After a hot start to the season when it looked as though they would run away with the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts dropped their final seven games and entered the postseason with a slew of questions. The fact that they will be without a first-round pick at this year’s NFL Draft after trading it to the New York Jets for cornerback Ahmad Gardner will make those questions a bit tougher to answer.

As has been the case in recent years, there’s uncertainty at the quarterback position, given the injury and free-agent status of Daniel Jones, and help is needed in the defensive front seven.

NEEDS

Defensive Tackle

DeForest Buckner will be 32 years old this season and is coming off neck surgery that ended his 2025 season prematurely. He also carries a cap number just under $27 million in 2026, but all signs point to his return. After Buckner, the cupboard is bare at defensive tackle for the Colts.

Linebacker

The Colts need talent and speed at the linebacker spot. Germaine Pratt will be 30 years old and has lost a step since first entering the league in 2019. Zaire Franklin is an active run defender, but he’s small.

Defensive End

Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis are all slated to be free agents in a month. Laiatu Latu, the team’s 2024 first-round pick, has been solid but by no means the dominant pass rusher many felt he would develop into.

MOCK DRAFT

ROUND 2: Akheem Mesidor/DE/Miami

I’m not sold on Mesidor being a first-round pick due to average size and speed (he was measured at 6-foot-2.5 and 271 pounds by scouts last summer and is estimated to run the 40 in the 4.8-second area), but he is a terrific football player who can get after the passer.

ROUND 3: Aiden Fisher/LB/Indiana

The home folk will love this pick, but more than being a sentimental favorite, Fisher is a talented linebacker who brings speed, skill, and intensity.

ROUND 4: Zxavian Harris/DT/Mississippi

Harris is a large, athletic interior defensive lineman who takes over games, on occasion. He flashes skill and has an upside, but also has bad habits that need to be coached out of him

ROUND 5: Anthony Smith/WR/East Carolina

Receiver is not a huge need, but it’s unlikely the Colts re-sign Alec Pierce, which creates a hole on offense.