The Indianapolis Colts made some good moves in free agency, a clear departure from Chris Ballard's norm. In the past, Ballard has prioritized running it back with his existing roster and drafting new talent. This years-long strategy has left the Colts with some serious problems, though; they have a major lack of depth at multiple positions.
While there have been some good signings this offseason, the draft is coming up, and a new three-round mock draft from Nick Baumgardner addresses the biggest needs the Colts have. It doesn't completely solve every issue on the roster, but it will still go a long way for the team.
First Round, #14: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Tight end is arguably the biggest roster need the Colts must address in 2025. The Indianapolis tight end room is notoriously bad, and they desperately need new talent, particularly talent that can catch. The decent tight ends the Colts do have are decent blockers, but in receiving, they fall far short. There hasn't been a tight end in Indianapolis who has reached 500 receiving yards since 2018, an embarrassing stat that makes it clear just how dire this need is for the Colts.
The Colts have most frequently been linked to Penn State's Tyler Warren, but he is a hot prospect that very well could get snapped up before the Colts have a chance to get to him. Colston Loveland is another tight end that has been routinely mentioned as an Indianapolis pick, and he's more than just a replacement for Tyler Warren. He's a fierce TE in his own right. As Baumgardner said,
"There are days when I think Loveland might be right there with Warren as a legit top-10 prospect. An outstanding receiver who terrorized linebackers and has the ability to beat safeties (and some corners), Loveland is also a better blocker than people realize and one of the most dependable talents on the board. He’d be a perfect fit in Indianapolis."
Second Round, #45: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina
The Colts defense has had some major issues and was notoriously bad last season. Things are beginning to trend in the right direction, thanks to a few genius signings in free agency, as well as replacing Gus Bradley with Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator. But there are still a lot of needs that must be addressed on defense, and coming in at #1 is linebacker.
Free agency saw the departure of both E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard, leaving just Zaire Franklin as a reliable LB. There is Jaylon Carlies, who Ballard is known to have high hopes for in the upcoming season, but it would be wise to have competition at the position - if not depth. Knight played remarkably well last season at South Carolina, holding his opponents to a completion rate of under 70% and 6.8 yards per catch, and he was named one of PFF's top run defenders.
Third Round, #80: Marcus Mbow, OL, Purdue
Last season, the Colts started with one of the best offensive lines in the league, but it was quickly decimated by injury after injury. Some of the rookies behind the starters performed well, particularly Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves, but depth is needed, especially after the Colts lost Will Fries and Ryan Kelly to the Minnesota Vikings.
Right now, it is assumed that Goncalves will move to right guard, leaving a major hole needing to be addressed. There are current options on the roster - Dalton Tucker, Danny Pinter, and Blake Freeland - but none of them are good enough to be full-time starters. Could Mbow be the answer? He's a three-year starter and is especially good as a run blocker. At the very least, it gives the Colts more depth, which they absolutely need.