Report: Colts to Have Formal Pre-Draft Meeting with Ashton Jeanty

The Indianapolis Colts will reportedly have a formal meeting with Boise State superstar running back Ashton Jeanty.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The NFL world has descended upon downtown Indianapolis this week for the annual Scouting Combine, which means it's the season of leaks and reports. And, of course, throughout the pre-draft process, most of the top players have had some kind of contact with most teams. However, some pre-draft meetings can be quite interesting.

According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, the Indianapolis Colts are slated to have a formal meeting with Heisman Trophy runner-up Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

The following teams have formal meetings scheduled with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, per source:

• Giants
• Broncos
• Vikings
• Steelers
• Colts
• Bears
• Chargers
• Ravens
• Saints

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) February 25, 2025

Fowler posted on X on Tuesday, "The following teams have formal meetings scheduled with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, per source: Giants, Broncos, Vikings, Steelers, Colts, Bears, Chargers, Ravens, Saints."

Jeanty (5'9", 215, 21 years old) is on the heels of a season of a lifetime, finishing second in FBS history in single-season rushing yards, as his 2,601 yards finished 28 yards shy of besting Barry Sanders' 1988 campaign.

In 2024, Jeanty led the FBS in rushing yards as well as yards from scrimmage (2,739), as he also added 30 touchdowns. Despite finishing second in Heisman voting, Jeanty had an incredibly decorated season, earning the Maxwell Award for the nation's best college football player, the Doak Walker Award for the nation's top running back, and was a Unanimous All-American.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Now, why would a team like the Colts, who have needs across the board but already have a star running back like Jonathan Taylor, have interest in Jeanty? For starters, meeting with players before the draft is due diligence. However, the Colts need more around Taylor and quarterback Anthony Richardson after Taylor accounted for 82% of the offensive snaps in games he played.

Taylor is coming off of a 1,500-total-yard and 12-touchdown season that earned him his second Pro Bowl. While pairing Taylor and Jeanty would be incredibly enticing but farfetched, from a business perspective, there is a universe where this makes sense.

Taylor will be 27 years old following the 2025 season with a cap hit of $15.6 million dollars in 2026, according to Spotrac.com, and the Colts would create $13 million in salary cap space by moving on from Taylor ahead of the contract's final year.

In the short term, Taylor, Tyler Goodson, and Salvon Ahmed are the only Colts running backs under contract in 2025.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.