Chris Ballard does not have a first-round draft pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean the Indianapolis Colts’ general manager can’t do some serious roster-building come April. The Colts will have picks in the other six rounds and an extra one in round seven. With five picks on day three, Ballard should be looking for a couple of diamonds in the rough.
Several of the FCS prospects who have been invited to take part in the Scouting Combine might fit the bill. Only a handful of college players below the top FBS tier will be performing in front of scouts in the Colts’ own Lucas Oil Stadium.
Most analysts expect Ballard to focus on his defense – especially the front seven. Depending on what happens with starting wide receivers Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman, Jr., Ballard also may be eager to add some firepower at the wideout position.
Indianapolis Colts could find talent in the late rounds by looking at FCS prospects
For Colts’ fans watching the Combine, here are three potential late-round, FCS prospects who might be a good fit in Indy.
Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
NFL fans know the Lance name because of Bryce’s older brother, Trey, who played quarterback at North Dakota State and was the third overall pick in the 2021 draft. That constituted one of the most significant overreaches in NFL draft history, and Trey Lance has done virtually nothing in five professional seasons.
Bryce is a completely different story. Whereas Trey played a grand total of 19 college games and threw just 318 passes (largely due to COVID disruptions), Bryce has forty games under his belt.
North Dakota State has been the dominant FCS team in the country over the past decade, so good that they have moved into the FBS, effective 2026. Bryce is 6’3”, 209 pounds, and has proven to be an excellent deep threat as well as a steady possession receiver.
After three quiet years, Bryce really came on in the past two years, catching 126 passes for more than 2,000 yards and scoring 25 touchdowns. His relatively slow 40 time (4.6 as of this writing) will knock him into the later rounds, but Bryce Lance looks like an ideal late-round replacement for Michael Pittman, Jr. should Pittman’s excessive contract lead to a parting of the ways with the Colts.
Jalen Walthall, WR, Incarnate Word
Like Lance, Jalen Walthall has been insanely productive over the past two seasons. He was a decent prospect at Hawaii between 2021 and 2023, then turned dominant in San Antonio, going for more than 2,000 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns in 2024-’25.
Walthall is not going to make fans forget Alec Pierce should the pending free agent leave town, but there are some similarities between the two receivers. Like Pierce, Walthall has been knocked for not having a developed route tree. At 6’2”, 180 pounds, he has very good speed and should be a deep threat. That is how Pierce was initially viewed, but he has developed into a much more complete receiver.
Pierce is bigger and faster than Walthall. But even if all Walthall can do is provide an NFL team with a potent deep threat as a third or fourth receiver, that can be solid value in a late round. He might be able to play the type of role that was initially envisioned for AD Mitchell before that experiment was terminated.
Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana State
Proctor has been a very productive defender everywhere he has played. But since he has tended to play at low-profile schools, he has been under the radar. It happened in high school, which resulted in him going to FCS Southeastern Louisiana. Now, his low profile will probably push him into the later rounds, or perhaps out of the draft altogether.
Proctor is a bit of a throwback to twenty years ago, when smaller, quicker interior linemen could thrive. At 6’3”, 280 pounds, he is a sturdy athlete, but doesn’t carry the mass that teams typically want today in a defensive tackle. Proctor profiles as a rotational pass rusher who can use his quickness and agility to beat slow-footed interior linemen. He can also move outside on passing downs and play the edge.
In 2025, Proctor was recognized as the Southland Conference player of the year, totaling nine sacks and 40 quarterback pressures to go along with 13.5 tackles-for-loss. With two aging starters at defensive tackle, the Colts need to add some youth to the mix. They picked up Tim Smith in a late round last year. Proctor could be another piece of the retooling, playing the type of role that Raheem Brock did back in the Colts’ glory days.