Jan. 28, 2026, 10:20 a.m. ET
Day 1 of the Senior Bowl is in the books, and there is good news for the Indianapolis Colts.
Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports, who is in attendance down in Mobile, noted in his first day takeaways that it “appears to be a good year to need defensive help.”
While things can change, all signs point to GM Chris Ballard prioritizing the defensive side of the ball this offseason.
During Ballard’s season-ending press conference, Ballard mentioned the need for “more fuel” along the defensive front, referencing the pass rush. When discussing the defense as a whole, Ballard said there was a need to get younger and faster on that side of the ball.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein echoed similar sentiments. He noted his top five standouts from the first practice, and included were edge defenders TJ Parker and Derrick Moore, along with linebacker Kyle Louis.
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Parker has recorded 92 pressures and 18 sacks over the last two seasons. He’s graded out very well as a run defender by PFF’s metrics as well.
Moore has had steadily increasing production the last three seasons, going from 26 pressures in 2023 to 37 to 41 this past year. This also includes logging 11 sacks in 2025.
Louis has been very effective as a blitzer, recording 50 pressures over the last two seasons. In coverage, he’s logged five pass breakups and six interceptions the last two years, while holding pass catchers to 8.4 yards per catch.
The Colts do not own a first-round pick in this year’s draft. Their first selection will come in the second round at 47th overall.
In total, the Colts currently have five draft picks in 2026. Along with trading away their first-rounder, GM Chris Ballard also traded the Colts’ sixth-round draft pick as part of the trade that brought Mekhi Blackmon over from Minnesota.
The Colts are projected to receive two compensatory picks in the sixth and seventh rounds. This would bring the Colts’ total number of selections up to seven.