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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kevin Hickey

Colts get explosive in 7-round mock draft post-NFL combine

With the NFL Scouting Combine officially behind us, the Indianapolis Colts will continue to work on their big board ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Even with all this new information from the combine, it’s still a mystery which direction the Colts will go when April 25 arrives. One thing is clear, however. Explosiveness will be the key trait the Colts are looking for on both sides of the ball.

Though it wouldn’t be a Chris Ballard draft without trading back one or five times, we opted against doing so in this iteration. We’ll have plenty of mock drafts that feature trades coming up but until the compensatory picks are set, we’re going with a straight-up prediction.

Without further ado, here’s our post-NFL combine mock draft for the Colts:

Round 1 | No. 15 overall

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Pick: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

Will Bowers make it to the Colts at No. 15? That’s the question. Right now, it’s more up in the air so we’ll lean towards the more optimistic view. Bowers immediately makes the Colts offense more explosive with his short-area quickness, impressive route running and elite YAC ability. Positional value is real, but Bowers is more of an offensive weapon than a traditional tight end. Cornerbacks like Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold also are in play here.

Round 2 | No. 46 overall

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Pick: S Jaden Hicks, Washington State

Adding to the secondary is crucial, and Hicks fits the mold of a versatile safety with the ability to play as a deep zone safety or near the line of scrimmage. He’s an explosive athlete with impressive ball skills and is a physical force against the run from various alignments.

Round 3 | No. 82 overall

Syndication Lansing State Journal

The Pick: CB Max Melton, Rutgers

The Colts should invest heavily in the cornerback room this offseason, and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if they used one of their first two picks in the draft at the position. In this scenario, they don’t. However, they still land an intriguing talent in Melton. An elite athlete, Melton profiles best as a boundary cornerback to work in off coverage. He has a lot of experience in press man, which helps, and he’s a willing defender against the run.

Round 4 | No. 118 overall

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

The Pick: WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida

There is a very good chance Pearsall improved his stock into the Day 2 tier of players, and I won’t argue with anyone who says that. Pearsall is a fluid mover with an easy ability to sink his hips without losing too much speed out of his breaks. Pearsall is one of the best trackers on vertical concepts, making him an intriguing threat at all levels of the field. He has exceptional hands to go along with prior experience working with Anthony Richardson. He profiles more as a Z-receiver who also can play in the slot.

Round 5 | No. 150 overall

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Pick: iOL Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin

One of my favorite picks for the Colts on Day 3 is Bortolini, and it’s not just because he’s a paisan. An extremely fluid mover who can get out and work in space easily, Bortolini has experience lining up at all three interior positions. He worked out as a center at the NFL combine and posted one of the best workouts. His 4.28 in the short shuttle is an absolutely bonkers time at 303 pounds. He could compete with Will Fries at right guard while serving as athletic depth behind Ryan Kelly while he improves his play strength.

Round 6 | No. 193 overall

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The Pick: RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville

Likely to rise after an impressive showing at the combine, Guerendo is an intriguing size/speed prospect. At 6-foot and 221 pounds, Guerendo posted a ridiculous 4.33 in the 40-yard dash to go along with a 41.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9-inch broad jump. He would be an intriguing depth addition to the backfield behind his former teammate Jonathan Taylor (Guerendo transferred from Wisconsin) with the upside to be a home run hitter as a change-of-pace back.

Round 7 | No. 232 overall

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

The Pick: WR Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State

Flournoy seems like a clear Chris Ballard pick. He’s an impressive athlete with elite explosiveness. He comes from a smaller school in the FCS but he shined at the Senior Bowl, and he’s an exceptional leader and teammate by all accounts. Flournoy will work on improving the details of his route running at the next level—another Ballard staple at wideout—but there’s a lot to like in his game as an intermediate threat with upside.

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