Colts should heed NFL draft expert's musings on available position depth

The good news for the Indianapolis Colts regarding the upcoming NFL draft is that there will be plenty of defensive options available on the board, which is an area of desperate need going into next season. The bad news is that general manager Chris Ballard will have to wait until the second round to make any pick of any kind. 

Indianapolis does not have a first-round draft pick this year, which will hurt their chances at landing a big college name, but that's not necessarily what the Colts need, perhaps. The Colts have many holes to fill this summer, and the draft will present the right opportunities to do that, as long as Ballard can hit a home run or two.

It's in Indy's best interest that they nail their picks if their defensive ones, because Ballard's job might depend on it. Daniel Jeremiah, the NFL's leading draft expert, is fairly confident he knows what the Colts need, and what they need in order, as he accounts for the 'exciting' draft class of defensive options. 

Daniel Jeremiah points to the defensive line the Indianapolis Colts should prioritize via the draft

The defensive line (especially edge rushers) and linebackers are both position groups the Colts need significant upgrades in. Ballard, who has emphasized the need for more speed and youth on defense in recent weeks, will have more than a few players to choose from, but it's about choosing the right ones. 

This year's draft is deep with edge rushers, with some defensive tackles mixed in there as well — both positions that help make up the defensive line, which Indianapolis needs to address. Jeremiah, speaking with the media before the NFL combine kicking off this week, highlighted, in order, which position groups are the deepest in the draft, and they're all needs the Colts must address.

"It's another exciting class, with some of the strengths of this draft really being along the defensive line, particularly the edge rushers," Jeremiah said. "Another great group of wide receivers, a linebacker group that runs deep, and a corner group that runs really deep. So it's a good draft.

"I would rank that wide receiver, corner, D-tackle in terms of depth, but it's not in bad shape at defensive tackle; it's just much, much deeper at the other two. Then the defensive tackles, it's not as deep as the edge rusher group in this draft, but there's some real intriguing guys...second round to fourth round I think is a nice little sweet spot there, you got some real big guys in there."

While the Colts' biggest needs on defense lie with the defensive line and linebackers, the wide receivers are also something they should think about, especially if Alec Pierce signs elsewhere in free agency, and Michael Pittman Jr. gets traded. That said, there are plenty of wideouts also on the free agent market the Colts can target if they focus solely on defense in the draft. 

The Colts also have to consider who they currently have in their D-line and linebacker spots that are on the backend of their careers. Zaire Franklin might be the last linebacker standing who will need help if Indy decides against re-signing Germaine Pratt. 

As for Indy’s best defensive tackles, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, they’re both on the backends of their football careers, and could be playing their final seasons in Indy. This puts even more pressure on Ballard to draft well this summer.

Whatever the Colts do in the draft (and free agency), you can expect a lot of attention focused on the defense, and hopefully, any moves will set the Colts up for the future in an impactful way.