Build-A-Ballard: Wide Receivers the Colts May Target in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Build-A-Ballard series is back just in time for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the draft a little under a week a way, it's time to look at which players best fit the Indianapolis Colts and the Chris Ballard mold.

For those who are unaware of this series, Build-A-Ballard uses past information about Colts general manager Chris Ballard-led draft classes in order to predict players that he will be high on in the upcoming class. Ballard is a strong believer in testing numbers, so this series has been able to produce quite a few hits since it debuted in 2019.

This year's edition will offer a slight change-up, as Ballard has begun to mold his archetype to fit his coaches on the offensive and the defensive sides of the ball. So, in order to filter out some of the noise and account for those variables, the series will also factor in notable picks made by teams that had heavy influence from Shane Steichen and Lou Anarumo (depending on which side of the ball is under the microscope).

This year will also cut out most of the former round six and round seven selections, as it has become increasingly obvious over time that Ballard strays away from his archetype and targets players that his scouts advocate for in those rounds.

Without further ado, let's dive into the wide receiver group in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Past Drafted Players by Chris Ballard

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) catches a touchdown pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Colts have selected seven wide receivers prior to round six in Chris Ballard's time as general manager. While it started off a bit slow, Ballard did start to churn out some hits following the selection of Michael Pittman Jr. in 2020.

Daurice Fountain, Northern Iowa (159th overall pick in 2018): Fountain was a productive small school receiver that the Colts took a shot on in Ballard's second draft with the team. He spent three seasons with the team, but struggled to find a spot on the roster, appearing in just six games. He has been out of the NFL since the 2021 season.

Parris Campbell, Ohio State (59th overall pick in 2019): Campbell was Ballard's first major swing at the receiver position, and this pick just seemed cursed from the start. Despite showing promise on his rookie contract, he landed on injured reserve in each of his first three seasons. He left the Colts in 2023 and has bounced around the NFC East over the past three seasons.

Michael Pittman Jr., USC (34th overall pick in 2020): Pittman Jr. has a case for one of Ballard's best selections in his time as general manager. After a productive rookie season, Pittman Jr. emerged as the Colts' number one wide out from 2021 to 2024. In that four year stretch, he averaged 91 receptions for 991 yards per season, before a back injury early in 2024 slowed down his production. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason.

Alec Pierce, Cincinnati (53rd overall pick in 2022): Pierce had a slow start to his NFL career, struggling to gel with veteran quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Matt Ryan. His game took off in 2024 though, as he became the Colts' top receiving target on the outside. He has led the NFL in yards per reception the last two years, and the Colts' rewarded him with a massive extension this offseason.

Josh Downs, North Carolina (79th overall pick in 2023): Ballard struck gold at receiver once again in 2023, landing Downs in the third round of the draft. Downs hit the ground running with 771 yards and two scores as a rookie, and he's averaged a steady 713 yards per season in his three year career. He has dealt with some injuries, but he is among the best slot receivers in the league.

Adonai Mitchell, Texas (52nd overall pick in 2024): Capping off a third straight draft with a receiver selection in the top 100, Ballard took Adonai Mitchell in 2024. Mitchell flashed incredible ability in training camp over his two seasons with the team, but his play on Sundays was marred by mistakes and immaturity. He was traded alongside two first round picks for Sauce Gardner in the 2025 season.

Anthony Gould, Oregon State (142nd overall pick in 2024): Gould was Ballard's latest receiver selection in his career, and the results have been a bit of a mixed bag. Drafted to be key depth piece and high-level returner, Gould has struggled to find his rhythm with the Colts thus far. He enters a pivotal third season with the team in 2026.

Past Drafted Players by Shane Steichen

D Smit — Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) in action against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Steichen was only an offensive coordinator for two seasons prior to arriving in Indianapolis, so there isn't a lot of data to look back on. The one receiver that the Philadelphia Eagles did draft under him though was through a trade-up in the first round of the 2021 draft.

DeVonta Smith, Alabama (10th overall pick in 2021): Smith was an insanely productive receiver at the college level, taking hime the Heisman Trophy Award in his draft year. The Eagles had enough convistion to move up for the young pass catcher, and he rewarded that faith by averaging over 1,000 receiving yards per season through five seasons played.

2026 Thresholds

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen on the SiriusXM NFL radio set at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adding in Steichen's players alongside the five notable Chris Ballard draft picks paints a clear of the archetype the Colts are looking for. The biggest outlier in this group is Pittman Jr., as his athletic traits fell far below the standard thresholds. Also for this list, there will be a heavier weight placed on picks made with both Ballard and Steichen in the building, as those are likely more indicative of what the team values in 2026.

~ 4.50 second forty yard dash time or faster (only Pittman Jr. and Fountain failed to hit this threshold).

~ 38.5 inch vertical jump or higher (only Pittman Jr. failed to hit this threshold among the seven receivers that tested).

~ 129 inch broad jump or better (again, just Pittman Jr. failed to hit this threshold).

~ Three-cone time under 7.00 seconds and short-shuttle time under 4.16 seconds (just Pierce and Fountain failed to hit these metrics).

~ Higher Yards Per Route Run vs. man than zone coverage in final year of play (three of the four Steichen influenced picks eclipsed 3.00 yards per route run vs. man in their draft eligible year)

The 2026 NFL Draft Top 10 Fits

Nov 1, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1) reacts after his touchdown against the UAB Blazers in the second quarter at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

1.) Ja'Kobi Lane, USC - The "other" USC receiver in this class, Lane quietly put together an outstanding offseason of work. He hit a perfect score across the board with his athletic testing, and he had over 3.00 yards per route run against man coverage this past season. At 6'4" 200 pounds, Lane could be the ideal 'Z' receiver that the Colts are looking for.

2.) Skyler Bell, UConn - The only other perfect score in the draft class, Bell also impressed with elite workout numbers this offseason. He combined for over 2,000 yards receiving over his final two seasons of play, and his 3.46 yards per route run vs. man coverage last season ranks among the best in the 2026 class.

3.) Antonio Williams, Clemson - Williams was a surprise addition to this list, as he hit every single athletic metric outside of the broad jump. He also performed better against man coverage than zone coverage last season, even though he came in a bit lower than the 3.00 yards per route run we were looking for. His ability after the catch would be intriguing in this offense, though.

4.) Bryce Lance, North Dakota State - The height/weight/speed king of this draft class, Lance posted some of the better athletic scores ever seen at the position. He easily crushed every threshold, with the only hold up coming with his production against man coverage. He still performed quite well in that regard, but a majority of his efficiency came against zone coverage as a senior.

5.) Kendrick Law, Kentucky - A former special teams ace at Alabama, Law transferred to Kentucky to get more run at receiver before entering the draft. He is a bit of a projection at this point, but he hit the athletic thresholds, aside from the broad jump, this offseason. His production is nothing to write home about, but there is a lot of ability packed into his small frame.

6.) Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati - Caldwell was another combine winner this offseason, posting elite size and explosion scores at the event. He had a strong final season with the Bearcats, a program that the Colts have a lot of connections to. He fits more of the Ballard mold than the Steichen mold, but anything can happen once day three rolls around.

7.) Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati - One of the more underrated slot receivers in the draft, Allen impressed with a yards per route run well over 3.00 this past season. Combine that with hitting the forty time and vertical jump thresholds, and he could be a sneaky Colts' target on day three of the draft.

8.) De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss - The draft darling of April, Stribling has seen a meteoric rise in recent weeks. He didn't hit the Colts' explosive score thresholds, but he did perform quite well against man coverage, coming just short of the 3.00 threshold. His early career production gave him a slight boost in these rankings.

9.) Ted Hurst, Georgia State - Hurst hit a blazing fast forty time, along with an elite broad jump, to secure his spot on this list. His opting out of the agility drills and his struggles against man coverage knocked him down to ninth place, but Ballard is bound to like the H/W/S freak from Georgia State.

10.) Elijah Sarratt, Indiana - Sarratt may have come short in just about every athletic threshold, but his size and his production against man coverage can't be overlooked. Factor in that the Colts got a first-hand look at him in-state this past season, and he barely beat out other flawed receivers to make this list.

The 2026 NFL Draft Top 10 Fits

Nov 1, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Notre Dame Wide Receiver Will Pauling (2) runs a route against the Boston College Eagles during the first quarter at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images | Edward Finan-Imagn Images

This final group of five players will likely go undrafted this week, but they feature interesting athletic profiles that could make them potential fits. I know next to nothing about most of them, but they are worth a look purely for their athletic potential after their respective pro days.

1.) Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin- 5'11" 183pounds with 31 1/8 inch arms. 4.53 second forty yard dash / 37 inch vertical jump / 115 inch broad jump / 6.68 second three-cone drill / 4.07 second short-shuttle

2.) Will Pauling, Notre Dame- 5'9" 183 pounds with 29 5/8 inch arms. 4.46 second forty yard dash / 42 inch vertical jump / 128 inch broad jump / 7.02 second three-cone drill / 4.35 second short-shuttle

3.) Omari Evans, Washington - 6'0" 190 pounds with 30 3/4 inch arms. 4.28 second forty yard dash / 41 inch vertical jump / 127 inch broad jump / 6.95 second three-cone drill / 4.25 second short-shuttle

4.) Malik McClain, Arizona State - 6'4" 205 pounds with 34 inch arms. 4.46 second forty yard dash / 40 inch vertical jump / 136 inch broad jump / 6.78 second three-cone drill / 4.18 second short-shuttle

5.) Kyle Dixon, Culver-Stockton - 6'2" 220 pounds with 31 7/8 inch arms. 4.5 second forty yard dash / 40.5 inch vertical jump / 131 inch broad jump / 7.05 second three-cone drill / 4.51 second short-shuttle

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