One Thing the Colts Cannot Afford to Get Wrong in NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts hold seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, two of which are firmly inside the top 100. The Colts dealt their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the New York Jets for star cornerback Sauce Gardner around the 2025 NFL trade deadline, giving them the first night off as their work is done for that round.

As a result, the Colts have been operating as if they've already made their first-round draft choice (for the next two seasons): Sauce Gardner.

Indianapolis receives one of the league's best cornerbacks, but in return has to wait until midway through the second round (pick No. 47) to make its first draft selection.

Even Sauce Gardner is aware of the added pressure this puts on him, acknowledging the reality of the situation in his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday.

"It ain't no pressure. We don't really think too much about that. We think about what we do have," Gardner said about the added pressure that ultimately brought him to Indianapolis. "And that’s me, if I got to be the first round pick the next two years, I'm going to work regardless, if that wasn't the case. So no, it's already a lot on my plate being me, but it ain't nothing that I can't handle."

Regardless of how confident Gardner is in his own ability to hold it down on defense, his services required a haul that will take convincing, both through his play and the Colts' draft results. Proving this move for Gardner to be the correct shot will take more than just one season, as now general manager Chris Ballard is left with scraps in the draft to right his wrongs.

This Colts' regime is desperate to right the ship this season. Their backs are against the wall as Ballard's contract runs out following this season, and with zero divisional titles and a lone playoff win on the resume, a major bounce back is needed in the worst way.

Although the Colts have two top-100 draft selections (picks no. 47 and 78), there's a magnifying glass focused on their first pick. This means the Colts cannot afford to get pick No. 47 wrong, regardless of whether they inevitably trade back from said selection to, in turn, add additional draft capital.

It's a hit-or-miss practice by nature, but Chris Ballard truly epitomizes this with his second-round draft history. From franchise game-changers linebacker Darius 'Shaquille' Leonard and running back Jonathan Taylor to busts cornerback Quincy Wilson and defensive end Kemoko Turay, this regime has seen it all in the second round.

The issue isn't solely second-round draft history, but rather the added history of the Colts' current needs. The Colts have two glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball - linebacker and defensive end - and Ballard has fared a night-and-day difference over the years.

Granted, the Colts have drafted just one second-round linebacker under general manager Chris Ballard, but widening the range to Day 2 altogether (rounds 2-3), the sample size increases with a positive hit rate: linebackers Darius 'Shaquille' Leonard (round 2, 2018) and Bobby Okereke (round 3, 2019).

When it comes to edge rusher, it's a completely different story. Ballard has used five second-round picks on defensive ends during his tenure as the Colts' general manager:

Kemoko Turay (2018)
Tyquan Lewis (2018)
Ben Banogu (2019)
Dayo Odeyingbo (2021)
Jaylahn Tuimoloau (2025)

Linebacker is a less-valued position than edge rusher is in today's NFL, so it checks out why more top capital is needed to find an impact player at the position. Even with that, this group of defensive ends lacks the juice that Indy has long searched for.

To be fair, Dayo Odeyingbo blossomed into a legitimate starter across the defensive line, earning a big payday from the Chicago Bears last offseason. It's also still too early to tell with Tuimoloau, though Ballard's comments throughout the pre-draft cycle suggest that a Day 2 pick at his position is on the table. At the very least, it looks like the Colts will be adding to the room.

The Colts simply cannot afford to waste another pick on a defensive end in the top two rounds of the NFL Draft. They should absolutely be in the market for additional draft capital, likely moving back from pick No. 47 to do so, but their first draft selection has to hit in a big way.

Indianapolis is desperate for some added juice in the pass rush game. They've shown under Ballard that drafting linebackers is their forte; therefore, passing on the position until later rounds may be beneficial, but a day-one contributor at either spot is most important.

Ideally, the Colts trade back from pick No. 47 and add more dart throws so that an early-round blunder isn't viewed as the definitive mishap that ruined the remainder of the draft. Even if Ballard and Co. are hellbent on adding help at edge rusher with their first draft selection, they need additional draft capital to focus elsewhere.

If this Colts regime wants to remain in Indianapolis past the 2026-27 season, righting the ship's last step resides with the NFL Draft. The roster is constructed to win now, or at least this regime is forcefully operating as such, so drafting day-one contributors should be valued much higher than any potential project that presents itself.

The future should be as important as the present, but unfortunately, the Colts' regime has not afforded itself such a luxury to think ahead. Adding ready-made players to the mix should be the biggest priority entering the NFL Draft.

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