The Super Bowl is over, with the Seattle Seahawks standing atop the football world, but as we know, the NFL never sleeps. In less than two weeks, the NFL Scouting Combine will descend upon Indianapolis, offering the Seahawks their first chance to begin reinforcing their roster for their title defense, while 31 other teams hope to move one step closer to dethroning them.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of those challengers. After starting the 2025 season 8-2 and emerging as a dark-horse contender, they didn’t win another game. Injuries were largely to blame for Indianapolis’ complete collapse, but the team’s five-year playoff drought suggests other systemic issues need to be addressed as well.

With that in mind, now is a great time to release my first 2026 Colts mock draft. Indianapolis does not have a first-round pick this year after trading it to land star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets, but it has seven other picks to potentially reshape its roster.

I used Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator and The Athletic’s draft guru, Dane Brugler’s top 100 rankings, to guide my selections as I played the role of Colts general manager Chris Ballard.

Note: The full NFL draft order won’t be finalized until compensatory picks are distributed in the coming weeks.

Round 2, No. 49 (via Vikings): R Mason Thomas, DE, Oklahoma

The Colts actually have the No. 47 pick in this year’s draft, but I traded back twice before selecting Thomas. The first trade was with the Atlanta Falcons, who offered the Nos. 48 and 196 picks in exchange for the No. 47 pick. It felt like a no-brainer to move back just one spot to add another draft pick. The Minnesota Vikings called afterward, offering the No. 49 pick and a 2027 third-rounder in exchange for this year’s Nos. 48 and 154 picks. Although I did not want to give up draft capital this year, I thought it would be naive to pass on a future third-round pick to hang on to a fifth-rounder this year, while only dropping one more spot in the second round.

Fortunately, after those two trades, I was still able to address the Colts’ biggest area of need this offseason: pass rush. Thomas had an impressive career at Oklahoma, capped by a first-team All-SEC nod in 2025. The 6-foot-1, 249-pound defensive end totaled 15 1/2 sacks and 22 tackles for loss over the past two years. Assuming that veteran edge rushers Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis are not retained in free agency after combining for just nine sacks in 2025, Thomas would definitely address Ballard’s end-of-season comments about the defense needing to get younger and faster.

Brugler’s analysis of Thomas, whom he ranked as his 35th overall prospect: “As a pass rusher, Thomas is an explosive athlete who can win on the high side with bend or treat blockers like practice sleds using leveraged speed to power. Though he plays with grit, his lack of length shows in the run game, which leads to missed tackles and contain issues.”

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was the “quarterback of the defense” for the Red Raiders. (Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)

Round 3, No. 78: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

The Colts can’t run it back in 2026 with the same starting linebacker tandem it had in 2025. Veterans Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt, the latter of whom was signed midseason, were repeatedly picked on in coverage. Pratt will be an unrestricted free agent, and the Colts could release Franklin and create $5.8 million in cap space with just a $2.5 million dead cap hit in 2026. So, in other words, one or both of them will likely be gone next season.

If that is the case, Rodriguez is a solid option to rebuild the Colts’ linebacker corps, given his sideline-to-sideline motor and sticky coverage skills. The 6-1, 235-pound linebacker had four interceptions and 11 tackles for loss en route to being named the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Brugler’s analysis of Rodriguez, whom he ranked as his 64th overall prospect: “The ‘quarterback of the defense,’ according to the Texas Tech coaches, Rodriguez is quick off his spot with the backfield vision to sort and drive on the football. With 19 career forced turnovers, he has the ball production that will separate him on draft boards.”

Round 4, No. 113: Chris McClellan, DT, Missouri

DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart have acted as the Colts’ club bouncers in the trenches for several years, but the standout defensive tackles aren’t getting any younger. Indianapolis needs to add some youth to that position, and McClellan has the right blend of production and upside that the Colts should take a swing on. The 6-4, 323-pound lineman is a stout run stopper but also had six sacks during the 2025 campaign. McClellan, who started his career at Florida before transferring to Missouri, was named second-team All-SEC.

Round 6, No. 196 (via Falcons): Chase Roberts, WR, BYU

I picked Roberts based on the assumption that Michael Pittman Jr. will be playing elsewhere next season. The veteran has a $29 million cap hit in 2026, and Indy could release him to create $24 million in cap space while carrying only $5 million in dead money. So, realistically, the only way Pittman would stick around is if he significantly restructures his contract. Not to mention it will likely be very expensive to retain breakout star Alec Pierce in free agency, whether it’s via the franchise tag (which is projected to be a fully guaranteed $28.8 million, per Over The Cap) or a lucrative, long-term deal. The 25-year-old notched his first 1,000-yard receiving season and led the NFL in yards per reception (21.3) for a second straight year.

If Pittman is not retained, that suddenly creates a huge void at wide receiver that Roberts could help fill. His 6-4, 210-pound frame, coupled with his leaping ability and physicality, made him a frequent mismatch in college. He also has a knack for making contested catches, which has surely garnered the attention of NFL coaches. Roberts had 54 catches for 802 yards and six TDs in 2025 and received third-team All-Big 12 honors. He never had a 1,000-yard receiving season in college, so I’m not saying he would step right in and fully replace Pittman. But in this scenario, I think it would be wise for the Colts to take a flyer on a receiver with these traits while also signing a more proven veteran in free agency.

Penn State’s Drew Allar could make sense as a developmental quarterback for the Colts, especially if they move on from Anthony Richardson. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

Round 6, No. 216: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury in November, so his medical records will certainly be put under the microscope at the combine. He may not even participate in any on-field events. But assuming his recovery is going well, the Colts should consider bringing in another developmental QB via the draft, especially with the uncertainty swirling around Anthony Richardson.

The 2023 No. 4 pick lost his starting job to Daniel Jones in training camp last year, then suffered an orbital fracture in a pregame warm-up accident that sidelined him for most of 2025. A trade may be best for Richardson and the Colts so that Richardson can get a fresh start and the team can recoup draft capital while moving forward with Jones, whom it’s confident it will re-sign in free agency. Jones was playing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level before he fractured his left fibula and tore his right Achilles.

Allar was once seen as a potential first-round pick after a stellar season in 2024 that featured 24 passing TDs against eight picks, plus six rushing TDs. However, his stock took a major hit because of a poor start to the 2025 campaign that was compounded by his season-ending injury. Despite the underwhelming end to his college career, Allar, who stands 6-5 and weighs 238 pounds, still has plenty of upside that makes him a low-risk, high-reward pick if he’s on the board this late in the draft.

Round 7, No. 230: Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech

The Colts’ starting strong safety, Nick Cross, is an unrestricted free agent. If Indianapolis does not retain him, which is a real possibility given how much money the team has already invested in its secondary, then it can’t hurt to bring in another young safety. Wisniewski, who began his college career at FCS North Dakota State, proved himself at Texas Tech last year with six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one sack.

That’s not say that Wisniewski, who is 6-4 and weighs 220 pounds, is going to shoot up the depth chart and replace Cross. But as it stands, the Colts have only four safeties under contract in 2026 (excluding reserve/future contracts): standout veteran Cam Bynum, 2025 seventh-round pick Hunter Wohler (who missed his entire rookie season because of a Lisfranc injury), 2023 fifth-round pick Daniel Scott (who’s played just four games in three years because of injuries) and deep reserve Reuben Lowery III. Adding a player like Wisniewski to that quartet is hardly a tough decision, though the Colts would also need to find a starting-caliber strong safety in free agency.

Round 7, pick No. 253: Andrew Gentry, OT, BYU

At this point in the draft, the Colts, like many teams, are likely swinging on physical traits more than anything else, and Gentry has plenty of them. The 6-8, 315-pound offensive lineman is a mammoth of a man. He started 14 games at right tackle in 2025, helping BYU finish 12-2, and also has experience at left tackle and guard. Gentry is pretty light on his feet for his size and plays with controlled violence, but he’ll need to improve his blocking techniques to become serviceable in the NFL.