Chris Ballard entered the 2026 NFL draft with a clear mandate to rebuild his defense. After getting linebacking help in round two and a very promising safety in round 3, it will be time to look up front when the Indianapolis Colts make their pick in the fourth round on Saturday.
The Colts lost starting edge rusher Kwity Paye as well as key backup Samson Ekuban to free agency. Veteran Tyquan Lewis remains unsigned. The bottom line is that of their top four ends in 2025, only Laiatu Latu is currently signed for the upcoming season. Fortunately, Latu is a burgeoning star. But Lou Anarumo needs to supply him with help on the opposite end of the line.
2026 has not been seen as a draft with a lot of surefire Pro Bowlers but fortunately for the Colts, the edge position does offer good depth. A lot of solid middle-tier prospects remain on the board, and several figure to be available when Ballard’s turn comes with pick 113.
The Indianapolis Colts can beef up their defensive front with an Alabama star
LT Overton has all the tools you could want in a defensive lineman. At 6’3”, 274 pounds, he has the power to set the edge against the run. He has long arms and good straight-line speed.
Best of all, he is one of the younger players in the draft. That means he has plenty of room to grow, both physically and in terms of experience. Overton only became a starter in his final year at Alabama. He was a backup for two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to the Crimson Tide in 2024. Finally, in 2025, he began to show glimpses of physical ability that had scouts salivating.
He was a fine basketball player in high school and graduated early with a 4.0 GPA. That may have set him behind some of his older teammates early on, but he has now caught up, and his ceiling looks higher than most 4th-round prospects.
He has also shown the versatility to play at various positions on the line. Though he would figure to play on the edge early on, he could also move inside, especially if he is able to add weight, as many scouts predict. His versatility would help bolster an aging interior. Overton could step in for Grover Stewart on obvious passing downs.
With the Colts, Overton would be entering a good situation. Ballard picked up a few journeymen to eat up snaps on the edge in the coming year. Arden Key and Michael Clemons figure to compete with JT Tuimoloau as a counterpart to Latu, so Overton would be able to blend in over time.
The Colts largely cleaned house in the heart of their defense this offseason. Cornerback is the only position where they have no pressing need. Ballard has added some bodies to fill in gaps in the front seven, but he needs to now find quality young talent to begin constructing a defense that can thrive long term. CJ Allen and AJ Haulcy are a very good start.
LT Overton would continue the trend. He has developed from one of the youngest players in the SEC into a potential difference-maker in the NFL. The fact that he would continue this year’s apparent trend of drafting players who go by initials is simply a nice little quirk.
There is a chance another team will target Overton before Ballard gets a chance to grab him and if that were to happen, there are other prospects worth a long look. But none have the potential ceiling of Overton.
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