The Indianapolis Colts have had plenty of draft steals during their storied history. What exactly is a draft steal though? Well, in most cases, a draft steal is a player who was selected after the fourth round and went on to have a decent enough career for a late-round pick.
While the Colts have been in Indianapolis since 1984, I decided to only include the drafts with seven rounds. It was easier for better players to slide back when the draft went for longer than seven rounds because each round was shorter so we'll stick to 1994 and beyond so that's when the NFL Draft became a seven-round event.
Let's check out some of the best draft steals in Colts history.
8. Steve McKinney
A fourth-round pick in 1998, Steve McKinney played for the Colts for four years and started double-digit games at left guard every year. After four years in Indy, McKinney joined the Houston Texans in 2002 and was one of the first free agents they signed as an expansion team. He went on to start 73 games at center for the Texans.
McKinney might not have played for the Colts for the entirety of his career but a fourth-round pick going on to start 133 games is nothing to scoff at. That's why it makes sense for him to be included on this list.
7. Austin Collie
With a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Colts selected Austin Collie out of BYU. Collie went on to play five years in the NFL, four of which were in Indy. He was an immediate favorite target of Peyton Manning's as a rookie, totaling 676 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2009 season, a year that saw the Colts reach the Super Bowl.
Collie didn't have as many receiving yards the following year but found the end zone a career-high eight times. In 2011, despite not having Manning throwing to him, Collie finished the season with 514 yards and one touchdown. His Colts stats included 1,845 yards and 16 touchdowns.
6. Ryan Diem
Northern Illinois isn't exactly known for its ability to produce NFL talent but the Colts drafted Ryan Diem out of the university in 2001 and he went on to spend 11 years in the NFL, all spent in Indianapolis. Diem started 150 games at right tackle and was on the Super Bowl winning squad in the 2006 season.
5. Cato June
In the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, Cato June joined the Colts out of Michigan. He only appeared in 11 games as a rookie but in Year 2, June exploded onto the scene, tallying 110 tackles in 16 starts.
In 2005, June's third year in the league, he made the only Pro Bowl of his career after recording 103 tackles, seven defended passes, and five interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. June not only made the Pro Bowl but he was nearly crowned All-Pro, finishing second in the voting.
June played for the Colts for four years total, including the year they won it all in the 2006 season. He finished his career with stints in Tampa Bay and Chicago.
4. Pierre Garcon
The Colts spent a sixth-round pick on Pierre Garcon in 2008 and by his second year in the NFL, he was one of Peyton Manning's favorite weapons. Garcon had 765 receiving yards and four touchdowns during that 2009 season.
Garcon's best year in Indianapolis came in 2011 when he had 947 yards and six touchdowns. Unfortunately, that was his final year with the Colts but he amassed 2,519 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in his four years in Indy.
Garcon didn't play for the Colts for his entire career and had some massive seasons while in D.C. Despite not hearing his name called until the sixth round, he went on to play 11 years in the NFL and had over 7,800 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. Not bad for a late-round pick.
3. Pat McAfee
The Colts drafted Pat McAfee in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. Punters have to be pretty special to make these kinds of lists and McAfee certainly lived up to the hype. He punted in the NFL for eight years, all of which were spent in Indianapolis. During his eight-year NFL career, McAfee was voted to two Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once.
2. Antoine Bethea
In the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Antoine Bethea joined the Colts and immediately made his presence felt. He started 14 games as a rookie and had 90 tackles. He ended up playing 14 seasons in the NFL with eight of those being spent in Indy.
Bethea was named to three Pro Bowls and had five seasons in Indy where he had triple-digit tackles. Overall, Bethea finished his Colts career with 805 tackles and 14 interceptions. He finished his lengthy NFL career with stints with the 49ers, Cardinals, and Giants and had over 100 tackles in three of his final four years.
Finding a tackling machine in the sixth round isn't an easy task but the Colts managed to do so when they drafted Bethea.
1. Robert Mathis
It doesn't seem believable but Robert Mathis fell to the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and the Colts reaped the benefits of drafting him. Mathis played all 13 of his NFL seasons in Indianapolis and made it to five Pro Bowls and was crowned All-Pro once.
Mathis played 192 games and made 121 starts during his 13 seasons with the Colts and was a pass-rushing menance during that time. He had five seasons where he had double-digit sacks, including a career-high 19.5 sacks in 2013, which was pretty monumental considering that was his 11th year in the league.
It's hard enough finding solid pass-rushers at any point in the draft but finding an All-Pro caliber pass-rusher in the fifth round feels like a near impossible task. The Colts found one in Robert Mathis though. He's their biggest draft steal.