Colts Focus on Front Seven With Early Picks in New Draft Projection

The 2026 NFL draft is officially under two months away, and even though they don't have a first-round pick, the Indianapolis Colts will need to find some instant-impact players with their remaining selections.

On Tuesday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard gave some hints as to what direction his team will take in the draft, saying they need to get faster on the defensive front seven.

With that in mind, Dalton Wasserman's newest three-round mock draft at Pro Football Focus addresses those needs. To begin, Wasserman has the Colts drafting Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter with the 47th overall pick.

Pick No. 47 | LB Josiah Trotter | Missouri

Trotter was an impact transfer player in his first year at Missouri, leading the team with 84 total tackles (13 for loss). He also tacked on a pair of sacks and a pass defended in his lone year of SEC play.

Trotter's dad, Jeremiah, was a former linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. His brother, Jeremiah Jr., was drafted by the Eagles in 2024.

On film, Trotter shows great instincts against the run. He's able to spot the gaps and contain the runner before he escapes, which is exactly why Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the top run-defending linebackers this past season.

Missouri LB Josiah Trotter is the definition of “seek and destroy” against the run. Great instincts and explodes downhill to the football. pic.twitter.com/q4K2cisPmh
— Jake Hefner (@JakeTHefner) February 18, 2026

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 237 pounds, Trotter has the size to translate to the professional level. He's projected to run a 40-yard dash in the 4.6-4.65s range, so he should have the speed, too.

The Colts' linebacking corps struggled in 2025. Zaire Franklin did not play his best football, and besides him, the only other linebacker who made a noticeable impact was Germaine Pratt, who is set to become a free agent in a couple of weeks.

If the Colts use their second-round pick on Trotter, he'll likely get serious minutes from day one.

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Pick No. 78 | IDL Domonique Orange | Iowa State

With their third-round pick, Wasserman has the Colts selecting defensive tackle Domonique Orange.

Listed at 6-foot-4 at 325 pounds, Orange is a big ol' dude. He doesn't provide a lot of potential as a pass rusher, but on early downs, Orange could be used as a disruptor in the run game.

Over the past two seasons, Orange has recorded 42 total tackles (5 for loss), 1 sack, and 2 passes defended. His numbers don't jump off the screen, but his value is better seen on film.

Iowa St NT Domonique Orange (6-4, 325) need not get lost as the most true NT in a stacked class

Career snap % at NT:
🍊73%
Kayden McDonald 60%
Tim Keenan III 42%

🍊650 squat, 450 bench, 34” vert

‘23-‘25 snaps: 945 A-Gap, 233 B-Gap, 123 over OT, 50 outside OT, 5 off ball… https://t.co/aDMBbwNe4G pic.twitter.com/swXO0cqagV
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) February 25, 2026

Considering the ages of Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner, it's time for the Colts to look toward the future. Adding a young giant could help give Stewart and Buckner some much-needed rest in between snaps, especially in run-defense situations.

Orange has played the highest percentage of snaps (73%) at nose tackle among all NFL draft prospects. He may not help the defensive line get faster, but it would certainly get bigger.

Overall Thoughts

For a pre-free agency mock draft, this makes sense. The Colts need to address their depth issues at linebacker and across the defensive line, and really, even if they sign a veteran at one of those spots, they could still benefit from adding younger talent.

Trotter and Orange could both help take the Colts' defense to the next level in 2026.