Indianapolis Colts Mock Draft 1.0

We’ve reached the month of April, which means we’re closing in on the NFL Draft in a few weeks. The Colts are on the clock at No. 14 and with some off-season additions and some key departures.. I thought it was the perfect time to do a mock draft and see where things stand. I did not accept any trades in this mock draft, as that gets too in the weeds for my liking. With that said, let’s get off and running.

FIRST ROUND – 14TH OVERALL PICK

TYLER WARREN, TE, PENN STATE

The apple of every Colts fan's eyes was available at No. 14. I honestly tried to scheme a couple of different mock simulators to see what would happen and each time I had Warren fall to me. This is the ideal scenario for the Colts if you ask me. A playmaker at a position the Colts have largely ignored since the days of Dallas Clark and Jack Doyle, Warren fits everything the Colts need from an offensive weapon. He’s big, powerful and gives Anthony Richardson a much-needed weapon to find down the field who can be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses. Many mocks have had Warren all over the board leading up to the draft. If he somehow stays available when the Colts get on the clock, Chris Ballard will be smiling ear to ear.

SECOND ROUND – 45th OVERALL PICK

TREY AMOS, CB, OLE MISS

A big-time member of the secondary gets added here. I like a lot of what Amos did with his time at the Rebels, and he would slide in smoothly into a Colts secondary room that needs to start getting younger. Amos is versatile and quick, and his 6' 1”, 195-pound frame gives him a leg up compared to other rookie corners. The second-team All-American registered strong numbers at Ole Miss, including 13 pass breakups, the most for an Ole Miss defender dating back to 2015. The Colts knock out two big needs with their first two picks.

THIRD ROUND – 80th OVERALL PICK

JOSAIAH STEWART, EDGE, MICHIGAN

The Colts lost Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency to the Chicago Bears and that departure leaves a gap in the pass rush department for the Colts. This gets addressed in the third round with their selection of Stewart. Stewart broke onto the scene with Coastal Carolina where he set the program’s single-season sack record with 12.5. The last two years, he’s spent as a member of the Wolverines where he earned All-Big Ten honors both years, including being a captain on the national championship team. He racked up 14.5 sacks, and 21.5 tackles for loss. He has a quick release when the ball is snapped and could add some much-needed speed and aggression to a defensive unit that has sorely lacked in those departments. Under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, this kid could shine in the Circle City.

FOURTH ROUND – 117th OVERALL PICK

DEMETRIUS KNIGHT JR., LB, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Colts have Zaire Franklin and not much else at the linebacker position. The departure of Grant Stuard this off-season leaves depth an issue as well. There is a starting spot available to be had in my opinion and Demetrius Knight Jr is a solid get here. The South Carolina product has been on three different teams over six seasons but made his name at every stop. He spent his first four years at Georgia Tech before earning All-AAC honors at Charlotte. He then transferred to South Carolina where he recorded 82 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and was named a team captain. He can play multiple roles at linebacker and even was a former dual-threat quarterback in high school. At the very least, the Colts add some much needed depth at the position.

FIFTH ROUND – 151st OVERALL PICK

DEVIN NEAL, RB, KANSAS

Speaking of depth, this is where the Colts help shore up some long-term depth behind Jonathan Taylor. The Jayhawks back doesn’t have “blow the doors off” speed (he ran a 4.58 at the combine) but he’s a workhorse back that can punish opposing defenses with his 215-pound frame and shiftiness. He racked up over 1,200 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns with Kansas last season and at only 21 years old there is plenty of room to grow behind Taylor and Khalil Herbert.

SIXTH ROUND – 189th OVERALL PICK

SETH McLAUGHLIN, OL, OHIO STATE

The Colts get to the offensive line here in the sixth round and this is an interesting one. McLaughlin has mostly played at center, but the Colts seem primed to give Tanor Bortolini a legit shot to be the center of the future. Can McLaughlin make the positional adjustment to guard? It’s worth a shot in my opinion. He was considered one of the best centers in college football when he was with Alabama and won a national title with Ohio State this past season. I roll the dice here and if he can’t make the positional adjustment then he’s a backup to Bortolini if he struggles to gain chemistry with the Colts' quarterbacks.

SEVENTH ROUND – 232nd OVERALL PICK

BRANDON CRENSHAW-DICKSON, OL, FLORIDA

Back-to-back linemen to wrap up the Colts 2025 class and what a way to end it! Crenshaw-Dickson is a monster. Coming in at an intimidating 6'7” and 316 pounds, he can be a force. He only played one season at a power conference after he transferred from San Diego State, but he’s racked up over 2,800 reps so he’s a seasoned veteran at this point. He does have a knack for getting penalized, but with some solid coaching, he can right the ship. I think he is worth a flyer this late in the draft based on size and measurables alone. If he can help in the offensive line room and provide some toughness and tenacity, he could be a late-round steal.

One notable absence in this draft is that of the quarterback position. At this time, all signs are indicating that it’s either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones at quarterback, and while a rookie could come in, it seems like a bit of a tall ask to ask either guy to try and bring a young guy under their wing with their own NFL future up in the air. I could see the Colts addressing quarterback with an undrafted rookie free agent.