Colts met with a college national champion draft prospect who would improve a strength of their roster ahead of 2026
Colts spent time with a defensive draft prospect that wouldn’t fill a need but would make their roster better.
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster is far from a finished product, and that’s a good thing, as they have multiple glaring holes.
There are still free agents available who can make an impact, and the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t until late April. So the team deserves the chance to finish out the offseason before we criticize the state of their roster.
Recently, an NFL Draft analyst projected the Colts to make a shocking selection by taking Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks in the second round. Many, including myself, are critical of that mock draft due to the Colts clear depth at defensive tackle. But another top defensive tackle just made it known that the Colts have interest in his services ahead of the draft.
Colts had a formal interview with Ohio State star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald at the scouting combine
“I feel like I’ve been meeting with pretty much every NFL team. It’s a total blessing. Formal interviews, Zoom meetings, it really feels like it’s been every team (laughs). I had formals at the NFL Combine with the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and a few others.” – Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald in an interview with NFL Draft on SI
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald shared that the Colts were one of his formal interviews at this year’s scouting combine. This isn’t a major deal for every team, but the Colts have gone on to select multiple players they had formal interviews with at the scouting combine in recent years.
For the Colts to land McDonald, it would have to be with their first selection in the draft, which comes in the second round. Without a first-round pick, the Colts need that pick to be a hit, and McDonald seems like one of the safest bets in this year’s class. The problem is the Colts have a lot of proven production in their defensive tackle room, so are they really in a position to make a luxury pick like this?
The team has glaring needs at edge, linebacker, and safety on the defensive side of the ball, as well as wide receiver and offensive line depth on the offensive side. It would feel like a shock if the Colts don’t target a position that they believe the rookie could carve out a significant role during their first season, which would make defensive tackle a tough one to consider.
McDonald would be a fantastic player to add, though, and would project as Grover Stewart’s future replacement on the Colts defensive line. He also has more potential as a pass rusher than Stewart. But Stewart has developed into one of the best interior run defenders in the league over the years, and the Colts shouldn’t be thinking about moving on from him right now, so go ahead and put me down as someone who would be shocked if the Colts targeted McDonald with their second-round pick.
Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald’s career stats
- 2023: 4 games, 1 total tackle, 0.5 tackle for loss
- 2024: 16 games, 19 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
- 2025: 14 games, 65 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks
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