Colts 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Finding receivers early and late

The Indianapolis Colts got their quarterback via a trade with the Atlanta Falcons and now they haven’t done anything since. 

It was about time that Chris Ballard struck a deal to get Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts but he hasn’t added any weapons to assist with the offensive remodel. In fact, no deals were made with both Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed either.

Many note that you can find a guard in the draft or even after the draft. Reed was brought into Indianapolis to be a rotational player and ended up getting a starting job with Minnesota the next year.

When linemen play with guys like Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith, serviceable is what you need to be.

But what now? Where are the wide receivers that the Colts desperately need? Where is this secondary that needs to be built up after not resigning Xavier Rhodes and trading away Rock Ya-Sin?

It’s almost draft time and maybe Ballard is just going to sit back and work his magic in the draft again. This seems to be where he gets a lot of talented players. I’d expect more signings to come after the draft, once teams have filled out.

So if you are the fan waiting for the news of Tyrann Mathieu signing with the Colts, you can just go ahead and wait. Even though Mathieu is one of this year’s biggest available free agents, a deal for him might not happen until after the draft. This gives him a chance to see who is the most likely contender.

Whether Ballard makes a few trades back to acquire a ton of draft capital or not, the Colts are going to need to sign several people just to ensure we have a decent roster.

This is the most Madden-like offseason in recent memory. Maybe the auto-generator will just put players onto the team after the draft. With that being said, let’s look at some key players to look for in this year’s draft.

Colts target wide receiver first

The Colts strike for gold right off the bat in the second round by selecting one of the more athletic wide receivers in the draft.

George Pickens missed all but a few of the final games in 2021 after tearing his ACL in the spring. Pickens came back and played in the National Championship game against Alabama where he made some incredible diving catches.

Run-blocking is going to be his major weakness since he has a slimmer frame and can get outmuscled by a stronger secondary that is defending the run. Luckily, for the Colts, Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle a lot.

George’s strong suit is downfield and catching the ball. His athleticism, agility, and catch radius make up for the lack of run support he provides. This would be a very Colts-like move to make in the second round. Pairing Pickens with Michael Pittman, Jr. would make an immediate impact on the Colts’ offense.

In a draft full of wide receiver talent, the Colts could ideally swing a bat and find a talented receiver, but Pickens would be a great day-two draft pick.

Colts trade back and select another EDGE

In a small trade-back scenario, the Colts move back two picks with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos receive the 73rd overall pick along with a 2023 3rd round pick and send the 57th overall, 96th overall, and the 145th overall picks to the Colts.

The Colts then use the 73rd overall pick to select Josh Paschal from Kentucky. Paschal’s draft stock has been climbing more since the NFL Combine, where he had a fairly solid outing.

Even after trading for Yannick Ngakoue and drafting Kwity Paye last year, Ballard strikes again at the position to hopefully find a solution. In the Ballard era, he has selected an EDGE rusher in the first three rounds in every year except 2020.

Indy only returns Tyquan Lewis this year in free agency and has let Al-Quadin Muhammad and Kemoko Turay walk. Depth is a key player on the Colts’ D-Line, so adding another solid rusher is going to help that.

Paschal adds to the long list of names that Ballard has drafted to solidify a need for the Colts’ defense. Since 2017, the Colts have drafted Tarell Basham, Kemoko Turay, Tyquan Lewis, Ben Banogu, Kwity Paye, and Dayo Odeyingbo to fill that need. Additionally, the Colts have drafted Grover Stewart and Rob Windsor for the interior.

It’s easy to figure out that the Colts have a strong focus on the trenches and they hit a home run with Paschal.

Colts add tight end depth to replace Jack Doyle

The 96th-overall pick is part of the trade that sent the 73rd pick to the Broncos. This is a name you likely haven’t heard much about, but the Colts snag Isaiah Likely in the third round even with Jelani Woods on the board.

In recent days, the Colts have met with Likely for interviews before the draft. The Colts have also met with several other tight ends, so I’d highly anticipate a tight end coming off the board early.

If Likely falls to the 96th pick, this would be incredible value in the third round. This would be a much-needed talent to add to Indy’s pass-catching room that is almost non-existent.

Indy adds secondary depth to replace Rock Ya-Sin

A prime need in this year’s draft is to add to the secondary. The Colts continue to get younger and haven’t really added much veteran depth this year so far.

Drafting Cordale Flott would be a big impact player for the Colts. Flott mostly plays in the slot but is able to defend on the outside.

How much are the Colts invested into Flott? He’s on the Top 30 list for Indy this year, which is saying something. He would help add depth to a unit that is young and in need of more players.

Added depth to the core of the defense

Another draft pick added to Indy’s draft capital in the trade back with the Broncos.

The Colts have two locked-in starters on the roster with Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke. Additionally, Indy is bringing back Zaire Franklin to a deal that will likely add him to the starting roster for defense.

After that, there’s not much depth to go with. D’Marco Jackson adds that depth that could be found in the fifth round.

With Franklin moving to the starting role on defense, this opens a hole on special teams. Jackson could fill that role similar to how Franklin played it.

Jackson is also pretty good in coverage as well, which just adds more versatility to the league’s best defense in takeaways.

Colts take the football Chris Paul to add depth

Okay, so not the same Chris Paul that is dominating in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns. This Paul is much larger than a point guard.

With the lack of depth on the offensive line, the Colts need to strike often for lineman this year. Last year, Indianapolis faced a lot of adversity on the O-Line due to injuries and illnesses. It would be smart to have at least 10 linemen this year.

Paul is a versatile player on the outside and could compete for the left tackle position this offseason.

Colts add a mauler to the O-Line

You want someone that is going to bully a defender in the trenches, look at Cordell Volson from North Dakota State.

Imagine sitting someone that can play down field and open up holes on the offensive line for Taylor to run right through. Putting him next to Nelson might not be fair for the right side of the defensive line.

Even if he is unable to make the starting roster from Day one, he is a much-needed depth piece the Colts will need this year. He could fill in whenever he’s needed while also developing into an eventual starter.

Colts double-dip at receiver with Drummond

The Colts could add a big-time playmaker late in the draft that could make an immediate impact. Imagine having a lineup of Michael Pittman, George Pickens, Mike Strachan, and now Dontario Drummond.

Drummond has the focus and hands to pull in some of the wildest catches. The focus he has on the sidelines will allow the Colts to really rely on someone on the outside while Pickens and Pittman can work the middle of the field.

Look for the Colts to strike twice on wide receivers this draft. Do not be shocked if it’s early and late, not early on both.

Colts add a quarterback to be molded by Matt Ryan

It’s no surprise that once again, EJ Perry ends up on my mock draft. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a huge EJ Perry fan, but the skill is there.

Perry had the second-best performance at the NFL combine when it came to the metrics. His throws were pretty solid and he could throw the deep ball.

Not only was Perry decent at the combine, but he was also All-Ivy at Brown University where he led his team to some really great performances.

Perry won’t be the hot pick in the draft, but he could likely be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in a draft that does not feature top-tier talent at quarterback.

He could join Indianapolis and possibly grow into the role of Matt Ryan’s successor. This late into the draft, with most of Indy’s needs already filled, it wouldn’t hurt to spend a pick to see what Perry could offer.

3 things Colts must avoid doing in this year’s NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is a month away and the Indianapolis Colts must make sure they don’t make the common draft mistakes that happen every year.