Colts' Top Steal of 2026 NFL Draft Has Ridiculous Value

The Indianapolis Colts had a dynamic playmaker fall right into their lap at the end of the 2026 NFL draft.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (4) leaps to the end zone past Louisiana State Tigers cornerback PJ Woodland (11) to score a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the LSU Tigers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-13. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts will welcome eight new talents from their 2026 NFL draft class after putting together what many consider to be an excellent group over the weekend.

While linebacker CJ Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy headline the haul, one name stands out to this writer: Oklahoma wide receiver, Deion Burks.

Burks is an absolute lightning bolt, and some believed he'd go earlier in the draft, around the fourth round. However, Indianapolis was able to secure him with their very last pick at the 254th spot.

Given how dynamic and aggressive he is with his playmaking abilities, this is why I've selected Burks as the Colts' greatest steal of the 2026 draft.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (4) warms up before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Missouri Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Burks is immediately the fastest wide receiver on Indy's depth chart. During the NFL combine, Burks put together wildly impressive metrics in that regard. Below are what he was able to compile.

• 40-yard dash: 4.30 seconds
• 20-yard split: 2.50 seconds
• 10-yard split: 1.49 seconds

In short, Burks isn't a player you want to lose any ground on if you're a defensive back in man coverage. Otherwise, you're screwed.

However, it isn't just Burks' speed that stood out from his measurements at the Combine.

Another area that makes the eyes pop is his insane strength for being a meager 5'9" and weighing only 180 pounds.

Burks benched an impressive 26 reps on 225 pounds. For such a small player to put up that kind of weight, that many times is unheard of.

With all of this considered, it makes perfect sense how he amassed a Relative Athletic Score of 9.08.

Deion Burks is a WR prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.08 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 363 out of 3926 WR from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/and4mFjnzF pic.twitter.com/JdFnwfn2AM

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 21, 2026

As for Burks' collegiate career, he started his tenure with the Purdue Boilermakers, staying with the Big Ten program for three seasons (2021-2023) before transferring to the Oklahoma Sooners.

This is where his talent shone the most.

When it was all said and done, Burks played 48 games, hauled in 151 passes for 1,669 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns.

He was also used in the running game (18 attempts for 50 rushing yards) and the return game as a Boilermaker (14 kick returns for 278 return yards).

Don't let his seventh-round tag fool you, there's a high probability Burks jumps both Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to become the new WR3 behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.

Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (4) gestures in the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family OK Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite his frame, Burks mostly played on the outside as a pass-catcher for the Sooners in 2025 (349 snaps). However, he also saw action in the slot (99 snaps).

With this versatility and ability in mind, it's hard to imagine he won't become a target in Shane Steichen's system.

He may need time to adjust before that happens, but he's more talented with higher upside than either Dulin or Westbrook-Ikhine as a pass-catcher.

Also, he's a returner with the ability to break away from tacklers like a gazelle, so don't rule that role out for Burks, either.

This was an absolute steal for Indianapolis to grab a player like Burks in the recesses of the seventh round. Steichen can use him outside, in the slot, or in motion in so many ways.

It will be very intriguing to see how the Colts deploy Burks and how much of an impact he'll have in an offense that was, at one point, decimating any defenses that stood in their way last season.

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