With the 2026 NFL draft being held on April 23, let’s take a quick look back to one year ago. I’m not going to rehash the picks Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard made in 2025. Colts fans already know the good and the bad of that scenario. Instead, let’s look at what pundits were saying in the immediate aftermath.
You are about to hear a great deal of analysis about the seven (barring trades) players that Ballard will be adding this year. You have no doubt already heard a lot about the myriad possibilities.
But starting Friday, we’ll all be writing about actual players, and not mere specters. I warn you up front, I will be just as guilty as everyone else who dares to put an opinion down in print. Some of my opinions will be dead wrong.
What did draft experts say about the Indianapolis Colts' picks in 2025?
I’m sure the psychologists among us could explain why fans get most excited about the draft. Something about potential versus reality, I imagine. I know that I have always loved the unfettered optimism that arrives each Spring, before any of these future stars have played a down in the NFL.
We all picture them at their best, even though we know only a precious few will live up to those lofty expectations.
I suppose if I am going to mention anyone out by name, I should start with the OG guru himself, Mel Kiper. In his immediate post-draft analysis, Kiper singled out three of Ballard’s picks that he particularly liked.
The first was Tyler Warren. That’s something of a no-brainer. Of course, some people offered mild critiques of taking the tight end in round one, but the acclaim was pretty consistent. And, as it turns out, accurate.
The cautionary part of this tale comes with the other two players Kiper liked. He claimed that edge JT Tuimoloau “offered a lot of upside for a second-rounder.”
The Ohio State alum, as you may recall, finished the season with fewer tackles than Joe Bachie (who played just five games before being released) and zero sacks. 29 defensive players drafted after Tuimoloau recorded at least a half-sack during their rookie season, including Nic Scourton and Mike Green, the ends chosen immediately after Tuimoloau in round two.
The other draft pick lauded by Kiper was running back DJ Giddens. Kiper declared that he would be “a good backup to Jonathan Taylor.”
Giddens did not have a successful rookie season. Even though injuries to Khalil Herbert and Tyler Goodson seemed to offer him the ideal chance to step into the backup role, the Colts felt it necessary to bring in journeyman Ammer Abdullah and install him as Taylor’s primary backup. For the year, Giddens ran the ball just 26 times for 96 yards.
Kiper was far from alone in his praise of Tuimoloau and Giddens. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports gave Ballard’s overall draft a C+, but gave the Giddens pick an “A,” saying that he would be a “fun complement” to Taylor due to his lateral agility.
The Athletic's (subscription required) Scott Dochterman loved the Tuimoloau pick, awarding it an "A" as well.
Neither Giddens nor Tuimoloau should be considered a bad pick after just one season. The NFL offers plenty of encouraging stories about players who merely took a couple of years to find their comfort zone. Both could be solid contributors as soon as this season.
Or perhaps they won’t.
Back to Kiper for a moment. When discussing the much-needed running back drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in round five – Texas’ Jaydon Blue – Kiper offered that Giddens, Devin Neal, and Damien Martinez would have all been better picks.
Based on their rookie seasons, it is reasonable to say that Giddens and Blue were roughly equal. Neal looked a little bit better. Martinez did not make Seattle’s opening day roster – the only one of eleven Seahawks’ picks from last year no longer with the club.
In other words, Kiper batted about .500 on this one Jaydon Blue take – one right, one wrong, one tie.
It is useful to keep that in mind as you pore over all of our expert analysis once this year’s picks begin rolling in. Even the best of us will do wrong much of the time.
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