Is it too early to start thinking about the NFL Draft? Probably, but most fans who watch college football as intently as I do are always thinking about who and where that player would be best suited in the NFL. Obviously, only a small portion of these players move to the NFL but getting some early names to start building your early season mock drafts is something every fan loves to do.
The Colts are currently 2-2 on the season and the website, Tankathon.com, posts its weekly 2025 NFL Draft order every Monday. While this is all hypothetical, it makes for great content. The current Colts record places them at #11 in the first round, so each week we will highlight a player they could look to draft in April based on their current record. Some weeks will be first rounders, and some weeks will be other rounds, but we will focus on first rounders in the beginning.
Where Do The Colts Need Help After Four Games?
The first four weeks have gone about how we thought so far for Indianapolis. They have rattled off 2 straight wins after giving up 2 losses to start the season. On defense, the ability to stop the run was abysmal to start but has improved steadily throughout the season. We have seen about what was expected from the secondary. It’s improving but depth continues to be an issue, especially with the loss of JuJu Brents this season. The pass rush has been terrific again and continues to build on the strength it showed last season. Continuity and the addition of rookie Laiatu Latu have been the two major factors.
On offense, the growth of Anthony Richardson will continue to be the focal point of this offense, even if that means tempering expectations along the way for this season. His confidence looked great to start Week 4 against Pittsburgh, only to go out with a hip injury. The offensive line is terrific and is setting up Jonathan Taylor for another strong season. The veteran pass catchers have been serviceable, but the youth is struggling a bit. Rookie Adonai Mitchell is still learning and adjusting to NFL speed and playbook mastery.
2025 NFL Draft First Round Candidate
The Colts select……
Colston Loveland/TE-University of Michigan
I love this pick for a couple of reasons. First, it fills an area of need that the Colts will need to address next season. The Colts have two tight ends in a contract year. Veteran Mo Allie-Cox just turned 31 in September and his role has diminished as of late. In fact, I did not think he would make the team this season. The other tight end with his contract up is Kylen Granson. He has been serviceable but lacks the explosiveness that many front office staff members are looking for now in the league.
Second, Colts GM Chris Ballard has mentioned on numerous occasions that they want to increase their ability to create an explosive play. Meaning a play that changes momentum offensively or can get you some drive extending plays or chunks of yardage down the field. Just look at the four finalists in the league last year. They all had star tight ends that made a difference in the game planning and overall outcome. Those tight ends were Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Mark Andrews (Ravens), George Kittle (49ers) and Sam LaPorta (Lions).
Enter Colston Loveland out of the University of Michigan. He is a junior and could look to stay in Ann Arbor but with the change in staff and Michigan’s inability to complete a meaningful forward pass the last couple of weeks, it appears he could bolt to the NFL. He has the size that Chris Ballard looks for in a tight end as he comes in at 6’5 and 245 pounds. While this year is expected to be less than spectacular for him, we saw what he was capable of under the pro-style offense during Jim Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan.
Harbaugh employed a power run game predicated on two tight end sets along with high percentage, simple passing. He utilized Loveland over the middle most of the time, but he can go deep and make that huge play when needed. Last season he accrued 45 receptions with 649 yards and 4 touchdowns. Not only can he catch but he can block as well as he is a complete tight end. While Harbaugh, of course, wanted to win his other focus was prepping these athletes for the next level. Michigan churned out NFL talent the past few years and Loveland is ready. He needs to work on his drops and get used to the speed of an NFL defense. The already run heavy scheme that Steichen oversees already would help bend Loveland’s learning curve early on.
The Colts reportedly had their eye on current Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers last season but were unable to draft him. This is arguably the best tight end on the board and they both possess a similar skill set. If the Colts move on from Mo Allie-Cox and Kylen Granson this offseason, bringing in an NFL ready tight end to create a trio with Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory will help keep the cupboard stacked for Anthony Richardson.