After a very disappointing second half of the 2025 season for the Indianapolis Colts, they entered the 2026 NFL Draft desperate to replace players they lost to free agency and offseason trades. Indianapolis ownership once again decided to stick with GM Chris Ballard and his yay or nay draft skills.
The Colts entered the offseason needing to fill holes and increase depth on both offense and defense, and they began doing so by trading wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (and a 2026 seventh-round pick) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 sixth-round pick. They also traded linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Colby Wooden and then lost safety Nick Cross in free agency to the Washington Commanders. With that being said, let me break down how GM Chris Ballard went about trying to replace those players and more.
Indianapolis Colts Round 2, Pick 21:
With their first pick at 53 overall, the Colts selected linebacker CJ Allen from Georgia, who stands at 6’1″ and weighs 235 lbs. Allen led the Bulldogs in tackles in 2025 with 86, tied for the lead in TFL with 6, and was second in sacks with 3.5. In 2024, Allen was second in tackles with 76, and in 2023, as a true freshman, he was fifth in tackles with 43.
On paper and film, Allen looks to be a stud, ballhawk leader of the defense, and he will need to do so with the exit of Zaire Franklin. With the Colts drafting Allen, he will most definitely have to step up right away and have a huge impact, and given his early start and playing time at Georgia, I don’t think he will shy away from the task.
Indianapolis Colts Round 3, Pick 14:
In this spot, the Colts looked to solidify the backend of the defense and attempt to replace Nick Cross. At 78 overall, they selected safety A.J. Haulcy from LSU, who stands at 5’11” and weighs 215 lbs. Haulcy is a strong, hybrid safety that has a knack for playing in the box for run support and shows great physicality.
In the 2025 season, Haulcy was tied for first in tackles at LSU with 87 and tied for first in interceptions with 3. For the 2024 and 2023 seasons, Haulcy played at Houston, where he had 74 tackles and 5 interceptions in 2024, and then in 2023, he had 94 tackles. Haulcy spent his freshman season in 2022 at New Mexico, where he had 70 tackles. Needless to say, with Haulcy’s experience and college career stat sheet, he will receive ample playing time as a rookie.
Indianapolis Colts Round 4, Pick 13:
With the 113th overall pick, the Colts grabbed offensive guard Jalen Farmer from Kentucky. Farmer stands at 6’5″ and weighs 318 lbs, and brings 28 games of experience in his college career. His first two seasons in college were spent at Florida; however, he only played a total of four games. As long as he can work on driving his feet in the run game and his quickness and reaction in pass protection, I foresee Farmer getting some playing time in 2026, especially in goal-line situations.
Indianapolis Colts Round 4, Pick 35:
At 135th overall, the Colts picked up linebacker Bryce Boettcher, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 232 lbs, who played his entire four-year college football career at Oregon. From 2022 to 2025, Boettcher played in 54 games, had a total of 262 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions. I think the highlight here for both Indianapolis and Boettcher is his work ethic, given his amount of experience. Boettcher also shone on the diamond for the Ducks as well. He posted a college career batting average of .242, had 48 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases.
Indianapolis Colts Round 5, Pick 16:
This draft for the Colts was defensive-heavy, and pick number 156 overall, they got defensive end George Gumbs Jr., who stands at 6’4″ and weighs 250 lbs. Gumbs Jr. began his career in 2021 at Northern Illinois as a TE, where he saw 13 games at that position between 2021 and 2022.
For the 2023 season, Gumbs Jr. switched to defensive end, where he appeared in 12 games and had 34 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. For the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Gumbs Jr. played at Florida, where he posted 66 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 22 games. As with the common theme for the Colts in this draft, Gumbs Jr. brings experience and versatility to the table, along with a big frame suited for pressure on opposing defensive lines.
Indianapolis Colts Round 6, Pick 33:
The 214th overall by Indianapolis was a very special one for a local product out of Center Grove High School in defensive end Caden Curry. Curry stands at 6’3″ and weighs 260 lbs, and played in 54 games during his time at Ohio State from 2022 to 2025. Curry posted career totals of 101 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. I may be biased here, but Curry just may have been a steal for the Colts.
Indianapolis Colts Round 7, Pick 21:
Pick 237th overall saw the Colts take running back Seth McGowan from Kentucky. McGowan stands at 6’1″ and weighs 215 lbs, and his college career took him to three different schools. McGowan played in a combined 31 games at Oklahoma, New Mexico State, and Kentucky. His production across the 3 seasons included 1,1918 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground, while he tallied 604 yards in the air and 4 touchdowns as well. McGowan seems to have a nose for the endzone, a balance of offensive production, and speed as his 4.49 40-yard dash time ranked just outside the top five in running backs at this years NFL combine.
Indianapolis Colts Round 7, Pick 38:
With the final pick by Indianapolis at 254 overall, they chose wide receiver Deion Burks from Oklahoma. Burks stands at 5’9″ and weighs 188 lbs, and played at Purdue from 2021-2023 and then at Oklahoma for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Across his 5 collegiate seasons, Burks saw playing time in 49 games, had 1,669 yards and 14 touchdowns by air. Burks showed his speed and strength at the combine with a 4.30 40-yard dash time and 26 bench press reps.
What does this draft mean for Indianapolis in 2026?:
A prevalent, common theme in this draft for the Colts was experience. This may be an attribute that both haunts and is now sought out by GM Chris Ballard when seeking talent, given the Anthony Richardson fiasco. It looks like a few of these guys are going to be stepping into huge roles right away, and only time will tell. The results of this year’s draft may just make or break Ballard’s time in Indianapolis and Colts fans’ attitude towards the organization.
