New mock draft has the Colts landing a 1st round talent despite trading away their pick for Sauce Gardner
If this 2026 NFL mock draft came true Colts fans would feel even better about the teams trade for Sauce Gardner.
In years past, a portion of the Indianapolis Colts fan base would have already shifted their focus to the offseason and the NFL Draft.
The team’s success through 11 games, along with their decision to trade two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner, changes things, though. A recent A to Z Sports mock draft might change that. The Colts were able to land a first-round talent in round two.
Colts land Oregon edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei in recent mock draft
Only two of the edge rushers currently on the Colts roster are under contract past this season. Those two are their current sack leader, Laiatu Latu, and their 2025 second-round pick, JT Tuimoloau. Latu is clearly a part of the team’s long-term future, but the jury is still out on Tuimoloau, whose snap count has been minimal so far in 2025.
So seeing the Colts target an edge with their first pick in this mock shouldn’t come as a surprise. That player, being someone many view as a consensus first-round talent in Oregon’s Matayo Uiagalelei, makes it even better, though. Uiagalelei led Oregon with 10.5 sacks in 2024, along with 12.5 tackles for loss.
His numbers have dipped in 2025, as he has only 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks through the team’s first 11 games. Uiagalelei has excellent size and length paired with above-average athleticism. I think he possesses a high floor for the NFL level due to how great he’s been against the run in college. And if he can get paired with a defensive staff that excels at teaching and tuning pass rush moves, I think he could end up being a double-digit sack player at the NFL level.
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