As my final act of Indianapolis Colts pre-draft coverage, I have decided to have a little fun by asking Colts fans via X to send me their boldest NFL draft predictions. You all did not disappoint! Are all of these scenarios possible? Some more than others. But the idea of this exercise was to think outside the box because, as last year showed us, when six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks and an NFL-record 14 straight offensive players were selected to start the draft, anything can happen.
Let’s dive into the madness!
Anything but a TE in the first round. Bold prediction is they draft a QB in the second or third round (Howard or Leonard) and they become the backup.
— Joel Hall (@JHall886) April 21, 2025
Drafting a quarterback on Day 2 of the draft would certainly make headlines. But Colts general manager Chris Ballard, in tongue-in-cheek fashion, did say the team is open to drafting a quarterback. If I had to pick one on Day 2, I’d target Ohio State’s Will Howard. The 23-year-old isn’t the most dynamic athlete, though he still offers some upside as a dual-threat QB who played some of his best football on the biggest stage.
Before I get to the next bold prediction, Joel, please tell your daughter, Evie, that I’m still wearing the bracelet she gave me at training camp last summer! I look forward to seeing you and your family again this year!
Ballard finally trades up in the first round
— csb (@itsCSB__) April 21, 2025
Oh, we’re in the Twilight Zone!
Actually, last year, Ballard said the Colts tried to trade up in the first but were unsuccessful. So this year, they’re getting it done. The question is: For whom? And how far up will they move? With a glaring need at tight end, I’m saying the Colts don’t mess around. They move up to No. 10, trading picks Nos. 14 and 80 to the Bears for the right to draft former Penn State tight end and first-team All-American Tyler Warren. The 22-year-old slots in as the Colts’ starter and already has a fan on the team in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who watched Warren reel in 17 catches for 224 yards and one TD in an overtime victory against USC in October.
“I think that Penn State tight end is really good,” Pittman, a former USC star, said Tuesday. “I’ve personally seen what he can do to my Trojans.”
Colts draft an early round WR to push Mitchell and Pierce.
— Nathan Shoultz (@Nathan_Shoultz) April 21, 2025
Alec Pierce is coming off a career year with 37 catches for 824 yards and seven touchdowns, so I don’t think he needs to be pushed. But Adonai Mitchell, on the other hand, struggled mightily during his rookie campaign and must answer some big questions in Year 2. To put a spin on this scenario, I’m operating as if Pierce will walk in free agency next year, which is possible, and I still don’t feel comfortable with Mitchell as his potential deep-threat replacement. So I’m targeting Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins, who is projected as a second-round pick by The Athletic’s lead NFL Draft analyst, Dane Brugler. Higgins isn’t as fast as Pierce (4.47 40-yard dash versus 4.41), but the 22-year-old has plenty of speed to be a difference-maker at the next level. Brugler compared Higgins’ college tape to Houston receiver Nico Collins’ film when Collins was at Michigan. We’ve seen Collins torch the Colts in recent years, and now it’s time for Higgins to help the Colts return the favor.
I think we could potentially trade back twice and out of the first round completely. More darts at the dart board in rounds 2-5 which Ballard sees a lot of depth in.
— Amanda Ewing (@aewing428) April 21, 2025
To some fans, this may not sound bold because of Ballard’s history of trading back. However, it would be shocking to me if he completely pulled out of the first round because of the Colts’ pressing need to win now, with key players on the roster creeping up in age. In this case, my thinking would be the players Indianapolis should target in the first round, like Warren, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson and Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, (as I laid out in my big board) are gone by the No. 14 pick, and Indianapolis believes it can get more bang for its buck by trading back a couple times and loading up on Day 2 picks, as well as some 2026 draft capital, presumably. If those extra Day 2 selections were flipped into a haul of LSU tight end Mason Taylor, UCLA Chase Carson Schwesinger and, my personal Day 2 favorite, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, then I don’t think anyone would be complaining. All three would immediately fill voids on the roster.
Colts trade their first rd pick for an established player
— .Grant (@ColtsWithGrant) April 21, 2025
Ballard has done this before, striking a deal with the San Francisco 49ers and trading the No. 13 pick in the 2020 draft for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The two-time All-Pro hasn’t disappointed while emerging as arguably Indianapolis’ best and most consistent defensive player in recent years. This time around, Ballard swings for the fences even more and trades No. 14 to the Bengals in exchange for Trey Hendrickson and Cincinnati’s third-round pick (No. 81 overall). The 30-year-old pass rusher will warrant a lucrative extension, and Ballard rewards him with a three-year, $75 million contract in hopes that reuniting Hendrickson with his former defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, will turn Indianapolis into a defensive juggernaut.
Final thought
Of course, I won’t hold my breath waiting for these scenarios to unfold when the draft kicks off Thursday night. But consider this trip to fantasyland as my way of saying thank you for your enthusiasm and support of my pre-draft coverage. I’ll have much more content throughout the draft as Indianapolis tries to build a roster that can punch its ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
(Photo: Joe Rondone / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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