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Colts Draft: All Build-A-Ballard Defense
These NFL draft prospects fit what the Indianapolis Colts and Chris Ballard look for at each defensive position.
The Indianapolis Colts will be on the clock in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft in just under 20 days, and the Build-A-Ballard series has you covered with all the information that you need to be prepared for the big day. This series looks at the athletic testing of every Colts draft pick since 2018 in order to identify trends and types at each position.
This series is far from the written gospel on who the Colts will select in the draft, but it has produced several hits over the years. Alec Pierce was the Build-A-Ballard WR1 in 2022, while JuJu Brents was the Build-A-Ballard CB1 in last year’s edition. This year's Build-A-Ballard will be broken down by position in the Indy Draft Guide (see below), but today’s piece will take a look at the top-tier performers in this class by position.
This is the second installment of a two-part series looking at the All-Build-A-Ballard team. Today’s piece will be all about the defense, but earlier in the week, our focus was on the offensive side of the ball.
LEO Defensive End: Dallas Turner, Alabama
The Colts’ defensive scheme has two distinct defensive end archetypes: the LEO and the Big End. The LEO is traditionally the pass rusher on the defensive line, often lining up in a wide-nine technique and being a pass-rush-first type of player. Last season, that role was held down by free agent signing Samson Ebukam, who notched a career-high 9.5 sacks for the team.
The best Colts fit in this draft for that LEO role is Alabama’s Dallas Turner. Turner is a truly special athlete, posting an insane 4.46 40-yard dash at 247 pounds. He also tested out of this world in the explosive drills, jumping 40.5 inches in the vertical jump and 127 inches in the broad jump. The scary part of this equation is that Turner just turned 21 a few months ago and still has some potential to grow further in his game.
Turner is the exact type of high-upside pass rusher that the Colts tend to fall in love with early in the draft.
Honorable Mention: Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Big End Defensive End: Myles Cole, Texas Tech
The defensive tester that looked the most like a Ballard prospect this draft cycle was Texas Tech’s Myles Cole. An older prospect, Cole struggled to produce at the college level, but his traits are simply unreal. His testing looks a lot like how Dayo Odeyingbo likely would have tested back in 2021, and we all know how the Colts felt about him as a prospect.
At an astounding 6’6”, 278 pounds (and with nearly 37-inch arms), Cole ran a blazing 4.67 40-yard dash. He combined that number with an excellent performance in the explosive drills, jumping 35 inches in the vertical jump and 120 inches in the broad jump. Cole is insanely raw as a pass rusher on film, but his run defense is NFL-ready from the jump.
If the Colts want another massive developmental prospect on day three, Cole makes a ton of sense for the team.
Honorable Mention: Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
Defensive Tackle: Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
Defensive tackle is a difficult position to identify for this series, as Ballard has only selected four in his time as the Colts’ GM and has yet to use a top-100 selection on one. This is clearly a position that he believes in using veterans to fill, but he isn’t afraid to take a traitsy player on day three as a long-term developmental option. That’s how the team stumbled upon the star that is Grover Stewart.
Clemson’s Ruke Orhorhoro is a fantastic run defender with the athletic upside to grow as a pass rusher. He ran a 4.9-second 40-yard dash at 294 pounds and posted a broad jump in the 97th percentile among defensive tackles. He is a juiced-up former five-star recruit defensive tackle with the explosive upside that Ballard looks for in the draft.
If Ballard is going to break his trend and spend a top-100 pick on a defensive tackle for the first time in his career, it’s going to be on a player like Orhorhoro.
Honorable Mention: Gabe Hall, Baylor
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Off-Ball Linebacker: Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Washington's Edefuan Ulofoshio is the type of player that just feels like a Colts fit on film. He has the length and the athleticism on tape and his ability in coverage is among the best in this entire class. Once his testing numbers concluded the level of athlete that he is, he firmly established himself as the top Colts fit at the position this year.
A former walk-on, Ulofoshio worked his way up the Washington depth chart in his career. He excelled early in his career on special teams before breaking through as a starter late in the game. He tested otherworldly at the NFL Combine, posting a 4.56-second 40-yard dash time to go with 97th-percentile scores in the vertical and broad jumps.
Ulofoshio’s background and his play on the field makes him the perfect Colts’ fit in this draft.
Honorable Mention: Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
Outside Cornerback: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
There are two cornerbacks in this class that have really stood out to me as being perfect fits for the Colts, and I constantly have switched back and forth between the players. I went with Quinyon Mitchell for today’s article, even though I went with the other for the Build-A-Ballard cornerbacks piece. The main reason Mitchell slightly won out was his ability in zone coverage on film.
Mitchell is one of the more athletically gifted corners in this draft, posting a 4.33 40-yard dash to go with elite testing in the explosion drills. He also dominated the Senior Bowl this offseason, an event that the Colts’ value tremendously in the pre-draft process. On film, Mitchell was one of the better zone corners in the class with outstanding feel and instincts in his drops. That ability pairs perfectly with the way the Colts operate in their current defensive scheme.
If the Colts want to drastically upgrade their cornerback room in the draft, Mitchell is the perfect player for their team.
Honorable Mention: Elijah Jones, Boston College
Slot Cornerback: Max Melton, Rutgers
The Colts don’t necessarily need a slot cornerback in this upcoming draft, but it couldn’t hurt to add another quality defender to this roster. Max Melton has aced the pre-draft process up to this point, and he would slide in beautifully with the current personnel on the defense.
Melton is a tad undersized, but he makes up for that with elite athletic ability. His 4.39 40-yard dash time was one of the best at the NFL Combine, and he posted a 99th-percentile broad jump to go alongside a 40.5-inch vertical. He is a fantastic mover on film with excellent eyes in his zone drops.
There is a good chance this special mover is available by the Colts’ second round pick, and the Colts would be wise to add this versatile chess piece to their defense.
Honorable Mention: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Safety: Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
This is a weaker safety class overall and Ballard’s lack of investment in guys that have actually tested at the position makes this position tough to nail down. The safe option for this series is to look at a reliable player with elite explosive testing and a wealth of experience in his career. That is how we arrived at Malik Mustapha from Wake Forest.
Mustapha is a fantastic tackler on film that simply thrives around the line of scrimmage. He can mix it up with the best of them in this class and gives Khari Willis vibes on film. As a tester, Mustapha posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump to go alongside an 87th-percentile broad jump. Those numbers at 209 pounds are impressive, and he shows that downhill explosion on film.
The Colts likely aren’t in the market for a box safety in this draft but if they are, Mustapha makes a ton of sense.
Honorable Mention: Trey Taylor, Air Force
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