Hicks: Final Predictive 2022 Colts Mock Draft
We finally made it Colts fans. After months of agonizing over which players best fit the Indianapolis Colts, we have finally made it to draft week. With the start of the NFL Draft just one day away, it is time for me to unveil my final predictive mock draft for the team.
Some notes before we get started: While I am not a super connected source in Indy media whatsoever, I have heard a lot of things from agents during this draft cycle. The players that I list below are ones that have been connected to the Colts in some way during this draft process and fit what the team typically likes to take in the draft.
Also, this is a predictive mock, so this isn't exactly my personal preference in terms of player selections. This is my best guess as to what the Colts will do given the current information we have.
With that being said, let's dive into this bad boy.
Round 2 Pick 42: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
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While Chris Ballard has been known to surprise on draft day in the past, I have a difficult time believing that the Colts won't go with a receiver at pick 42. There will be a good cluster of players available at that spot, and it just wouldn't make sense for the team to ignore talented players at a major position of need.
Of the cluster of players that should be available in that range, I feel fairly confident in saying that one of Alec Pierce, Skyy Moore, George Pickens, or Christian Watson will be the pick at 42. It just makes too much sense and there has been a ton of smoke about Indy wanting a dynamic player at that spot.
I ultimately decided to go with Moore in this mock draft because he embodies everything that Ballard has talked about since the conclusion of 2021. He is a dynamic playmaker that has high upside in this class. He may be just outside of the size requirements, but it is truly hard to ignore a player of his caliber if he were to be available at pick 42.
***TRADE: Colts Send Pick 73 to the Denver Broncos for Picks 96 and 116***
While I hate to include trades in a mock draft, I did want to throw this one in here to represent my belief that pick 73 is the prime spot for Indy to trade down. This draft class is enriched in talent in rounds 3-5, so Ballard would be wise to move back and take more shots in that range.
In this trade, Indy would be sending their early third round pick for a later third and an early fourth rounder.
Round 3 Pick 96: Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
The Colts need to continue to add weapons to this offense for the Matt Ryan era to work. While a rookie tight end is unlikely to see a ton of receiving production in year one, that doesn't mean that they can't find a player that can contribute in other ways.
Jeremy Ruckert is a tough tight end to rank in this class. He doesn't have the receiving production of players like Trey McBride or Greg Dulcich and (due to an injury) he doesn't have the uber-athletic testing scores of players like Charlie Kolar or Jelani Woods. That could lead to him slipping a bit come this weekend.
Ruckert is a player that would fit what the Colts need at the tight end spot, even if he isn't a star out of the gate. He is a versatile player with experience playing sniffer back, fullback, and in-line and he is a strong and willing blocker at the point of attack. On top of that, he has the athletic upside to be a good pass catcher. Overall, he would be a good player to add to this unit as depth with hope for a bigger role in the future.
Round 4 Pick 116: Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State
The Colts' need for another cornerback certainly lessened with the signing of veteran Stephon Gilmore back on April 15th. Even with this signing, though, the Colts do have a need to at least add more competition to this positional group.
Williams is a player that checks off every box for the Colts. He is a savvy, tough player that produced big-time at the D-II level. He then brought his game to the Reese's Senior Bowl, where he had a strong week of practice and interviews. He also passes the test physically, as he came in at 6'2" 195 pounds with over 32 inch arms at the NFL Combine.
Williams is a prototypical day three corner for guys like Gus Bradley and Chris Ballard.
Round 4 Pick 122: Danny Gray, WR, SMU
It is certainly weird for me, the guy obsessed with finding Ballard's typical molds, to go with traditional outliers in a mock draft. However, a lot of that typing goes out the door when it comes to day three picks. These selections are firmly for players that have special upside, and Danny Gray certainly fits the bill.
Labeled as the "Darnell Mooney of this class" by many, Gray lives up to that comparison. He is a dynamic athlete that can take the top off of a defense with ease. He also has great body control and knows how to high-point passes when in traffic. The Colts are certainly interested in Gray and would love for him to be available at this spot on day three.
Round 5 Pick 159: Ryan Van Demark, OT, Connecticut
Yes, I did finally take an offensive tackle prospect in this class. While I am fairly low on this tackle class in general, there are a few day three names that I have circled for the Colts. The one that I have circled and highlighted (and written in bold) is UConn's Ryan Van Demark.
Demark has firmly been on the radar of teams since back in August, when a source told me that some teams had him graded higher than his former teammate, and former third round pick, Matthew Peart. He then followed up that hype with a strong Shrine week and elite testing at his Pro Day. I know that the Colts are one of many teams that appear to be interested in this developmental tackle come day three.
Round 5 Pick 179: Thomas Booker, DT, Stanford
I have been covering Chris Ballard and the Colts for nearly four years at this point, and I have had the Build-A-Ballard series running for the past three. Ballard has specific types of players that he targets physically and in terms of character. Arguably the most Chris Ballard player that I have ever come across is Stanford's Thomas Booker.
If Alec Pierce is the Chris Ballard receiver built in a lab, then Booker is his creation at defender. Booker is a two-time Team Captain for the Cardinal that was one of the best run defenders in college football this past season. He also tested out of his mind at the combine, putting up numbers that would be good for an edge rusher. Booker may not be a player that fills a need for Indy, but he is certainly a player that the Colts would love to have in this class.
Round 6 Pick 216: Blaise Andries, IOL, Minnesota
The Colts under Chris Ballard love to target versatile offensive linemen with their later round picks. They selected players like Danny Pinter (2020 5th) and Will Fries (2021 7th) as offensive tackles that projected to move inside once they got to the NFL.
One player that fits this mold late is Minnesota's Blaise Andries. Andries is a battle-tested (46 career starts) player that moved across the offensive line during his career. He also tested much better than anticipated at the NFL Combine, which further adds to his value on day three. Indy has had success with these players in the past and Andries fits the team's typical mold.
Round 7 Pick 239: Jeremiah Moon, LB/EDGE, Florida
The final pick in my predictive mock is a player that Ballard just can't help but love in this class. Jeremiah Moon's film is far from perfect, but the athletic testing is right in Ballard's wheel house as a developmental player.
Coming in at 6'5" 249 pounds, Moon put up 40.5 inch vertical and 133 inch broad jump. While those explosive scores will certainly catch Ballard's eye, the more intriguing measureable is his insane 35 inch arms. He is a perfect athletic fit for Ballard on day three, so keep an eye out for this name late in the draft.
Potential UDFA Signings
Every year I try to throw together a few UDFA signings that Indy could make after the draft. These are mostly shots in the dark at players that fit the mold, but Indy has been linked to a few of these names as of late.
Christian Matthew, CB, Valdosta State: Freaky athlete with great length and explosion scores. Indy hosted him on a Top 30 visit too.
Luiji Vilain, DE, Wake Forest: Late bloomer that posted nine sacks last year. Another Top 30 visit player for Indy.
Dareke Young, WR, Lenoir-Rhyne: Big-bodied tank of a receiver that tested as a freak athlete this offseason. Reminds me a lot of Ashton Dulin as a prospect.
Zonovan Knight, RB, NC State: Special teams star that offers some versatility out of the backfield. Good competition for Deon Jackson at RB3.
Chase Allen , TE, Iowa State: Older tight end that fits the 'Y' mold. Played for former Colts' TE Coach Tom Manning at Iowa State.
Marcus McKethan, IOL, North Carolina: Versatile, big-bodied player that can fill multiple roles. Fits the typical mold at UDFA OL.
Jontre Kirklin, WR, LSU: Explosive player that could be a nice stash player on the practice squad.
Sebastian Guitierrez, IOL, Minot State: Freaky D-III athlete with a ton of upside. Repped by an agency that is based in Indy, which is fairly notable with UDFA guys.
Daniel Hardy, LB, Montana State: Outstanding athlete with long arms and great explosion numbers. Would be a special teams ace from day one.
Allan George, CB, Vanderbilt: Big, long armed corner that showed out at his Pro Day. Good developmental player.
Raleigh Texada, CB, Baylor: College track star that put together a few good seasons at Baylor. Indy is fairly interested in him internally.
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