Another NFL draft is in the books with Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard. In my opinion, this was a good but not great draft from the franchise. They absolutely hit some areas of need, but there were plenty of areas that we still do not have a definitive path.
While that is expected, the draft allows you to get players in mass to fill the holes. On top of this offseason’s mediocre free agency haul, there was plenty of work to do on the roster. The Colts came in with major needs at edge rusher, linebacker, nickel cornerback, and overall offensive depth.
I thought the picks of linebacker CJ Allen and AJ Haulcy were terrific, even with a crowded safety room. I felt they waited too long to draft help on the edge and settled for some talent in the seventh round, taking the best available guys on their draft board.
The Indianapolis Colts still have plenty of needs heading into the offseason program
Let’s dive into some areas of need that still need to be addressed during the team’s offseason programs, which have begun.
Definitive answer at edge rusher
The nightmare of finding a running mate for starter Laiatu Latu continues. The Colts did sign both Arden Key and Michael Clemons in free agency for depth pieces. None of those names has brought a sense of calm to any Colts fan. In fact, they brought more questions.
While I like the picks of both George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry, they are not the answer for this season. They were both late-round picks for their own respective reasons. Curry has relatively short arms, and Gumbs is a project because he has only played the edge-rusher position for two seasons.
The Colts will now be reliant on second-year rusher Jaylahn Tuimoloau and veteran Key on the strong side of the defensive line. Tuimoloau saw only 215 snaps on the line and did see 101 snaps on special teams. Indy must take the training wheels off now, but the questions will continue, and another veteran signing could be a possibility.
Nickel cornerback
The impending trade request of Kenny Moore has put this position in total limbo. It is assumed that second-year corner Justin Walley will take over. Walley was the apple of Chris Ballard’s eye in the last draft, but suffered a torn ACL in training camp and was sidelined all last season.
Sometimes, a rookie sitting all year can be beneficial, but now he will be thrust into a position that the franchise has emphasized for so many years. The Colts took zero defensive backs in this draft class, and the room is still crowded. A crowded room can be great, but when one area is completely neglected, it brings concern.
The Colts did draft AJ Haulcy in the third round, and that was my favorite pick for this team. But again, it does nothing to bring clarity to the nickel position. The team is trusting a cornerback coming off an ACL tear and with no NFL experience, and literally no known player behind him. It’s early, but it could be the largest question mark heading into offseason workouts.
Offensive skill position players depth
More questions linger about some offensive skill-position players. Specifically, the second outside wide receiver and backup running back. Indianapolis used the seventh round to address these positions with Kentucky running back Seth McGowan and Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks. While these picks are fine, they were seventh-round picks for a reason.
McGowan had some off-the-field issues, and his age caused some franchises to question drafting him. While Burks is a fine prospect with eye-popping speed, he is wildly undersized for what Indy needed. He will be a great gadget player and will compete with Anthony Gould for playing time.
What the Colts needed was another big-bodied receiver to put on the outside with Alec Pierce. As for running back, you now have a competition with DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan. Both are unproven, and the tread on those tires of Jonathan Taylor becomes more worn with each passing regular-season game.
The early relief is that there is plenty of time to make more moves. However, Ballard and this front office have not executed well in the past. He continues to put his faith in unproven talent often, and this offseason appears to be no exception.
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