The Indianapolis Colts were looking to add another tight end to their 90-man roster through undrafted free agency following the 2025 NFL draft, but the Denver Broncos foiled those plans.
According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, the Colts had reached an agreement with Utah tight end Caleb Lohner as an undrafted free agent if he wasn’t selected in the draft.
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With the Colts on the clock in the seventh round at pick No. 232, the team selected Wisconsin safety turned linebacker Hunter Wohler. However, at pick No. 241–just 16 selections away from the draft being over–the Broncos would end up selecting Lohner instead.
The addition of Lohner to the Colts would have been a very Chris Ballard-esque addition. Lohner played five seasons of basketball at Utah while also playing football during the 2024 season. We’ve seen throughout Ballard’s tenure several two-sport additions made to this Colts roster.
Lohner played just 57 offensive snaps in 2024 and another 79 on special teams, per PFF. This is obviously an addition where the team knows they are getting a raw prospect, but want to take a high-upside swing on the athleticism, footwork, and size Lohner possesses.
“Developmental project coming from the basketball world and attempting to prove he can stick in football,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “With only 57 career snaps, there will obviously be an emphasis on fundamentals and technique early in his career. His ball skills are natural, though, and his athleticism is a huge plus.”
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Again, had the Colts landed Lohner, this would have been a long-term play where they potentially try to develop his game on the practice squad. But this all ends up being a moot point because Lohner was instead drafted by the Broncos.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts planned to sign TE Caleb Lohner as UDFA but Broncos draft him