NFL Draft Guru Believes Colts Take Productive Cornerback

The Indianapolis Colts are approaching the 2025 NFL draft with plenty of position groups to address, but perhaps none more than tight end and cornerback. NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah believes Indianapolis has to address the latter.

In Jeremiah's first mock draft of the 2025 offseason, he has the Colts selecting Texas Longhorns cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 14th overall pick to add to a thin secondary.

I think you’ll see the buzz around Barron continue to grow. He possesses great quickness, instincts and ball skills.
Daniel Jeremiah | NFL Media Analyst

Barron was a five-year player at Texas and compiled career stats of 57 games, 226 tackles (21 for loss), eight interceptions, 24 passes defended, and a defensive touchdown. Most of his damage was done 2022-2024.

His 2024 All-American campaign stands out. He posted five interceptions and tallied 11 passes defended, 67 tackles, and a sack. His Pro Football Focus metrics are fantastic, with 90.8 overall, 83.3 run defense, and 91.3 coverage.

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Barron would be a fine addition to a Colts defense that lacked depth and consistency in 2024. While Kenny Moore II played excellent, and Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack performed well, it's shaky past those prominent names.

Lou Anarumo was hired to bring versatility, efficiency, and variety to Indy's defense, so Barron is a great talent to think about pairing with the coordinator's scheme. Barron has nasty speed that can catch up to a quarterback's pass to potentially take it to the house, along with the coverage skills to make a receiver non-existent on any given play.

It's fair to say the Colts could add talent through free agency, but the draft is imperative for acquiring long-lasting players for Anarumo's side of the football. Jeremiah's selection here makes sense and has a shot at making an immediately positive impact for the Colts.

Anthony Richardson's development might be the highest priority for the success of the Colts, but adding to the porous defense from 2024 is also much-needed amongst possible upcoming changes. Expect the Colts and Chris Ballard to put a premium on cornerback in free agency and the draft.

As has been mentioned many times before, this season cannot afford to end in mediocrity, as too many jobs are on the line. Even if Richardson hits his stride in year three, having a low-tier defense won't help his efforts.

We'll see how the Colts decide to utilize a crucial 14th overall selection in three months.

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