The Indianapolis Colts have to have a good idea of what their draft needs will be, and that includes improving the front seven of the defense. One player that the team should have been watching closely at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, linebacker Jake Golday, might now be unattainable after a very good workout.
Ideally, Indianapolis would replace both Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt at inside linebacker. They are solid at playing the run right in front of them, but neither has the athletic ability needed to help Lou Anarumo's defense be at its best. Golday does, and he proved he did.
At the combine, the Cincinnati linebacker ran a 4.62 40-yard dash, had a 39-inch vertical leap, and a very good 10'5" broad jump. More importantly, he was electric in his on-field drills, showing quickness to the ball, especially laterally. That last part is where Franklin and Pratt have failed the most.
Jake Golday's NFL combine excellence might mkae him out of reach for the Indianapolis Colts
Golday also has excellent size at 6'41/2 and 240 pounds. That is the perfect size for both an NFL off-ball linebacker and what is needed to excel in Anarumo's scheme. Moreover, he has fantastic coverage skills, another area where Franklin and Pratt were putrid.
Golday is unlikely to go in the first round of the draft, as he plays a position that is seen as less important than the offensive and defensive lines and the skill positions. He could certainly be an early second-round selection, though, especially after his combine excellence, and that is the key issue.
The Colts, as all Indy fans know, do not have a first-round choice in the next two years as general manager Chris Ballard traded those, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner during the 2025 season. This puts a much higher importance on what Indianapolis does in round two.
Because the team was once again the epitome of mediocre at 8-9, Indy won't pick until the 16th selection in the second round. That might be a few spots lower than where Golday gets chosen. The loss of the first-round picks is bound to hurt the team for a few years, but, oddly, not being worse in 2025 will affect the future, too.
Based on his size and athletic traits, Jake Golday's best NFL comparison is the Detroit Lions' Jack Campbell, who is 6'5" and 245 pounds. Campbell ran a 4.65 40 at the combine in 2023, so a tick slower than Golday.
This past season, Campbell had five sacks, was in on 176 tackles, and was named First-Team All-Pro. The Indianapolis Colts could use a player like that, and that could be Golday.