Best Value:\u00a0AJ Haulcy, S LSU<\/p>\n
Biggest Need: Pass rushers<\/p>\n
Missed: Elite prospect pass rushers<\/p>\n
Big Call: One of the two 7th-rounders will make the team<\/p>\n
![\"Nov](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a1839ee16fc5c0f14ef7db961fd39a38.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen (3) on the field against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.\u00a9 Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
(\u00a9 Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)What They Got Right<\/p>\n
Linebackers. CJ Allen has the talent and smarts to step in right away and make the defense his. He can play anywhere, and Oregon’s Bryce Boettcher should be a run stopper if he plays better than his fourth-round status.<\/p>\n
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What They Missed<\/p>\n
Edge rushers. They had one job in this draft, and that was to upgrade the defense. They might have done that, but Job Two was to find playmakers who can get to the quarterback.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you’re addressing a need in the fifth and sixth rounds, you’re not serious about fixing the glitch.<\/p>\n
Best Value Pick<\/p>\n
AJ Haulcy, S LSU
He’ll be a wonderful player for the Colt secondary for the next several years. You want a tone-setter who can bring the big pop? That’s Haulcy. He should’ve gone in the second round and lasted until the third.<\/p>\n
Biggest Reach<\/p>\n
Bryce Boettcher, LB Oregon
This is on a technicality. The Colts might not have made a slew of big picks, but they at least took almost all the players around where they should’ve gone. <\/p>\n
Boettcher is a good pick, and he should stick, but even late in the fourth, with his lack of NFL tools, he went a little too early.<\/p>\n
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CFN Draft Grade<\/p>\n
Grade: B
Forget about the seventh-rounders, five of the first six picks were about the defense. Allen and Haulcy will give the team an attitude – you build around guys like this – and if one of the other three defenders ends up starting, this draft works.<\/p>\n
Colts Draft Class<\/p>\n
Round 2, (53): CJ Allen, LB Georgia Advertisement<\/p>\n Related: Green Bay Packers 2026 NFL Draft: CFN College Football Take on Every Pick<\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published by College Football News<\/a> on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL Draft<\/a> section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There wasn’t a first round pick, but Georgia linebacker CJ Allen was fine in the second round, LSU…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":876755,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[94152,32203,2005,118712,44549,7,450,4716,978,6,15],"class_list":["post-876754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl-draft","tag-bryce-boettcher","tag-cj-allen","tag-colts","tag-colts-draft","tag-deion-burks","tag-football","tag-georgia-bulldogs","tag-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets","tag-lsu","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-draft"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116481295592450942","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=876754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/876755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=876754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=876754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=876754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Don\u2019t ask him to do much in pass coverage, but he\u2019ll eat up everything against the run.
Round 3, (78): AJ Haulcy, S LSU
A very smart pick on a nasty safety who hits like a truck. He\u2019ll be a good starter for years.
Round 4, (113): Jalen Farmer, OG Kentucky
Good timing at the right position, he might not be a need guy, but he\u2019s worth the pick.
Round 4, (135): Bryce Boettcher, LB Oregon
They loaded up the linebacking corps with a pure inside tackler who eats everything.
Round 5, (156): George Gumbs, EDGE Florida
Forget the run D, Gumbs can get into the backfield as a third down specialist.
Round 6, (214): Caden Curry, EDGE Ohio State
There\u2019s a strong chance that Curry was the team\u2019s best pass rushing pick. He\u2019s a tweener.
Round 7, (237): Seth McGowan, RB Kentucky
Not a bad seventh round chance at a rotational back. He\u2019s a tough guy with quickness.
Round 7, (254): Deion Burks<\/a>, WR Oklahoma
He could\u2019ve gone in the third round. He\u2019s small, but he can move – here\u2019s a late deep threat.<\/p>\n