Dueling Mock Drafts: Ought to the Colts commerce up or down?

The Colts are in a no-man land of their draft spot. In 3 of the final 4 years, they’ve completed simply beneath playoff qualification, with 2024 doubtless being a third end just like this.

The Colts have to return to the playoffs, thus a expertise infusion on this roster is required. However to take action, ought to the Colts chase a possible blue chip prospect at a necessity place early or ought to they commerce again and handle as many positions as attainable with as many dart throws to attempt to increase the general roster expertise stage?

Commerce Up Situation
Colts Give Up:

Spherical 1, 14th Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 2, forty fifth Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 2 Decide in 2026 Draft

Colts Get (from New York Jets):

Spherical 1, seventh Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 6, 185th Total Decide in 2025 Draft

The Colts take a chance to be aggressive and go after one of many few potential blue chip prospects at a premium place on this draft class. The possibility to get a real recreation altering participant is just too tempting. After 2024 trade-up makes an attempt to get both Malik Nabers or Brock Bowers didn’t come to fruition, we not less than know the Colts have been lately to accumulate high playmakers on their board by shifting up.

Spherical 1, Decide 7: Abdul Carter, Edge/LB, Penn State

Picture by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photos

There’s a situation the place the highest of the draft has 2 QBs taken as regardless of solely being 2 QBs who’ve potential Spherical 1 grades on this draft class. There is no such thing as a scarcity of groups with QB wants, and desperation may trigger these groups to take a QB and kick one of many high gamers on this draft outdoors of the Prime 7.

For the Colts, Abdul Carter makes a ton of sense. The Colts go rush has solely gotten 167 pressures on 578 dropbacks for opposing passers, which is only a 28.9% Strain Charge alongside their ninth lowest 34 sacks. Whereas Defensive Deal with DeForest Buckner has been a star since coming back from harm, however the edge rush has not been constant in complimenting him. Additionally they want an offball linebacker who has vary, can cease the run, and has robust protection abilities.

A freak athlete with an excellent number of strikes and counters to pair together with his versatility, Carter tasks as the highest Edge Rusher in addition to Linebacker within the 2025 Draft.

Why not handle each wants in a single decide with Carter?

Who is aware of how the highest of the draft may go, but when 2 QBs go early, 2 of the consensus high 6 prospects in Cornerback Will Johnson, DT Mason Graham, Carter, WR Tetairoa McMillan, RB Ashton Jeanty, CB/WR Travis Hunter may fall outdoors of the Prime 6. If Johnson or Carter at premium want positions begin falling, the Colts may very well be tempted to make a transfer as much as safe a high playmaker.

Beginning off my draft prep with Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter vs Maryland was an excellent determination. One of many twitchiest go rushers I’ve ever studied. Love the tempo with he performs with too. Carter led all certified go rushers in P4 in go rush win price, per PFF. pic.twitter.com/tMTVBTKjAy

— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) January 1, 2025

Whether or not or not they’ll discover a commerce accomplice and agree on commerce compensation is one other matter.

Spherical 3, Decide 80: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU

Picture by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

Taylor, son of NFL Corridor of Famer Jason Taylor, combines fluid excessive twitch quick space athleticism with robust dimension. The 6’5 255lb Tight Finish has numerous energy on the catch level, persistently successful in contested catches and having the bottom drop % within the draft class at his place (1.8%).

NFL WATCH

Former LSU TE Mason Taylor is within the NFL Draft.

Early declare, robust movie + manufacturing, his draft capital will doubtless come all the way down to how he performs through the underwear olympics.

The place do you rank Mason in a loaded TE class? pic.twitter.com/GjCTX4Hx6x

— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) December 31, 2024

Taylor is alignment versatile, lining up all over the place for the Tigers from the slot, inline, or as an H again. He has actually fluid motion abilities, however must get a bit higher at separating together with his route operating and wishes a bit extra energy towards greater defenders on inline blocks. He may not be essentially the most vertical menace at Tight finish, however he has proven capacity to win in all 3 areas of the sphere together with his spectacular catch radius.

The Colts may discover a versatile participant at Tight Finish who brings a way of reliability to the room.

Spherical 4, Decide 116: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

Picture by Patrick Mulligan/Getty Photos

The Nittany Lions offense has benefitted from 2 actually good backs, and Singleton may very well be the highest one taken within the 2025 Draft. He has a affected person run fashion, however has elite acceleration to blow up via the holes and robust quick space quickness, particularly in his 6’0 223 lb body. He can run with energy and continuously retains his legs churning. His imaginative and prescient is subsequent stage, discovering the tiniest slivers and is an skilled at manipulating Defender’s angles and blockers to seek out area.

Singleton has skilled with quite a lot of hole and zone schemes, and is a pure hand catcher. His go catching has proven numerous progress in 2024, displaying easy robust fingers and an even bigger position out of the backfield.

He nonetheless must work on blocking consistency and open area making defenders miss, however he has a excessive ground from his skillset and an enchanting athletic profile.

The Colts solely have Jonathan Taylor beneath contract at RB for 2025, and after backup Trey Sermon averaged simply 2.8 Yards Per Carry in 2024, it’s clear change is required behind their star RB. Taylor has additionally handled quite a lot of accidents in recent times, so with how run heavy the Colts Offense has been, getting a robust backup to Taylor is a better precedence want than most notice. In one of many deepest RB draft courses in latest reminiscence (doubtless for the reason that 2020 class that featured Taylor himself), the Colts snatching not less than 1 up seems like a certainty.

Spherical 5, Decide 150: Jalen Catalan, S, UNLV
Spherical 6, Decide 185: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
Spherical 6, Decide 188: Francisco Mauigoa, LB, Miami
Spherical 7, Spherical 232: Thor Griffith, DT, Louisville

Commerce Down Situation
Colts Give Up:

Spherical 1, 14th Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 3, eightieth Total Decide in 2025 Draft

Colts Get (From Denver Broncos):

Spherical 1, twenty first Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 2, 52nd Total Decide in 2025 Draft
Spherical 2 Decide in 2026 Draft

The Colts determine to handle as many wants as attainable within the 2025 NFL Draft to attempt to improve the expertise stage at extra spots on the crew somewhat than investing in a blue chip prospect.

Spherical 1, Decide 21: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina

Picture by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

The Colts may put money into Revel, an extended and fiery competitor at Nook who can affect the sport in quite a few methods. The previous Pirate has flashed shutdown capacity in 2023 and early 2024 tape, with simply 28 catches in 65 targets within the final 2 seasons (43%) and successful towards greater competitors when requested to.

Revel makes use of his size at 6’3 190 lbs to continuously disrupt performs in man and zone schemes. He generally is a bodily presser to knock smaller WRs off their routes, whereas having quickness to reflect very effectively. Very robust vs the run and might crash performs at full velocity on a blitz. He has 2 blocked punts as effectively, displaying robust velocity and size. He’s a extremely dependable tackler as effectively, wrapping up very effectively.

The most important concern for Revel is his September ACL tear, which value him most of 2024. His predraft medicals will probably be key, however the early harm means he’ll doubtless be capable of return early within the 2025 season at worst and even for organized crew actions at finest. What type will he be in 2025 coming off mentioned harm?

Decide-6 for #ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr.

In case you’re on the lookout for this years Quinyon Mitchell, he’s a worthy candidate. Got here into the yr as my CB4 and No. 25 total participant. pic.twitter.com/mWLJi70uGx

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 14, 2024

If Revel is wholesome in 2025, he may compete for the Colts outdoors cornerback job with returning Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack III. 2023 2nd spherical decide JuJu Brents may return in 2025 for additional competitors, however the harm issues mounting for him and good but inconsistent play out of his replacements may imply a decreased position in 2025. Revel may give the Colts one in all their finest photographs at a shutdown nook, marking the primary time the Colts take a Cornerback in Spherical 1 since Marlin Jackson in 2005.

Spherical 2, Decide 45: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Inexperienced

Picture by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Photos

Harold Fannin Jr is one other smaller faculty participant (out of the MAC) who may very well be an explosive playmaker for the Colts on this draft. Each him and Revel have been 0 star unranked recruits, however have developed into high tier prospects for the 2025 Draft.

Fannin Jr. is a sudden athlete, leaving defenders greedy air together with his wonderful athleticism and velocity on the place. He’s one of the best after the catch tight finish on this draft class, with an elite miss deal with price (Most in a season in PFF historical past) and seven.5 Yards After Catch per reception.

He had one of the best base receiving stats in Faculty Soccer for a Tight Finish, because the Bowling Inexperienced Offense featured him as their high weapon usually. He dominated even towards high competitors as effectively, displaying that his excessive finish traits ought to translate effectively to the following stage. He solely had a 2.5% drop price as effectively regardless of the excessive utilization price, displaying a reliability on the catch level. Merely put: Fannin Jr WAS the Bowling Inexperienced Offense in 2024.

The 6’3 or 6’4 and 230 lb Tight Finish is a good slot weapon, however may lineup all over the place. He was seen out broad as a single aspect WR, within the backfield, inline as a decent finish, and as an H-back as effectively, and used cerebral route operating to achieve separation in any respect areas. He nonetheless must bulk up a bit to deal with greater linemen in blocking, however he reveals good aggression and sound approach. Fannin Jr. blocks greater than his dimension would point out, however only a bit extra energy would do him some good there. He does excel blocking in area nevertheless.

The Colts have Mo Alie Cox and Kylen Granson as unrestricted free brokers, with solely Andrew Ogletree, Will Mallory (TE4 to this point in his profession), and Jelani Woods (IR final 2 seasons) returning. The Tight Finish group is coming off of the least productive season within the NFL for any unit within the league, and wishes a lift in playmaking to assist steadiness the offensive passing assault. Why not get the Tight Finish who caught 78% of his targets for 1,555 yards and 10 TDs to resolve these woes?

Spherical 2, Decide 52: Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina

Picture by Wealthy von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

Kyle Kennard is an thrilling edge for a defensive coordinator to work with. He has an extremely fast 1st step, a really robust motor, and makes use of robust size for some devastating velocity to energy and inside rip strikes. He doesn’t want a large alignment to beat a deal with to the sting together with his 1st step, as he’s so fast in his wins and might change up his tempo on an prompt to confuse tackles within the SEC.

Kennard has additionally aligned inside in prior years, doing particularly effectively in run protection to penetrate backfields shortly. The bodily traits Kennard possess is basically enjoyable to observe on tape, as he can be utilized to assault so many alternative gaps with them.

He does have to work on run play analysis as he takes himself out of the play at occasions on the sting, and develop extra counters in go rush. He has nonetheless proven to be excessive affect preliminary rusher, but when he develops his moveset additional he may get much more pressures in a while in rushes.

The Colts have Kwity Paye on his fifth yr choice, Dayo Odeyingbo as a Free Agent, Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam with 1 yr remaining on their offers coming off of harm plagued 2024 seasons, and 2024 rookie Laiatu Latu at Edge. The long-term outlook of this Edge rotation has large query marks, they usually want extra consistency of their go rush on the surface. Including Kennard may assist in each areas, doubtlessly including prompt affect and long run stability on the place that has numerous questions after 2025.

Spherical 4, Decide 116: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia

Picture by Steve Limentani/ISI Images/Getty Photos

Smael Mondon Jr has numerous traits that may be constructed upon for the Colts as a brand new Linebacker addition. He has very sound tackling approach, unbelievable velocity and vary, robust protection instincts in man or zone, and is a robust hole shooter as a blitzer with efficient eyes on the QB vs choice and QB run performs in shallow zones or spys.

Smael is barely 6’3 and 230lbs at LB, so he’s a bit lighter than most LBs. This reveals on tape with points disengaging blocks as a blitzer or vs the run. He wants extra instruments as a rusher, with higher transfer selection and base. He might be late to the soccer resulting from motions, jet sweeps, and play motion, so ID velocity wants to enhance as effectively.

Beginning Linebacker EJ Velocity is a free agent, and captain Zaire Franklin has clear limitations in tackling and protection capacity, whereas additionally having some questions on his management. The Colts doubtless will make adjustments on the place, as linebacker was ceaselessly the goal of opposing offenses passing video games to robust effectiveness.

Georgia has numerous promising younger linebackers.

However Smael Mondon confirmed towards Tennessee the unbelievable worth of getting a senior chief on the place: https://t.co/CJkxP08fZg

— DawgNation (@DawgNation) November 18, 2024

Mondon’s tackling prowess (5.2% miss deal with price) and protection capacity ought to assist in these areas and supply one other participant so as to add the rotation or beginning lineup at Linebacker.

Spherical 5, Decide 151: Raheim Sanders, RB, South Carolina,
Spherical 6, Decide 189: Chase Lundt, RT, Connecticut
Spherical 7, Decide 231: Jonah Monheim, OL, USC

Ought to the Colts Commerce Up or Commerce Down?
Is there anybody you see as a commerce up/down goal on this draft?
Tell us within the Feedback!