there’s a good chance none of the names on this list end up on the teams website on the evening of April 25th. But if that is the case, just know there are a lot of very good prospects who fit the Colts typical mold for OL available at every level of this draft.

Chris Ballard drafts a lot of safeties. On one hand it feels like he’s been trying to convert one to linebacker, successfully for a long time now. He tried to convert Marvell Tell III to cornerback, back in 2019 and that didn’t work out. But alas, each year (sans 2018) he takes a safety either for his defense immediately (Blackmon, Willis, Hooker) for development (Carlies, Cross, Thomas, Tell) or for special teams (Wohler, Scott). Sometimes he takes guys and I have no idea what the plan was supposed to be (Simpson, Davis).

You can argue that Blackmon was for the future, but at that point Hooker was going into the final year of his deal, had never played a full season and the team declined to pick up Hooker’s 5th year option a week after the 2020 draft ended. Hooker only played two games in 2020, but either way the writing was on the wall. They were looking for a replacement with Blackmon and they didn’t have much time to wait on development.

The investment at defensive back for the 2026 Colts has been substantial. They’re paying Cam Bynum, they’re paying Mooney Ward, they’re paying Sauce Gardner and while they’re currently seeking a trade, they’re paying Kenny Moore as a top-flight nickel corner. They’re spending a ton of money on the back half of the defense. So in that way it’s far different than it was in 2020. In other ways it feels very similar.

Going into the 2025 draft they didn’t have Sauce Gardner, they were paying Ward and Bynum, sure. But they didn’t know what they were going to do at CB2. There was every reason to let Nick Cross play out his contract, see if he continued to grow as a very young player, if his first year starting was an aberration or if 2024 was who he was. Once they determined if they wanted to bring him back, or rather what price to bring him back at, this time last year there was no way they could have known what was about to happen. We can debate good decisions versus bad decisions all day, but the fact of the matter is that’s what happened. It makes sense and this is where we find ourselves at the position. After bringing in the aforementioned free agents (all on one year deals) there are players in place who can take snaps this year but they’re all only here for a year and the most direct Cross-replacement has had serious injury concerns during his career.

And in that way it feels just like 2020. Since this is an offensive draft it’s safe to expect safety to come on day three and if I were a betting man, I would bet it would happen early on that third day. Let’s jump into the names to know.

Names to know:

Bud Clark TCU 8.90 RAS Clark is described by Zierlein as being a safety in a cornerback’s body. He’s also noted for being willing to come downhill and make plays in the run game, but at 188 pounds, you do worry about injuries from someone willing to get in there and throw their bag of bones around. Clark ran a 4.41 and posted great explosion scores. His scouting report and testing numbers read like a more athletic Kenny Moore. Clark also has the experience Ballard is seeking, spending six seasons at TCU and playing in 61 (not a typo, sixty-one) games. He was a three time team captain and had 15 interceptions over the course of his last four college seasons. Clark missed time in three of his six seasons at TCU and in Lou’s defense he might be more of a Kenny Moore replacement than a one to one replacement for Nick Cross. But Clark’s playmaking and athleticism might be enough for Lou to want to scheme around that loss rather than replace it directly.

A.J. Haulcy LSU- N/A RAS at nearly 6’ 215 Haulcy has the size to play in the void left by Nick Cross. He’s a noted playmaker and wood-layer willing to fill against the run and break up passes via violent contact. He’s the kind of guy you love to have on your team and hate on your opponent. Haulcy started his career at New Mexico before transferring to Houston and then on to LSU where he became a first-team All-SEC member in his only season in the conference. Not only is he a violent finisher he intercepted 8 passes total during his junior and senior seasons. He played in 48 career games and his football IQ seems to match that experience. He is noted as having deficiencies in man coverage and his acceleration and long speed are questionable.

VJ Payne Kansas State- 9.74 RAS playing in 52 games in a power four conference is something I’m used to seeing out of offensive linemen. It’s rare to see someone with that much experience at defensive back and it’s rarer still for someone with that type of experience to play that many games in a major conference that tests as a legitimate athletic freak and team captain. At 6’3” 208, running a 4.40 second 40 yard dash, a 10’7” broad jump and a 6.94 second 3 cone drill he has great long speed, acceleration and agility. Not to mention his nearly 34” arms (that Chris Ballard has to love). At K-State he was used in a multitude of ways, playing single high, split, in the box and man to man against tight ends. In fact he was very good against several very good tight ends his senior season. Payne isn’t a perfect fit, however. He isn’t a one to one replacement for Nick Cross. He doesn’t provide nearly the run support of Cross but Payne isn’t a liability either. He’s fine coming down hill to make a tackle. He doesn’t get around blocks consistently enough for my taste and in my opinion he didn’t play to his size against the run, while he absolutely does in coverage. Anaroumo will likely have to account for this change if Payne is on the field but it might be something they’re willing to deal with if they like his trajectory of development overall.

Kamari Ramsey USC- 8.48 RAS Ramsey’s biggest flaw is that he is said to have improved his tackling a lot in 2025 but still isn’t great against the run. He is, however, solid in coverage with experience playing all over the defense including in the slot. Outside of his run game issues, Ramsey has also only played in 35 games, missing six games over the past two seasons (though one game was due to food poisoning). Regardless no matter how good he is in coverage, no matter how versatile he is on the back end, the Colts will have to be sure they’re willing to sign off on someone who has consistently missed so much time while in college.

Robert Spears-Jennings Oklahoma- 8.92 RAS in 2024 RSJ forced four fumbles, had 2.5 sacks and an interception. He has played in a total of 47 games for Oklahoma and is a decisive run defender with good tackling technique. Zierlein states that he fills run lanes like a linebacker. He has the speed (4.32 40 time) to keep up with man but hasn’t developed this skill require to excel at it. His eagerness to fill run lanes combined with his downhill speed too often work against him running past his target and missing out on tackle attempts he could have had a chance to make. His agility testing matches his poor on field change of direction ability, compounding his lack of feel for angles. Spears-Jennings should be available well into day three and if not for the warts on the scouting report, he wouldn’t be. Ultimately he’s 6’2” 205 pounds and converts his 4.32 speed to power when tackling, and there aren’t that many guys available on day three that have those traits. If he can find a home on special teams he may develop into a quality starter in time.

Cole Wisniewski Texas Tech- N/A RAS Wisniewski made the fairly rare transition from linebacker to safety while at North Dakota State. He transferred to Texas Tech in 2024 and missed the season due to a foot injury. The reason he’s on this list at all is because he is 6’4” 220 pounds. His arms are short at 30.5” but as far as safety to linebacker conversion projects go, Wisniewski would be a good option. One concerning aspect is that he didn’t run the 40 yard dash but did the vertical (36.5”) and broad (10’2”) jumps. He is an interesting name to watch on day three of the draft just due to his unique path and size. He will likely have to make his way on special teams early in his career but I expect him to land in a camp somewhere.

Honorable Mention:

Treydan Stukes Arizona- 9.77 RAS a fifth year senior, former walk-on turned multiple time team captain, all of that makes for a great story. What makes for an even better story is when that guy, becomes a top draft prospect at his position. Stukes isn’t a downhill run stopper but he is a playmaker, noted hard worker and is said to possess “infectious passion” for the game. Stukes has the experience, character and speed the Colts would love to have. I just don’t think they would love to have it as early in the draft as he is likely to be taken. Stukes is a good enough prospect to be worked into the Indy back end despite his flaws as a run defender and with his blend of athleticism and work ethic, he will no doubt become a very good safety for someone in the NFL, I just don’t see it being the Colts.

Zakee Wheatley Penn State- 7.68 RAS noted for driving downhill and finishing plays and having played in 58 games at Penn State over the past five years Wheatley seems like just the kind of player the Colts would be looking for to replace Nick Cross. He is good enough now to earn playing time right away and could grow into a good starter at the position in time. The hang up for me is that for a guy that seems so set on adding speed to his defense, I don’t see any way Chris Ballard could take a safety who runs a 4.62 second 40 yard dash. And I’m not even saying that he will somehow be less than good because of his 4.62, that’s a completely fine time for a safety to run. There are safeties in the Hall of Fame who no doubt ran slower times. But the major talking point all offseason long has been adding speed. While it’s true they’re unlikely to improve on Cross’ 4.34 second 40 time (and play speed that matched) but you can’t preach speed and then draft a replacement (as early as they would have to take Wheatley) who ran nearly 3/10th’s slower.

Final Thoughts on the Position:

There are a lot of options to replace Nick Cross but few guys would be a one to one replacement for what he brought to the defense. Cross was very good coming down hill, but struggled at times in coverage. Many of the prospects listed above excel in coverage while having more to be desired against the run. It will be an adjustment to the back end of the defense but even if they don’t find someone to erase running backs in the hole, having someone who can erase elite tight ends and oversized receivers would be a welcome change for the Indy defense.

This one is tricky. On one hand if they move Richardson (which seems likely) they’ve never gone into a season with only two quarterbacks on the roster under Shane Steichen. So their options are roll with Daniel Jones fresh off of his Achilles tear and Riley Leonard as QB2, or sign a veteran to come in and compete with Leonard for his spot. That would make some sense, the team should have the cap room available and there will be several options available post-draft that have enough experience to make things interesting should the need arise.

But I think the most likely option is a day three dart thrown at a traitsy prospect that needs some time to develop and grow in an NFL program behind an established vet like Daniel Jones (cue the Anthony Richardson was mismanaged complaints). I am still going to include at least a couple of day two prospects in this one even though I really think it’s likely to happen on day three. The reason is, I could see a world where the team misses out on the receivers and offensive linemen they have graded out as being worth their third round pick. If that happens and they aren’t able to find a trade partner, because this is an offensive draft, there’s a real chance the highest ranked prospect on their board at the time is a quarterback.

It’s unlikely, yes. But far crazier things have happened during the NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at who might be on the Colts short list for Quarterback.

Names to know:

Drew Allar Penn State- N/A RAS Drew Allar has all of the tools you could want in a quarterback prospect. The issue is the production and play never aligned with his physical gifts. If a team brings Allar in and lets him get comfortable in the system and his role, he could improve his processing and his confidence and he could turn out to be a better pro than college quarterback. It’s a longshot, but every quarterback prospect is, and Drew Allar’s physical traits might make him a longshot worth betting on.

Garrett Nussmeier LSU- N/A RAS Nuss is small. He’s not quite 6’2” which isn’t terrible but he’s just 203 pounds and he has some injury history, which is less than ideal. He has a big arm and plenty of physical gifts even at his smaller size. His issue, like Allar, is mostly between his ears. His processing is slow as he struggles to see what defenses are giving him after the snap. One thing that Nuss has going for him is that his confidence never seems to wane. But that is a double edged sword as he truly isn’t ever afraid to make a mistake. Bringing in someone with Nuss’ skills, mindset and shortcomings to a QB room with a guy like Daniel Jones obsessed with film study, could lead to Nuss growing into the kind of pre and post-snap processor he needs to be to find success. My only hang up with him is the size and holding up to the rigors of the NFL.

Taylen Green Arkansas- 9.99 RAS having played in 53 games in college, Green is an experienced college quarterback with a lot of tools. His feet and eyes worked well when working his reads in the pocket (I watched one game so this isn’t gospel) but his throwing motion is a touch slow. If this can be cleaned up it might help with his accuracy which isn’t bad, just inconsistent. His arm isn’t massive but he can make all of the throws. He is a fantastic option for any team hoping to draft someone with a full bag of tools to develop long-term.

Mark Gronowski Iowa- 9.61 RAS Gronoski is the NCAA’s all time winningest QB, starting 68 career games and winning 58 of them. He received a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering with a 3.76 GPA and had a 4.0 GPA as an engineering management graduate student. He transferred from South Dakota State to Iowa for his fifth year. Gronowski won more awards than could possibly be listed in this article, was constantly recognized for his academic achievements and was a multi time team captain. He was also the Shrine Bowl offensive MVP. He is only 6’2” but he’s a solid 226, ran a 4.71 40 yard dash, had excellent explosion and agility scores. His 9.61 RAS is 45th highest for Quarterbacks all time. The downside is he doesn’t have the biggest arm and his production tanked the second he stepped on the field for Iowa- most of that is due to the Iowa offense but it is worth noting. Gronowski doesn’t even have a scouting report from a reputable analyst. I watched Iowa vs IU and what I saw was a guy comfortable in the pocket, scanning the defense, throwing to open receivers and taking checkdowns when he should. It’s tough without all-22 to give you a fair and complete evaluation but the only film I have on this guy is from 2022, when he was in the midst of leading the Jackrabbits to back to back FCS natties. But what I saw was an accurate passer with poise and enough athleticism to make the defense pay on scrambles and designed runs alike. Gronowski should be available late on day three and would be an excellent fit as QB3 in Indy.

Cole Payton North Dakota State- 9.87 RAS this draft class is full of late round, freak athlete quarterbacks and Cole Payton fits that bill. He only started for one year at NDSU but had a package of plays in each of his five seasons on campus. In 2023 he tied for the team lead with 13 rushing touchdowns and has started at running back. In 2025 as the teams starting quarterback he threw for 16 touchdowns and added another 13 on the ground. I’ll be honest, I don’t love Payton as a prospect. His arm is on the weaker end and he isn’t accurate, but he could improve both greatly. See, his throwing motion is what I would describe as “wild”. It’s bad, bad. And if the Colts believe their mechanics people can fix his mechanical issues, there’s potentially a lot of meat on the bone. But this is a complete teardown of both his upper and lower body as it relates to his throwing motion and the guy plays the only position where throwing motion really matters. That said he would provide a lot of value in a package of plays and potentially on special teams with his athleticism and seeming willingness to play other positions.

Haynes King Georgia Tech- 9.62 RAS a sixth year senior King started his college career at Texas A&M where he earned a starting role, only to lose it after losing to Appalachian State. He then transferred to Georgia Tech and went on to become a three time team captain. In his sixth season he set single season records for total yards of offense and completions and career records for completions and completion percentage. Most of his issues come down to footwork and ball security, both of which can be improved. In the right situation King could continue to grow as someone’s QB3 given his tremendous athletic potential and resilience to just keep grinding until he finally became a productive college player.

Honorable Mention:

Carson Beck Miami- N/A RAS after tearing his UCL in his throwing elbow, Beck’s arm strength seemed diminished. He has tremendous size and as much experience in big games as anyone you’ll find in the draft. With that said someone with his level of experience shouldn’t make the kinds of mistakes he consistently makes. With time and development, these things could improve but they are a concern. Also, he’s ending up on the honorable mention list mostly because… well have you seen him in interviews? There’s just something about this guy that rubs me the wrong way. I realize that’s not hard hitting analysis, but it’s true and this is my article, I can do whatever I want.

Final Thoughts on the Position:

What a weird year for quarterbacks. We have maybe two guys worthy of first round picks (don’t kill me but I don’t love Mendoza as a prospect) a handful of guys with tons of high level college experience, that just never developed into great players and a highly athletic group of late rounders with massive holes in their game. I wouldn’t blame Indy for passing this year on a prospect, but if they’re looking at the board in the sixth or seventh round and one of those athletes is still on the board, they’re just as good of an option as anyone else they could draft and you never know. Every pick is a lottery ticket.

I miss on linebackers every year and I’ve already predicted that they’re not taking one early this year which probably means they’ll trade up to take one. With that in mind I’m going to give you some names to watch both early and late in this years draft.

This is also an interesting nugget on what they have historically done at the position: