Colts Go Defense in PFF Post-Combine Mock Draft
The week-long party that is the NFL Combine has finished in Indianapolis, and as usual, there were some amazing performances. The Indianapolis Colts have been linked with offensive playmakers since October, but there is momentum gaining for a defender when the Colts are on the clock at pick No. 15.
Two weeks ago, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com was one of the first to link the Colts with a defender when he had Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins to Indianapolis.
Last week, Mel Kiper Jr. had the Colts selecting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Gordon McGuinness followed suit on Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Monday with his post-combine mock draft that also had the Colts taking Wiggins.
"Wiggins will likely compete with Arnold and (Cooper) DeJean to be the top cornerback drafted, and the Colts should be happy to land any of the three with the 15th pick in this draft," wrote McGuinness on PFF. "Wiggins allowed just 18 receptions across 293 coverage snaps in 2023."
In his mock, he has Arnold going to the Vikings at No. 11 and DeJean going to the Raiders at No. 13. There's a better than average chance that those players could get pushed down at least one slot with the Vikings and Raiders both in need of a quarterback.
McGuinness has Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy going to the Atlanta Falcons... at pick 30 in a trade with the Ravens. This will likely be as low as you see McCarthy on any mock draft from a major-media outlet.
That's not to say the Colts would prefer Arnold or DeJean, but options are good when it comes to the draft. Wiggins had a blazing 40-time at the NFL Combine with a 4.28. He measured 6'1 and 173 pounds.
While Indianapolis has been linked with an offensive-skill player through much of the mock draft process, there should be plenty of options at wide receiver in the second round. The Colts pick again at 42, and the draft is loaded with receivers who put on a show over the weekend.
Players like Roman Wilson, Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, and Keon Coleman could be options for the Colts in the second round. It's a deep year for wide receivers, but cornerback isn't as deep.
Getting defense in the first and offense in the second round makes a lot of sense for the up-and-coming Indianapolis Colts.
