The Indianapolis Colts needed general manager Chris Ballard to pull off an epic draft class in 2026 despite not having a first-round choice. Almost shockingly, the GM has done that, and he continued his high-end roll in the sixth round by taking Ohio State edge rusher Caden Curry.
Before the pick, Indy had addressed its need at inside linebacker, safety, and likely found an edge rusher gem, and maybe Ballard did enough to make the team better, so much so that he can keep his job beyond 2026.
Will Caden Curry help him do that? Maybe. Ballard clearly understood what his team was lacking entering the draft based on the selections he made. Edge rusher was a mess, and safety had a hole. Inside linebacker lost both starters from the end of last season (which isn't a bad thing).
Indianapolis Colts choosing Caden Curry in the sixth round might be one of the steals from the 2026 NFL draft
Curry is from Indiana, and he probably wishes he had stayed home to play college after what happened this past season. Indiana won the national championship while OSU, well...didn't.
Curry is 22 years old, so young enough to still develop into what he might be, and is 6'2 3/4" and weighs 257 pounds. He has decent athleticism and was immensely productive this past season. He had 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. The issue is that he is a little undersized and not overly quick.
Expecting his production in 2025 to translate to the NFL, especially immediately, is likely foolish. Still, he has the drive to be successful, and Chris Ballard might have just taken one of the steals for the entire draft in the sixth round.
Ballard needed a winning draft for Indianapolis Colts fans to be happy, and he has done that. No matter what was set to happen in the seventh round, Ballard deserves a solid A for his draft selections.
Add us as a preferred source on Google