Colts' 'Nightmare' Draft Scenario Has Nothing to Do with Them

The Indianapolis Colts' division could get a whole lot tougher overnight next week during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sep 17, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks with fans on the sideline prior to the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

A lot can go wrong for teams in the NFL Draft. Trades they wanted to execute may not materialize, players they wanted to leave the draft with may have never gotten within range, and adding insult to injury, their division mates might've had all the luck in the world.

The Indianapolis Colts don't pick until the middle of the draft -- No. 14 overall -- so the latter option, where their division gets better ahead of them, is what Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report considers to be the Colts' "nightmare scenario" in the draft.

"The Titans strike gold with Cam Ward at the top and the Jaguars and also land an immediate impact player in the top five," Gagnon wrote. "But that’s as close to 'nightmare' as it can really come for a team in a good spot to draft the best player available in the middle of Round 1."

Yes, the Titans, who haven't had a winning season since 2021, hitting on their franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick would obviously make things more competitive for the Colts in the AFC South. The Colts have swept Tennessee in each of the last two seasons, after all.

Plus, the Jaguars landing one of the draft's elite talents at No. 5, such as Mason Graham, Ashton Jeanty, or especially Tyler Warren, would certainly make the team better, but the Colts are used to losing at least one game in Jacksonville every year as it is.

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A much more nightmarish scenario is that the board moves tight ends around in such a way that the Colts miss out on a high-quality starter. Imagine neither Warren and Colston Loveland being available at 14, and then the Colts trade back to get Mason Taylor, who also gets scooped up before they pick.

Another detrimental scenario is that a run on offensive linemen eviscerates the Colts' plans to add depth and competition to their group, leaving them with afterthought options on Day 3.

But those are nightmares, and we're just going to focus on dreams for the next week, right?