Post-Combine Colts Mock Draft: Two Defensive Standouts for Anarumo

The 2026 NFL combine has officially concluded, meaning the Indianapolis Colts finally had an up-close look at some of their top prospects ahead of April's draft.

The Colts are expected to focus on their defensive front seven this year, but with no first-round pick, the challenge of drafting starting-caliber players has gotten much more difficult. Thankfully, this year's class has an abundance of talent on the defensive side.

Let's take a look at a post-combine Day 2 mock draft, with the Colts selecting two defensive studs.

Pick No. 47 | S Emmanuel McNeil Warren | Toledo

The Colts held a formal interview with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, an athletic safety who played alongside Philadelphia Eagles corner Quinyon Mitchell for two years at Toledo.

McNeil-Warren measured in at 6-foot-3.5 and 201 pounds, making him one of the taller safety prospects the league has ever seen. He didn't clock in any fantastic numbers at the combine, but his IQ and knack for turnovers make him a top defensive prospect.

In three years as a starter, McNeil-Warren posted 206 total tackles, 8 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, and 13 passes defended. He had one pick-six, which came against my alma mater, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a straight up game changer

I’d be perfectly fine with trading back for him pic.twitter.com/tDdpiZrjzQ
— DripMasterFlex 🕷️ (@DripMasterFlex1) February 10, 2026

McNeil-Warren is an enforcer at safety. He can deliver hard hits over the middle and plug running lanes, which makes him an ideal prospect for NFL teams.

With Nick Cross set to hit the open market this month, the Colts could need another starting safety. McNeil-Warren has the attributes to start in his first year; it's only a question of whether he'll fall all the way to the middle of the second round.

On film, McNeil-Warren is able to cover a lot of ground to get to the ball. He has great instincts in zone and man coverage, and with his frame, he'd be able to match up well with the new wave of athletic tight ends.

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Pick No. 78 | EDGE Malachi Lawrence | UCF

Lawrence is one of many edge rushers who boosted their draft stock at the combine. Lawrence posted a 4.52s 40-yard dash, which was good enough for third-best among all defensive ends.

A three-year impact player at UCF, Lawrence racked up 19.5 combined sacks in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.

At 253 pounds, Lawrence is a tad small to be an edge rusher, but he makes up for his size with elite speed and acceleration. He graded so well in drills at the combine that he earned a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.90, which ranked 22 among 2,046 defensive ends since 1987.

UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence | 2026 Combine Results:

⚔️ 40 Yard Dash: 4.52 (2nd)
⚔️ 10 Yard Split: 1.59 (2nd)
⚔️ Vertical Jump: 40.00” (2nd)
⚔️ Broad Jump: 10’10” (2nd)@UCF_Football pic.twitter.com/GSHMJrNqwL
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 26, 2026

Since 2015, only six prospects have had an RAS score above 9.89 and at least one season with a pass-rush win rate over 17%. Those names include:

Myles Garrett
T.J. Watt
Montez Sweat
Aidan Hutchinson
Dani Dennis-Sutton (who is another elite prospect)

We know how much Chris Ballard loves his athletic pass rushers. The Colts have three defensive ends set to to hit the open market, and they aren't expected to bring any of them back.

Even if the Colts bring in an outsider veteran in free agency, they'll still need some depth pieces, and Lawrence makes sense in the third round. Ballard said it himself: the defensive front seven needs to get faster. You can't get much faster than Malachi Lawrence.