The Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Chiefs in Week 12 was worrying, to say the least. However, do not abandon all hope, Colts fans, there's plenty of time for the team to figure it out. With any luck, their Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans will see the team bounce back as much as they can.
But still, let's have a little fun and look towards the Indianapolis Colts on a bigger scale than just who they play every week. For instance, how could the team look next season? The Colts will have to be smart with who they add through the draft, as they gave up their first-round pick (both this year and next) for star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
The team does still have its second round selection in the upcoming draft, however, and there are bound to be plenty of talented young players sitting on the board when it's Indianapolis' turn to pick. In fact, the player they could end up picking might signal the end of another player who fans have embraced this year.
The Colts could end up taking Utah LB Lander Barton in shocking mock draft
It's early in the draft process (after all, it's still the regular season), so there aren't many two-round mock drafts available. However, Walterfootball.com does a great job of consistently updating, recently released two-round mock drafts, and in their latest rendition, they have the Indianapolis Colts selecting linebacker Lander Barton.
Barton comes out of Utah at the college level, and he comes from an established NFL bloodline. He's the younger brother of NFL players Cody Barton and Jackson Barton, so he has the genetic prerequisites that show he can hang physically at the NFL level.
In 2022, he was the PAC-12 defensive freshman of the year, and he has kept up similar production in the three years he's played after.
He's consistently hung somewhere around the 40 tackle mark for every season, outside of 2024 when he racked up 72 tackles, and in 2025, he has 47 tackles already, with plenty more games to play. Barton is a player who's trending upwards, and he could have the makings of a solid Colt player.
Germaine Pratt has performed admirably since being signed by Indy after his release from the Las Vegas Raiders, but the Colts are in a tricky cap situation with the impending mega-contract that the team might have to give to Daniel Jones to keep him in Indianapolis past this year.
Pratt has performed well enough to be extended past his one-year contract, but he may have to be a cap casualty.
The Colts' impending free agent class is a doozy, with players like Alec Pierce, Nick Cross, Braden Smith, and Daniel Jones all needing new contracts to keep them in town. Pratt has been a good Colts player, but with so many key cogs that need to be re-signed, he may end up being a cap casualty.
If that is the case, Ballard and company would do well to address the potential need at linebacker by selecting Barton when their pick in the second round comes around.