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The Indianapolis Colts first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will come in the second round at number 47 overall.
The Indianapolis Colts got an in-depth look at some of the top NFL draft prospects at this year’s Senior Bowl. The Panini Senior Bowl is a college football event held the week before the Super Bowl that allows senior college players to work directly with NFL coaches. A week of practice culminates in an All-Star Game that acts as an additional opportunity for teams to get a closer look at draft prospects.
The Colts have several players on the roster who participated in the Senior Bowl, including Laiatu Latu, Tanor Bortolini, Bernhard Raimann, and Riley Leonard.
This year, the Colts sent two assistant coaches who got to work directly with players in two separate areas of need.
Colts Assistant Coach Gets In-Depth Look at Three Linebacker Prospects
GettyPittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis recorded 79 total tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions during the 2025 season.
Cato June is the Colts assistant linebackers coach and got to work with the same unit at the Senior Bowl, coaching the National Team.
Jake Arthur of the ColtsRoundtable noted that this could prove critical for Indy’s draft preparation, as the Colts need younger players at the position.
“The Colts’ linebackers missed too many tackles, allowed too many big pass connections over the middle of the field, and didn’t make enough plays”, Arthur wrote. “The linebacker room accounted for 25.8% of the defense’s missed tackles and only 14.3% of their takeaways.”
Prospects June worked directly with were Pittsburgh University’s Kyle Louis, Oregon University’s Bryce Boettcher, and Texas Tech University’s Jacob Rodriguez.
All three prospects have received praise for their Senior Bowl performances.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah listed Kyle Louis as one of his top 10 standouts from the 2026 Senior Bowl practice. “It felt like every time I looked up this week I saw Louis around the football. He’s a playmaker,” Jeremiah wrote.
Bryce Boettcher was specifically named in NFL lead draft writer Eric Edholm’s 2026 Senior Bowl takeaways.
“Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher was all over the place for the National Team defense, making a game-high 10 tackles — five more than any other player — and breaking up a pass. Boettcher’s coverage ability and intensity stood out all week,” Edholm claimed.
And Jacob Rodriguez boosted his draft capital according to Bleacher Report. B/R’s Shayni Maitra wrote, “Rodriguez entered the Senior Bowl process with a general third-round grade across much of the league. That perception is changing fast. After Day 2, several evaluators now view him as a legitimate mid-to-high second-round prospect based on his coverage skills, turnover production, and football intelligence.”
With a need at the position entering the 2026 NFL Draft starting April 23rd, Cato June’s exposure to these rising players could heavily impact the team’s decision.
Colts Coach Worked Directly With Top-50 Draft Prospect on the Offensive Line
While the Colts have a top-five offensive line according to Pro Football Focus, depth is expected to become an area of need.
Arthur noted in his ColtsRoundtable article, “Along with [Braden] Smith, backups Luke Tenuta and Danny Pinter are free agents, and Blake Freeland, coming off a fractured ankle, would be the new swing tackle. The Colts likely need to add at least two or three quality backup players to the line, including someone who can challenge Travis for the right tackle spot.”
At the Senior Bowl, Colts assistant offensive line coach Chris Watt worked with the offensive front for the American team. Watt worked directly with Arizona State’s offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. Iheanachor is Daniel Jeremiah’s 41st-ranked prospect and was another one of his standout performers.
“Iheanachor looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds with good length. The thing that stood out to me, though, was the continued growth I saw from him over the course of the week,” Jeremiah wrote. “He might just be scratching the surface of his potential.”
With the draft getting closer and the Colts being without a first-round pick, rising players from the Senior Bowl could play a big role in their plans as they have in the past.
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