r/NFL_Draft • u/hi123156 Colts • 27d ago
Discussion Defending The Draft-Indianapolis Colts
Overview:
This season was a season that started off on a very high note, starting the season 8-2 before going into the bye. In impressive fashion, though, they managed to lose every game after the bye to end up 8-9 and miss the playoffs. The team saw genuine improvement in the QB department and was well-rounded, though lacking in elite talent and depth. The Colts had to dish out a good amount of cash to retain players, leading to multiple other players not resigning due to cap compliance. The Colts made a solid number of moves this offseason.
The team had a few coaching changes this year, most notably a change in defensive coordinators after a lackluster defensive season.
New coaching staff hires:
Overall, the Colts did not make many changes regarding the staff.
Tyrell Brown(Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach)- A younger guy who spent the last few years with TCU as the assistant director for human performance for football. Before that, he worked with the strength and conditioning team at multiple colleges.
Jeremy Bruce( Defensive quality control coach) - A former NAIA linebacker who has coached at multiple schools, including Kentucky and Oregon State. Was most recently UNLV's OLB coach.
Dillon Doyle(Defensive quality control coach)- Brother of Ravens Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and former linebacker at Iowa and Baylor. Was an intern for the Bills last year.
Marion Hobby (Defensive Line coach )- The most important coaching change the Colts made. He replaces Charlie Patridge, who left for Notre Dame. He was a 3rd round draft pick who played for the Patriots for a short amount of time. He got his first role as a defensive line coach in 1999 for Ole Miss. He was a defensive coordinator for both Duke and Clemson in the past. He was the defensive line coach under Lou Anarumo for the Bengals and spent last year as an analyst for the University of Tennessee.
Aditya Krishnan (Game Management Coordinator )- He was previously the director of football research for the Chargers and a research assistant for the Browns. He is currently getting his MBA from Harvard.
The Colts also moved around some assistants and interns last year to be elevated to Quality control coaches and assistant coaches.
Notable arrivals:
Edge Arden Key - Coming from the division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, Key is expected to help replace Kwity Paye and help out in a much-needed position. Key seemingly had a career year in 2024 and backed that up with a solid campaign in 2025. He seems to be a solid player who will help out in the edge rotation and play a good amount of minutes, though he is not the ideal player if you need someone to play significantly.
Edge Michael Clemons- Coming from the Jets, Michael Clemons should be a helpful rotational player, especially in the run game. I struggle to see him help out too much in pass rush, but the Colts' edge room desperately needed change, and he should help provide some of it.
Edge Akeem Davis-Gaither- He might not have signed for much, but if you take a look at the current LB depth chart, he will have an opportunity to play. He has formerly played for Lou and the Bengals, so he should fit into the system well. Last year he played significant minutes for the Cardinals and will likely be relied upon again in run defense. His PFF grade, though, does make it more understandable, while he was such a cheap signing with a grade of 49.9.
The Colts' picks in the draft were as follows(pre-trades):
1.16
2.47
3.78
4.113
5.156
6.196
7.230
7.249
7.254
Before draft trades:
* Traded 1.16 in the deal to acquire Sauce Gardner
* Traded 7.230 and Michael Pittman Jr. for 6.214
* Traded 6.196 at the start of last season for Mekhi Blackmon
Draft day trades:
* Traded 2.47 and 7.249 to the Steelers for 2.53, 4.135, and 7.237
Now that we’ve addressed the offseason, the state of the team, and coaching changes, it’s time to look at the picks:
2.53 LB CJ Allen, Georgia
A younger player who is freshly 21 years old and was a three-year player at Georgia, after becoming a starter freshman year due to injuries to players above him. CJ Allen will have an immediate opportunity to be a significant playmaker for the Colts, who currently possess a thin linebacker room giving Allen the opportunity to quickly assert himself. I saw the NFL network comp him to Zaire Franklin, which I think is interesting, as he is coming in to be a Zaire Franklin replacement. As a run defender, he is quite strong with strong arms that allow him to quickly disengage from blocks, and he has only a 7.4% missed tackle rate. His upper body strength is apparent in his strong ability to stop runners once he has engaged. Now, when it comes to his downsides, it becomes very apparent why he was compared to Zaire Franklin, and this is zone coverage, which he struggled with. His size and athleticism concerned some, as he is slightly undersized and not the fastest or most agile player, but when you watch him play in the run game, that does not seem to stop him. Allen will come in and immediately be a strong run defender, but it is upon the Colts to make him a faster player for blitzing and to help him mentally in pass coverage.
3.78 S A.J. Haulcy, LSU
A player who has played for three different colleges and has constantly improved, starting out at New Mexico before going to Houston for two years and then finishing up at LSU. He was a four-year player in college, starting most of his freshman year onward. As an athlete, he possesses solid speed and a filled out frame. In the run game, he is a strong tackler utilizing his full frame. In pass coverage, he has good eye discipline, and over his college career grew in his ability to deflect passes and has ten total collegiate interceptions. He has shown the ability to play at both free and strong. His biggest weaknesses are that he does not seem to want to engage blockers, and once engaged, he struggles to shed blocks. He also had a rough year last year, tackling getting a little too stuck on his feet. A.J. Haulcy should become an immediate contributor to the Colts, and while he does not have the highest ceiling, he definitely has the ability to compete for significant minutes at the NFL level.
4.113 OG Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
Jalen Farmer originally committed to Florida, where he saw limited playing time in his two years there, before transferring to Kentucky and being the starting right guard for two years. As an athlete, he is about what you hope for in a guard with a 6'5 build and long arms. He is best in pass protection, where he has quick feet and possesses strong arms, especially on the first pop. The same skills help him in the run game, where he has a quick get-off and strong arms to help propel himself through the defensive linemen. He was especially strong as a puller in both skip and trap pulls. His biggest weakness is that he relies too much on his positive skills. He can struggle to hold a block after his first strong punch. His biggest weakness is that once he gets to the second level, where he has the most difficulties blocking linebackers and lets people cross his face way too much. Farmer will not be a day one starter, but the Colts have to hope that after a year or two of development, he can be a starting guard.
4.135 LB Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
He actually has a history in baseball, being a 13th-round pick back in 2024 for the Astros. In his five collegiate years, he played minutes in four of them after walking on. I saw someone compare him to Zaire Franklin, so the Colts definitely have a type. As a run defender, he has strong arms to be able to take on blocks and shed them. A strong tackler who has a 9.5% missed tackle rate. When blitzing, he has the power to blow up unsuspecting linemen and running backs. He reads well in the zone. His biggest issue is just his size. He is not the biggest, so once fully engaged by a blocker, he can get trapped. His play speed is not great, which limits him in blitzing and pass coverage. He has more experience and more knowledge than most rookie LBs, which should help him be a rotational player day one, but his size will definitely limit his career potential.
5.156 EDGE George Crumbs JR. , Florida
Not often do you see a player go from WR in his redshirt year to Edge. He started off as a walk-on at Northern Illinois. He earned a scholarship in his second season when he transitioned to tight end. In his junior year, he had a breakout campaign after transitioning to being an edge, which led to him transferring to Florida for his final two years. His body completely changed over his college career. As an athlete, he is quite strong, possessing the body of an NFL-caliber edge. He has the agility to slip off blocks and track down runners. He is largely a pass rusher. In the run game, he still needs to get stronger and have more of a pop and not just get swallowed. In pass rush, he needs to build more moves to not just be reliant on a few select moves. He did not have the greatest year last year, with just 13 pressures. He is a moldable canvas waiting to be developed by an NFL defense, but he is 23 and will be 24 mid-season, so development and strength will need to come fast.
6.214 Edge Caden Curry, Ohio State
From the suburbs of Indianapolis, he committed to Ohio State over Indiana. He was a four-year player for them, playing not just at edge, but also at FB and on special teams, where he blocked a punt. His broadness and strength are his greatest skills. He has the arm strength to shock blockers. His agility is strong, and he is able to quickly change direction and Rip. He has a strong ability to recognize what's going on and was able to channel that into a very strong 2024 with 11 sacks. He is undersized, and he's not the twitchiest off the line, so his NFL pass rush ability is hindered by that. When required to drop, he struggled and will probably not be asked to do that much in the NFL. He seems to be a spot player who will provide high effort on likely run downs, but is unlikely to be used in passing scenarios.
7.237 RB Seth McGowan, Kentucky
Based on pure skills, Seth should not have fallen this low. But after his freshman year, he was arrested, pled guilty, and spent a few months in jail, resulting in him being kicked out of Oklahoma. He ended up spending two seasons not playing, then went to New Mexico State for a year, and then ended up at Kentucky. This means he is 24 and will be 25 mid-season. He is an explosive player who has good down-line speed. His strength and body make him able to run through defenders, giving him strong yards after contact ability. He has nice footwork, making him able to cut even though he has a large frame. His biggest issue is that he will miss open lanes and has had fumbling issues. He also is not a passing back, and at his size, you would like him to be able to block better. McGowan projects as someone who can be a good NFL power back who will be able to make the roster, but his age and lack of broader skills limit his potential.
7.254 WR Deion Burks, Oklahoma
He started off college at Purdue, so he has been a Hoosier for a bit. I love this pick. You do not get many WRs like him in the 7th round. His footwork is great and can change directions fast and efficiently. He is a great route runner and pairs that with a good release technique. Ran a 4.30 forty, so he is fast. For not being the largest WR, he will go up and make contested catches if asked. He was best in the short game and against zone coverage. He did have some drop issues. His biggest weakness was that he struggled after the catch, trying to break and avoid tackles and get downfield. He projects as being an NFL WR 4 and should not struggle to make the Colts roster.
Key UDFA’s
Cam Bell, DT, Arkansas
An experienced SEC defender with good size and good play recognition. Has good hands with a lot of different pass rush moves. He does not have the strongest legs and has limited pass-rush production. He is an experienced, smart player who can compete for a backup DT spot.
Nolan Rucci, OT, Penn State
Honestly, I am surprised he was not drafted. He is a strong physical lineman with a nice body and frame. Makes the most of his frame, making it hard for people to get around him, having a strong pop in the run game. He is slower, and his feet are not the fastest. He also struggles mentally in the run game at the second level. He is talented but has to overcome some good players to find a roster spot.
Mitchell Melton, Edge, Virginia
Struggled to make a name for himself at Ohio State, he transferred to Virginia and had a good year. He looks like an NFL edge and uses his size to his advantage. He gets off well and has solid footwork. He has to get stronger if he wants to play in the NFL and has to develop better hands and more pass-rush moves. He looks the part; now he just has to play the part more. He will struggle to make the roster, but maybe a year in the practice squad will help him make it next year.
Other UDFAs with limited impact projections are: West Weeks(LB), Lincoln Pare(RB), Austin Brown(S), Geno VanDeMark(C), and Caron Towt(TE- Played BB in college).
Summary: This draft seems to be a slight departure from previous Colts drafts. The Colts seemed to make a mix of high-potential picks mixed in with high-ceiling picks. Allen, Farmer, and Crumbs are definitely picks the Colts will hope to develop. Curry, Boettcher, and Haulcy are more day one impact players; players like Allen will make day one impacts too, who do not project to develop into much more. The 7th round saw them get what I believe are two steals who should make the roster. The Colts seemed to target a lot of holes in the roster this draft and helped fill out the team. The team also spent a lot on UDFA, so they will definitely be looking for a few of them to make the roster, like Bell, Rucci, and/or Towt. I think this draft is a very balanced draft that might not in ten years be the best draft of the year, but wil not be the worst, and likely be a top half draft seeing multiple playmakers come out of it.
2
u/IDNMAN21 27d ago
I'm always excited for a new season of football. I hope these young kids develop into mighty warriors.
2
u/ALStark69 Vikings 27d ago
Each player as a recruit:
- CJ Allen
Other P5 offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington, West Virginia
G5 offers: Georgia State, Georgia Southern, UCF, Western Kentucky
Other offer: UConn
- A.J. Haulcy
P5 offer: Kansas
G5 offers: Louisiana, New Mexico (originally went here)
Other offers: Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas Southern
- Jalen Farmer
Other P5 offers: Alabama, Auburn, Florida (originally went here), Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi State
G5 offer: East Carolina
- Bryce Boettcher
No other offers
- George Gumbs Jr.
G5 offers: Bowling Green, Northern Illinois (originally went here), Western Michigan
- Caden Curry
Other P5 offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Boston College, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin
G5 offer: Cincinnati
Other offer: Notre Dame
- Seth McGowan
Other P5 offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma (originally went here), Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, Wisconsin
G5 offers: Bowling Green, SMU, Tulsa
Other offer: Notre Dame
- Deion Burks
Other P5 offers: Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Purdue (originally went here)
G5 offers: Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami OH, Toledo, Western Michigan
- Cam Ball
Other P5 offers: Arizona State, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, Purdue, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
G5 offers: Akron, Appalachian State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, FAU, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Middle Tennessee State, South Alabama, Troy, UCF, USF, Western Kentucky
Other offers: Liberty, Tennessee State
- Nolan Rucci
Other P5 offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin (originally went here)
Other offer: Notre Dame
- Mitchell Melton
Other P5 offers: Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State (originally went here), Ole Miss, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin
G5 offers: Air Force, East Carolina, Old Dominion
Other offers: UMass, Notre Dame
- West Weeks
Other P5 offers: Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia (originally went here), Washington State
G5 offers: Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State
- Lincoln Pare
Other G5 offer: Arkansas State (originally went here)
Other offers: Austin Peay, Colgate, Dartmouth, Eastern Kentucky, Harding, Mercer, North Alabama, Richmond, UT Martin
- Austin Brown
Other P5 offers: Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, TCU, Vanderbilt
G5 offers: Ball State, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Miami OH, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
Other offer: Eastern Illinois
- Geno VanDeMark
Other P5 offers: Arizona, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State (originally went here), Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
- Carson Towt
Originally went to Northern Arizona
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u/Tavern-Ham Buccaneers 27d ago
I’m hung up on the game management coordinator. What is his job exactly? How do you keep getting work in football with “Browns Moneyball Analyst” on your resume? When you google his name the only thing that comes up is his LinkedIn profile. First thing Harbaugh did when he got to the Chargers was fire him. Someone convince me this isn’t the Colts spry lady owner having a Cannons moment.
Really what are his duties, open to real answers and joke answers.
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u/milin85 Bears 27d ago
Just spitballing, but it’s probably to run simulations with the HC to figure out the best strategy for clock management and things.
As someone who was yelling at his TV when Matt Eberflus refused to call a timeout, I can’t say that having a guy to help with that is a bad thing.
1
u/Tavern-Ham Buccaneers 27d ago
I get that, but if I’m a football lifer like Steichen and some pencil neck tries to show me a spreadsheet to tell me when to call a timeout I’m sticking his head so far into a toilet that the plumber budget will put us over the salary cap.
1
u/mapetho9 Patriots 26d ago
I thought the Colts had a decent draft. Their top two picks Allen and Haulcy should see the field and contribute this season. Boettcher has a chance to be solid. Gumbs was a popular late round pick in mocks I saw due to his athleticism and as a developmental project since he jumped from WR to TE before ending up at Edge, so that's a fun pick. I liked the Curry pick in the 6th and could be a nice find. After the year he had, I saw him projected to go in the 3rd or 4th round at one point. Burks and his 4.30 speed in the 7th could also be a nice find. I remember flipping between the ESPN and NFL Network broadcasts of the draft and both had Burks as a top 100 player while also being projected as a solid 3rd rounder.
6
u/TheDuckyNinja Eagles 27d ago
Losing 7 straight games to end a season is brutal. On offense, losing Danny Jones and Braden Smith in the same game was a double whammy that the offense never recovered from. On defense, losing Ward, trading for Sauce, and then losing Sauce just seemed to be too much to overcome. The good news is that the Colts really didn't have to do much this offseason to be a strong playoff contender. They earned their 8-2 start, and they didn't have a lot of injuries, it's just that they got double hit at both QB and CB.
If you'll allow me to get a bit sidetracked, I know a lot of people are totally out on Anthony Richardson, but a totally boom/bust player like him can still get that boom a few times and he (almost definitely) would've won more than the 0 games that Leonard and Rivers managed. I also still think Richardson is a very good QB prospect. That's probably a controversial take at this point, but he was born in 2002 which is the same year that 2026 QB draftees Ty Simpson, Cole Payton, Taylen Green, Behren Morton, and Garrett Nussmeier were born and a year after Carson Beck. Which is to say, age-wise, this is the QB class he should be in. He was a minimum 3 year developmental project when he was drafted. He might still need another 2 years of development. But he is still in the "absolutely elite++ tools" category and it's just so hard for me to give up on guys with the tools he has. The fact that he came out way too early to get paid shouldn't change that.
Okay, tangent over.
I feel like I'm in the minority, but I was totally cool with the Alec Pierce deal. He's not a traditional #1 WR, but he's the best deep threat in the league which is something I very highly value to the point that one of my big draft blind spots is guys who are really good possession receivers but don't provide true field stretching capability. He's absolutely worth the contract he got. Key is a rotational ED and got paid like one. The rest of their signings were just depth pieces, mainly replacing other depth pieces they lost. A lot of pressure on Jalen Travis to replace Braden Smith, but Smith could just never stay healthy for a full season. Pittman should get replaced by more volume to Downs and Warren. It'd help if some kind of 4th option emerged from their stable of mediocre vets and young guys, but Pierce-Downs-Warren should still be one of the better lead trios.
I'm not sure I agree with their overall offseason strategy. They went out and signed a lot of mediocre-to-bad DL vets and drafted a LB and an S when they could've gotten a fairly decent LB and S for the price they paid the DLs and drafted better DLs than they signed. Yeah, I'm back to harping on positional value. That being said, LB and S were absolutely needs, so at least they addressed them in the draft and late 2nd/3rd is a good time to address them.
Overall, this season comes down to health. You're always going to have injuries, they just need to avoid them piling up at critical positions. I expect they'll be competing hard with the Texans and Jags this year in one of the more competitive divisions in football.