Colts Projected to Receive Two Compensatory Picks for 2027 Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and although the Indianapolis Colts are a year away from another draft without a first-round pick, positive news regarding said eventual draft haul appears to be headed their way.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to receive two compensatory draft selections for the 2027 NFL Draft, according to Over The Cap.

Current projections have the Colts adding a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick to their current draft order, one that includes their six original picks from rounds 2-7.

This would provide the Colts with eight total draft selections for the 2027 cycle, a much-needed bonus considering their aforementioned first-round pick now resides in New York with the Jets after they dealt it to bring star cornerback Sauce Gardner to town.

The Colts' two projected compensatory picks come after in-house free agents defensive linemen Kwity Paye and Neville Gallimore signed elsewhere earlier this offseason.

Paye, who spent his rookie contract (fifth-year option included) with the Colts, signed a 3-year, $48M ($16M annual) deal with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this offseason. After totaling 30.5 sacks in five seasons in Indianapolis, Paye's departure is set to compensate the Colts with a fourth-round draft pick.

Furthermore, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore's 1-year, $5.06M deal with the Chicago Bears is projected to net the Colts with a seventh-round pick.

The Colts also lost starters tackle Braden Smith (Houston) and safety Nick Cross (Washington) to free agency, though their deals were effectively canceled out by two of the Colts' own free agent signings (defensive ends Michael Clemons and Arden Key).

As of now, the Colts' eight projected draft selections in the 2027 NFL Draft are as followed:

Second-round pick
Third-round pick
Fourth-round pick
Fourth-round pick (compensatory)
Fifth-round pick
Sixth-round pick
Seventh-round pick
Seventh-round pick (compensatory)

Some may assume that the free agents remaining post-draft are either driving too hard a bargain or their market value is simply nonexistent. On the contrary, sometimes NFL teams are simply operating around the compensatory pick formula, rather than pouncing all at once. Some of this is due to not tipping your draft plans, while other motives include compensatory pick manipulation.

This timeframe exists from when the new league year beings in March to when the annual draft period ends, which this year came at 4:00 PM EST on April 27th.

The compensatory pick values are determined by three key factors: playing time, annual salary, and reaching certain peformance benchmarks. From Over The Cap:

An inverse ranking of the contract's Average Per Year (APY)
One point each for each percentage point of snaps played on offense or defense, with a minimum requirement of 25%. (Kickers and punters earn points based upon statistical performance.)
20 or 5 points based upon being honored by the AP All Pro or PFWA On Field Awards lists.

The good news is that moving forward, free agent signings are now exempt from potential compensatory valuation. As of Monday, April 27th at 4:00 PM EST, NFL teams are able to sign any remaining free agent without having to worry about their projected compensatory picks being taken away.

Below is the list of the Colts' 2026 free agents who remained unsigned following the aforementioned deadline, who are now free to sign without counting against a team's ability to earn compensatory picks.

RB Ameer Abdullah
RB Salvon Ahmed
LB Buddy Johnson
DT Eric Johnson
CB Chris Lammons
DE Tyquan Lewis
S George Odum
LB Jacob Phillips
LB Germaine Pratt
QB Philip Rivers
DT Chris Wormley

There are still several remaining veteran free agents who would improve the Colts roster overnight, all coming from positions of need.

More specifically, the market of free agent defensive ends that remain are all viable options for Indianapolis. The Colts entered the 2026 NFL Draft with one of its glaring needs being off the edge, and despite doubling up at said position on Day 3, they would be wise to add one of the veterans to shore up their position room for the 2026-27 season.

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