Colts land two elite defenders in an early 2023 two-round Mock Draft

Although the 2023 NFL Draft is just under a year away, experts are already predicting what prospects the Indianapolis Colts will target.

Every offseason, football fans learn that it’s never too early for a mock draft. The second the actual draft ends, many are already at work mapping out a mock draft for the next year. This offseason has been no different.

There have already been several 2023 mock drafts even though the annual event is just under a calendar year away. Oliver Hodgkinson from Pro Football Network offered one of the most recent 2023 mock drafts by predicting picks for the first two rounds.

To determine the drafting order, Hodgkinson ranked teams from the worst Super Bowl odds to the best. That resulted in the Houston Texans having the No. 1 overall pick, the Buffalo Bills having the final pick of the first round, and the Indianapolis Colts picking at No. 18.

Picking just past the halfway point, Hodgkinson believes Indy will target defense with both of its first two picks, taking cornerback Eli Ricks in the first round and edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the second.

Colts focus on defense in 2023 mock draft

Eli Ricks is a rangy 6-foot-2 corner who burst onto the college football scene as a freshman with LSU. After two years with the Tigers, Ricks transferred to Alabama, where he will likely play his final season before leaving college for the Draft.

With a soon-to-be 32-year-old Stephon Gilmore signed to a two-year deal with the Colts and an inexperienced Isaiah Rodgers opposite him, Hodgkinson believes a talent like Ricks makes sense for Indy if available at this part of the draft.

For the second round, Hodgkinson has the Colts doing something they’ve done a lot of under Chris Ballard, selecting an edge rusher. The chosen edge rusher is Felix Anudike-Uzomah from Kansas State.

Anudike-Uzomah Is entering his third season with the Wildcats after a breakout sophomore campaign. In 2021, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss in just 12 games. His explosion off the edge can help the Colts build the deep pass-rushing unit they’ve been working to develop.

There’s still so much more that has to take place before the 2023 NFL Draft, primarily the NFL and college football season. However, these are the prospects that are currently being mocked to Indianapolis.

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