Draft Expert's 7-Round Mock Lands Colts Pass Rush, OL Help
Fifteen days.
In 15 days, there will be no more national mock drafts. For now though, let's all take the time and appreciate the hard work The Athletic's draft expert Dane Brugler put in this year, culminating in his seven-round mock draft, which dropped Wednesday morning (subscription required).
Working through the Colts' six draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, Brugler tried his best to address some serious holes on the Colts' roster, starting off the draft by addressing pass rusher and offensive tackle in the first 54 selections.
At No. 21 overall, Brugler has the Colts grabbing star Miami (Fl.) edge defender Jaelan Phillips, giving Indianapolis a standout athlete to work off the corner chasing quarterbacks and running backs.
Phillips is a tough evaluation due to his medical history, but his talent is worthy of early first-round consideration. If the Colts’ medical staff gives general manager Chris Ballard two thumbs up, Phillips could be a steal for a team in need of more juice rushing the passer.
It will all come down to medicals, just like Brugler said. If the Colts sign off on those medicals and the expected run on left tackles occurs, Phillips very well could be the guy.
Following the selection of Phillips, Brugler has the Colts grabbing Notre Dame left tackle Liam Eichenberg at No. 54 overall, giving Indianapolis its potential franchise left tackle.
Eichenberg projects to be one of the most pro-ready tackles in the draft class and could provide a ton of great value at 54 as a plug and play starter at left tackle for the Colts.
After that, receiver Simi Fehoko out of Stanford is quite the developmental piece at receiver. He tested off the charts at his Pro Day, but he has just 64 career catches and struggled with drops throughout his career at Stanford. That said, you can't teach that size and speed profile.
San Diego State cornerback Darren Hall is great value No. 165 overall and could develop into a terrific No. 2 corner in the NFL, while Iowa linebacker Nick Niemann profiles as a strong special teams player and great culture player.
Kansas State tight end Briley Moore profiles as nothing more than a flier who could work his way into a No. 3 tight end at some point in his career.
Overall, Brugler's seven-round mock starts out extremely well for the Colts but tapers after that. Realistically though, if the Colts can come away with that type of haul with its first two picks, chalk that up as a major win.
Have thoughts on Dane Brugler's seven-round mock draft for the Colts? Drop a line in the comments section below!
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