It’s not that unusual for an NFL team to devote a late-round draft pick to a local product. Maybe a fan favorite on the local college team or a prospect who played high school ball in town before leaving for an out-of-state college. Sometimes, such moves are driven more by the marketing team than by the scouting department.
But there may be other reasons to draft a local kid. Building a network of trust with the local football community has no downside for an NFL team. And in an arena where reliable information is vital, it is only natural that a general manager would be able to gather more info on someone with local ties than on a player from across the country.
In the real world, this only extends so far. For the Colts this season, GM Chris Ballard is going to take the best player he can find, regardless of alma mater or hometown. But in our world, at least for today, we are not bound by any such restrictions. Therefore, today’s Colts’ mock draft will draw exclusively from players with ties to the Hoosier state.
Indianapolis Colts mock draft, home-grown edition
Fortunately, we’re in luck. Ballard has seven selections to make, but we have an enormous talent pool from which to draw. We have the national champions – a roster stocked with quality on both sides of the ball.
We have Notre Dame with its typical treasure trove of talent. We have Purdue, with … you know what? Let’s not talk about that right now.
We have Indiana and Notre Dame, along with several Indiana natives who went to school elsewhere. All are available today.
The presumptive top pick this year is a Hoosier, by college. Another likely first-rounder left Purdue for Oregon last year but played his high school ball in Westfield. Lacking a first-round pick, Ballard is not going to be choosing either Fernando Mendoza or Dillon Thieneman. Omar Cooper is probably out, too.
But there are still plenty of great local prospects on the table. Here’s how a locals-only draft might play out.
Round 2, pick 47: Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
The Colts need more help on defense than on offense, so it may not seem wise to go offense with their first pick. But I have been beating this drum for a while now, and I’m not about to stop. Jonathan Taylor needs help in the backfield, or else the Colts will run their best player into the ground.
Price is perfect for this role. He knows all about backing up a star, having performed that function behind Jeremiyah Love for the Fighting Irish. And Price is probably the second-best back prospect, after Love, in the entire draft. He is one of the few backs this season with a very high ceiling, and though he may not be the team’s biggest need, he could have the biggest impact.
Round 3, pick 78: Elijah Sarrat, WR, Indiana
The 15 touchdowns Sarrat scored for the undefeated National champion Hoosiers attest to his playmaking ability. After averaging nearly 16 yards per catch in his first two college seasons, he became more of a possession receiver in his final campaign, making tough catches on a variety of routes.
Sarrat is not an elite athlete, but he has good size and enough speed to function against top-flight competition. He found the end zone in 10 of Indiana’s 14 games in 2025. Though not exactly a Michael Pittman clone, he would look very good complementing Alec Pierce in the Colts offense.
Round 4, pick 113: Mikail Kamara, Edge rusher, Indiana
Kamari is an experienced, tough edge who has enough power to occasionally shift inside as a smaller speed rusher. He is an excellent pass rusher in the mold of Miami’s Reuben Bain, Jr. Though just 6’1”, Kamara flies off the ball and bends the corner almost as well as Bain.
He simply doesn’t have the Hurricane star’s raw power. But that doesn’t mean he can’t hold his own in the run game. He is a disruptor in the backfield, forcing seven fumbles during his college years.
The Colts need pass rushers on the edge to help out Laiatu Latu. That is Kamara’s stock in trade. Some are concerned by how his sack total plummeted in 2025, going from 10 to just two. But his hurry rate was noticeably higher. Pass pressure doesn’t have to create a sack to be effective, and Kamara would give the Colts more pass pressure.
Round 5, pick 156: Caden Curry, Edge rusher, Ohio State
Teams never have enough edge rushers, so we are doubling up. Curry may have played college football at Ohio State, but in high school, he starred at Center Grove in Greenwood. Like Kamara, he falls short of the ideal size and length for a modern end.
But look at the production. Last year, he amassed 12 sacks, 14 hits, 20 hurries, and two batted balls in just 300 pass rush snaps. Latu and Arden Key are like to start on the edge for Lou Anarumo this season, with Michael Clemons challenging for snaps. Adding two dynamic young havoc-makers in Kamara and Curry would shift the pass rush into another gear.
Round 6, pick 214: Aiden Foster, LB, Indiana
Edge is a bit thin right now, Linebacker is a virtual black hole. The Colts have no one who has proven to be a consistent quality second-level defender currently on the roster. Foster doesn’t fix the problem all by himself. No one in round six is likely to do that. But he helps.
He is experienced, with over 2,000 college snaps on his resume. He is tough and makes tackles in the middle of the field. He should be a real asset on special teams. He profiles to be a more skilled version of Joe Bachie, who was arguably the best linebacker the Colts put on the field for a few weeks early in 2025. Foster should be able to carve out a more consistent role both on defense and on teams.
Round 7, pick 249: Louis Moore, S, Indiana
I like Moore a lot. Another highly experienced, versatile player who has been on the field for many big moments over the past few seasons. In recent years, several quality safeties have entered the league in the final round. The Colts are banking on one of them – Hunter Wohlers – to make major strides this season.
Moore is a decent athlete, but he really gets by with his head and his instincts. In college, he moved easily between the slot, the box, and deep positions so he could fit into virtually any system.
Round 7, pick 254: Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana
If he goes to the right team, Nowakowski could be a genuine sleeper. Indianapolis already has an elite tight end in Tyler Warren, along with several quality support players who can both catch and block. But Nowakowski is intriguing because he won’t play a traditional tight end role in the NFL.
He will probably play more as a fullback and wingback in the pros. Unlike Seattle's Robbie Ouzts – a college tight end who was drafted to be an NFL fullback – Nowakowski has the skills to line up as a flex tight end option from time to time. But he really figures to play the Kyle Juczszyk role.
The 49ers’ All-Pro has made a career out of doing whatever was needed – running, blocking, catching – and that is exactly what Nowakowski could do under a creative offensive coach.