In a three-round NFL mock draft from Gordon McGuiness of Pro Football Focus, the Indianapolis Colts address a key need right away and then make a more head-scratching selection.
Without a first-round pick, the Colts‘ first selection won’t come until Day 2 at pick No. 47 overall. With that pick, McGuiness had Indianapolis taking Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday.
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Listed at 6-4 – 240 pounds, Golday has played over 2,000 career defensive snaps at the college level. He’s been effective as a blitzer, and in 2025, he was one of PFF’s highest graded run defenders at the linebacker position.
In coverage, he held opponents to under 9.0 yards per catch, while forcing three pass breakups.
Depth at linebacker is needed for the Colts, along with an added coverage presence next to Zaire Franklin. But of note, and this is just one evaluation, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report that Golday is “average” in coverage and has made a greater impact near the line of scrimmage.
The Colts pick a quarterback?
Then, with the Colts’ third-round pick, McGuiness has Indianapolis taking Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
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On paper, at the moment, the quarterback position doesn’t look great for the Colts. However, it seems quite clear at this point that Daniel Jones will return, and could do so on a long-term deal.
In addition to that, Anthony Richardson is still on the roster as of now, while Riley Leonard performed very well in his Week 18 start against Houston.
So, given all of that, taking a quarterback in Round 3 isn’t a selection that I would expect Chris Ballard to make.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts make head-scratching pick in latest 2026 NFL mock draft