Every Pick Colts Added at Trade Deadline (and Who They Should Target in Draft)

As 4 PM Eastern came and went Tuesday afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts' 2027 roster remained entirely intact. No player with a contract stretching beyond the maligned 2026 season was shipped off for draft capital of any kind.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon is seemingly wiping the slate entirely clean for whoever is chosen to shepherd in the next era of Colts football. The trade deadline was about ensuring that was the case while maximizing the value of players the next general manager would have no input on.

The remaining parts of the roster however, will be under the proverbial microscope.

Holding on to Jonathan Taylor guaranteed the Colts wouldn't be receiving a first-round pick (or, of course, an equivalent) to add to their armada of 2027 draft capital, but they are still well stocked with a projected 12 picks in the upcoming draft.

Where are these picks projected to land in April, and what players might a new regime look to target with them?

A Recap on What was Added

CJ Allen speaks at a podium. — Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia linebacker CJ Allen (LB01) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Tankathon, the Colts added the current 82nd pick in the third round, 123rd and 131st picks in the fourth round, the 162nd pick in the fifth round, and the 194th pick in the sixth round. They also sent the 253rd pick to the Chiefs via Buffalo in the Josh Downs trade.

Despite not having a Round 1 Pick, the Colts are 8th in @tankathon’s Draft Power Rankings for total pick value.

Every team ahead of them has either a projected Top 10 pick &/or multiple Round 1 picks

Next GM has a good war chest of picks & cap $ (5th most) to start the rebuild. https://t.co/GJov7a5cuD pic.twitter.com/rkFj6ovs6H
— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) November 10, 2026

For the 2028 draft, they also added a fifth-round pick from the Seahawks in the Quenton Nelson trade.

Now, in all likelihood these picks will fall somewhere in the range of where they're currently listed; but the situation obviously remains fluid as the season progresses.

Looking Ahead at Positions of Need

Adetomiwa Adebawore and Grover Stewart walk off the field. — Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) walks off the field with Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Colts are in the unenviable position of already looking forward to the 2027 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, without a first-round pick, they won't be awarded the chance to take a blue-chip talent at the top of the draft. Still, with the influx of draft picks and projected compensatory picks, Indianapolis has given its future general manager plenty of ammo to maneuver around the draft board.

The wide receiver room is in quite a quandary following the trade of Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. Without a franchise quarterback on the roster or likely to come during the 2027 offseason, Indianapolis would be wise to begin looking to revamp the position group for a potential rookie entering the fold in 2028.

There’s a world where the Colts go sign a Yaya Diaby type and draft a fireballer or two off the edge with Day 2 picks.

Then you’ve got a nice little stock of pass rushers that can win in a variety of ways.

The defense could be pretty decent in ‘27 with new coaching/vision. https://t.co/oexHUDnrEU
— Jack Guiley (@guiley_jack) November 10, 2026

Indianapolis will also enter the offseason with substantial cap space and a chance to give a facelift to a beleaguered defense. Coinciding with this movement, a new defensive play caller and identity on that side of the ball will need to be established.

The Colts have a relatively precocious linebacker room that could use a quality veteran to fortify and instill this new culture. For example, if the Colts were to hire Anthony Campanile, the current Jaguars defensive coordinator, as their next head coach, he could bring along breakout linebacker and upcoming free agent Ventrell Miller.

Whichever direction a new general manager takes, it'll be hard to criticize any approach with the litany of needs the Colts appear to have.

Early Look at 2027 NFL Draft Prospects

Mike Matthews runs. — Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) runs with the ball for a touchdown during Tennessee’s game against Kentucky at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Frankly, it'd be an exercise in futility attempting to project who the Colts may take with any exact pick come April.

Luckily, I keep a cursory list of prospects I've enjoyed watching on tape for one reason or another. You won't see any Jeremiah Smith types, as I've attempted to be realistic given the current consensus on where these guys are expected to be drafted. Information can and will change drastically as the college season rolls on, eventually giving way to the NFL Scouting Combine and various All-Star games.

If you're like me, however, and enjoy the college scouting process, hopefully this list gives you a jumping-off point for your own research into potential future Colts.

The round range is my own projection of where the Colts could look to take that position. A star (*) indicates that the prospect is a personal favorite of mine.