Grading the Colts 2026 NFL Draft class: The team accomplished a goal it set for itself, but will it be enough to compete in 2026
Grading the Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL Draft class as a whole, which includes eight players beginning with Georgia LB CJ Allen in round two and ending with Oklahoma WR Deion Brooks in the seventh.
The Indianapolis Colts wanted to get younger and faster on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. They signed some role players in free agency but didn’t sign immedidate starts. That meant the 2026 NFL Draft was going to be crucial to accomplishing that goal especially with so many starting spots still up for grabs.
The team ended up making eight selections in the draft. Below you will find my thoughts on each and a grade for each pick. The larget question though is how does this class grade out as a whole. Did the team do enough to say they got “younger and faster” on the defensive side of the ball? Did they do enough to fill holes to compete in 2026? What holes did they leave unfilled and therfefore have to make moves elsewhere before the season kicks off.
Colts 2026 NFL Draft Class
- Round 2, pick 53: Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen
- Round 3, pick 78: LSU safety AJ Haulcy
- Round 4, pick 113: Kentucky guard Jalen Farmer
- Round 4, pick 135: Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher
- Round 5, pick 156: Florida edge rusher George Gumbs Jr.
- Round 6, pick 214: Ohio State edge rusher Caden Curry
- Round 7, pick 230: Kentucky running back Seth McGowan
- Round 7, pick 254: Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks
Round 1, pick 16: Sauce Gardner, CB (Traded 2026 and 2027 first for the star CB)
The first of the two Colts picks sent to the New York Jets was used in this class at pick 16. The Jets selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, adding him to the trade for Gardner. The haul is up to Adonai Mitchell, Sadiq and one more selection left to be made in 2027 with the Colts first round pick.
Some may disagree but I don’t think the Colts regret that trade. Gardner is a top five corner in the NFL. They felt like their defense needed a talent like that in the secondary to reach the level of play and therfore in 2026 I think a corner would have been near the top of their needs in the draft. So at pick 16 they would have likely used their pick on a corner and here are the corners that were still on the board at pick 16: Chris Johnson, Colton Hood, or Avieon Terrell. No regrets for the Colts making this trade. The only regret is not finding a way to prevent the team from collapsing like it did.
Grade: B+
Round 2, pick 53: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
The Colts landing Allen defintely checks both boxes of younger and faster. He will slide into the MIKE linebacker spot day one, and Ballard hinted that they think he will end up wearing the green dot as a rookie. Thats a massive box checked with their first pick, hard to complain about this pick.
Round 3, pick 78: AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
Another need the Colts had was at safety. They lost Nick Cross in the offseason, and they found his replacment in AJ Haulcy. They didn’t try to replace him with someone of the same skill set though. They instead found a player with more proven ball skills to add a compent to the back end that they didn’t have last year. This pick is going to open up alot of fun concepts for Lou Anarumo to deploy.
Round 4, pick 113: Jalen Farmer, G, Kentucky
A lot of fans were frustrated witht his pick, but the value of getting Farmer in round four was fanatastic. He’s going to be able to compete at guard with Matt Gonclaves, but also can be an upgrade to Dalton Tucker as a backup guard. The team also announced he will compete to be the swing tackle with Blake Freeland. This is a player the team views very hightly, and while they didn’t say this exactly, it feels like they think he is a future starter, and maybe even sooner than some think.
Round 4, pick 135: Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
I wasn’t a fan of this pick. I felt like there were multiple talented players they could target at positions that they needed potnetial starters still. Boettcher is a good complment to Allen in the way that he has a better feel in coverage and was very productive at Oregon this past year. In the run game he relies on his athletsicim too much and gets into trouble at times. He could develop into a starting level player and I’ll glady eat my words. But right now he just is a special teamer with potnetial to make an impact in sub packages.
Round 5, pick 156: George Gumbs Jr., EDGE, Florida
The Colts waited till round five to take a swing at edge and it wasn’t to add a day one starter. George Gumbs Jr. is a bet on projection and him finding a way to use his elite athletsim to become a real weapon off the edge. It’s possible but the team will have to wait to see if it comes to frution, and if they don’t win in 2026, this staff may not even get to see it happen.
Grade: C
Round 6, pick 214: Caden Curry, EDGE, Ohio State
Back to back picks at edge with differnt approaches. Caden Curry is a high floor guy that should be able to find his footing and role fairly early. Taking Curry actually made me like the pick of Gumbs more because they hedge their bet a bit. Neither fills the need for a starter but add solid depth to the room.
Grade: B
Round 7, pick 230: Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
All draft cycle long I shared thqat Seth McGowan was one my favorite fits in this class for the Colts to add. A big powerful runner with a knack for blocking out of the backfeild. I think he adds an element behind Jonathan Tayor that the team hasn’t had. I think he will make the roster and carve out an early role, and thats a big win for a seventh round pick. If it wasn’t for his past off feild issues this would be in the A range, and he probably wouldn’t have been there in the seventh anyway.
Grade: B+
Round 7, pick 254: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
The Colts made arguably their best value selection of the class with their final pick. Landing Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks in the seventh is still shocking to look at. This was a player some though could hear his name as early as the third round. An electric play maker that adds needed speed to the Colts wide receiver room. He played outside more than his 5-10 build would suggest, and I think he’s a good enough route runner that it could lead to him becoming a starter as a rookie.
Grade: A+
Colts Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade
Overall the Colts accomplished their goal and without a first round pick filled two big holes in their starting line up with younger and faster players: Allen and Haulcy. Their day three group was a bit more confusing to me. It feels like I’m putting together a piece of furniture and going step by step through the instructions but one-two of the steps have been ripped out of the book.
The Colts had the chance in the fourth to find day one starters at the final two glaring holes in the starting lineup. That being edge and wide recevier. Instead they took a guard and another linebacker. If they make moves after the draft then it will all make sense. But without it the team is setting themselves up to start players that arn’t starting caliber at this stage of their career and just hoping for the best. Thats a dangerous game to play for a team that is supposed to be playoff or bust in 2026.
Grade: B–
