Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has seven picks in the rapidly approaching NFL draft. Due to the Sauce Gardner trade last year, those picks are back-weighted, with no first-rounder but an extra selection in the final round.
On the plus side, Ballard has been very good at finding solid building blocks on days two and three. Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed were day three picks, and Ballard could certainly benefit from finding equally good linebackers this year. Jalen Travis and Tanor Bortolini were both fourth-rounders, and some line depth would clearly help as well.
The fact that he doesn’t have a first-round pick may limit Ballard’s creativity on the trade front. He still may make some smaller deals, but this will make it even more important than usual that the GM nails most of the picks he does have. This Colts team has a lot of great players, but it also has some serious holes, especially on defense.
Indianapolis Colts mock draft fills holes and builds for the future
As we get closer to the actual draft, I like to vary my mocks with different rules. Today’s rule is no trades. Let’s see who Ballard might get if he just sticks to his guns and seeks out the best fit with each of his seven selections.
Round 2, pick 47: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
I am a big believer in drafting the best player available, especially in the early rounds. But the Colts desperately need help at linebacker, where no one who played more than a smattering last year is returning. Fortunately, I had Rodriguez ranked at the top of the available picks when my choice came up. Two birds, as it were.
Rodriguez is a tough, downhill run-stopping interior linebacker. His plus athleticism and background as a high school quarterback also mean he is very capable in coverage. Though he lacks the eye-popping appeal of a top-ten prospect like Sonny Styles, Rodriguez is among the best all-around linebacker prospects in this draft class. He would be an immediate presence for the Colts' defense.
Round 3, pick 78: Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
Others may see this differently, but I think getting Jonathan Taylor some help in the backfield must be a priority for Ballard. This does not profile as a very good year for running backs. After Jeremiyah Love, there are no stand-out, elite talents.
Price played behind Love at Notre Dame, and as such, he is most likely being undervalued. But whoever takes him will be getting a very good runner who can carry a much bigger load than he did in college.
He may not be big enough to be considered a workhorse, but at 5’11”, 203 pounds, he has the power, speed, vision, and contact balance to carve out a very effective role in an NFL platoon. Plus, he has value as a receiver. Price is an ideal support player for a star like Taylor.
Round 4, pick 113: Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan
Moore can immediately help replace the departed Kwity Paye, another Michigan edge who left via free agency last month. Moore is a little smaller and doesn’t figure to be as good at setting the edge on running plays as Paye proved to be. But Moore may already be a more effective pass rusher.
He does not have an elite first step, but his combination of speed and power allowed him to pile up double digits in sacks and tackles-for-loss in 2025. His final season was highlighted by three straight Big 10 games – against Washington, Michigan State, and Purdue – in which he managed six sacks – two in each game.
Moore immediately improves the pass rush and could develop into a very good every-down bookend for Laiatu Latu over time
Round 5, pick 156: Jordan Hudson, WR, SMU
Hudson began his college journey at Texas Christian, but when he switched over to SMU in 2023, he began finding the endzone with regularity. He caught 18 touchdowns on just 130 total receptions over his final three seasons as a Mustang.
Hudson has good size – 6’1”, 191 pounds – and good 4.4 speed. He was mostly off the radar until last year, when he almost doubled his previous high in catches with 61 in eleven games.
I have seen some scouting services that have Hudson rated as a UDFA, but I’m willing to spend a fifth-rounder on him because I see an ascending talent who may not do any one thing at an elite level, but does everything – catch rate, YAC, success rate – above average. His floor is as a very good third or fourth receiver in the pros.
Round 6, pick 214: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
I did not go into this mock thinking about quarterbacks. I think Riley Leonard is a very respectable developmental player. But I cannot shake the troubling memory that when the Colts really needed a QB, they turned to a 44-year-old who had been out of the game for five years over their rookie backup. I can’t help but conclude Ballard and Shane Steichen are not all-in on Leonard.
So why not take a chance with Klubnik, a QB who entered last year in the conversation for top player in his class? Klubnik has some serious arm talent. He is not very big (6’2”, 207 pounds) and doesn’t have a cannon, but he gets rid of the ball quickly and has excellent touch.
His arm is good enough to make all the throws, though he will never be as good a tight-window passer as the elites in the game. He also moves very well, both in the pocket and as a runner in space.
Klubnik’s problems have been with consistency, and they have come more from his processing than any inherent technique flaws. He is not ready to play in the NFL right now, but if he can learn on the bench for a year or two, Klubnik has the physical talent to start in the NFL.
Round 7, pick 249: Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M
Regis could give the Colts something they haven’t had for a while. A young run-stopper in the middle of the line. He is on the shorter side, at just 6’1.” He plays a little bit like a faster version of Poona Ford, though not as disruptive. But he does have a good enough first step and enough raw power to beat interior linemen and plug holes in the middle of the line.
Though I think he could develop into a player like Ford, I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of Regis for the Colts had they not recently signed Derrick Nnadi from the Chiefs. Regis is a virtual physical copy of Nnadi, only younger and with more burst in his legs. The Colts need to get younger at defensive tackle, and neither Nnadi nor fellow free agent Jerry Tillery gives them that.
Round 7, pick 254: De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss
This is a bit of a flyer on a boom or bust candidate. Stribling bounced from Washington State to Oklahoma State to Ole Miss during his five years in college. He didn’t really begin translating his impressive physical skills into on-field production until 2024. Over the last two seasons, he caught 107 passes for almost 1,700 yards – almost 16 yards per catch. He scored 12 touchdowns.
6’2,” 207-pound receivers with 4.36 speed don’t come along every day. Based on his physical attributes, he should go several rounds earlier.
The fact that he was available late in my mock suggests that some teams see more of an athlete than a polished route runner, and his bouncing from school to school in college may have delayed his development. These may be legit concerns, but he is too good a prospect to ignore if he does fall this far in the draft.