The Indianapolis Colts didn't have a first-round draft pick in 2026, as that was dealt as part of the trade to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets. With their first pick this year, Indy chose linebacker CJ Allen.
The Georgia product needs to be good almost immediately. The team didn't bring back either of the two players who started at inside linebacker in the second half of last season. Zaire Franklin was traded to the Green Bay Packers, while Germaine Pratt hasn't signed anywhere in free agency.
But one NFL analyst doesn't quite believe Allen is ready to be good beginning in Week 1. The implication is that the LB might be a bit undersized to have a high impact, at least as a rookie.
Indianapolis Colts' CJ Allen handed a low ranking among the most anticipated newbies
NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger ranks Allen 15th among each AFC team's "most anticipated new addition." (Thankfully, the only team trailing Indy on the list is the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts' AFC South rival, and their player, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Bedinger says, "The Indianapolis Colts were another AFC South team without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they still managed to somehow land a player who was projected to go in the first round almost all offseason long...After trading Zaire Franklin to the Packers, the Colts needed another leader for the middle of their defense, and he'll have to have an immediate impact."
The positive is that many thought Allen had the skills to go in round one, but Indianapolis was able to steal him as pick 53 overall, midway through round two. That could be because inside linebacker isn't one of the more valued position groups in the league. It is the equivalent to guard on offense.
What makes the addition of CJ Allen so meaningful for the Indianapolis Colts, though, is that he brings the kind of speed that Indy hasn't had, while being a well-rounded linebacker. He should give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo more flexibility in his defensive play-calling than Franklin or Pratt did.
While "anticipated" is a slightly odd concept for a ranking (a quarterback, for instance, is almost always going to be more anticipated (Bedinger goes with veteran wide receivers at the top of his list), "needed" is more important. Indianapolis needed a player like CJ Allen at linebacker, and other positions were not in such dire straits.
Three years from now, one could revisit the list and see where Allen was far more meaningful than some other players ranked above him. He's got many years to impress Colts fans and help make the team a winner. Other players might be at the ends of their runs with their new teams.
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