The Indianapolis Colts were one of the most interesting storylines going into the 2019 NFL season. Jacoby Brissett was named the starter only a couple weeks before the start of the regular season after the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck. Brissett showed glimmers of hope but struggled to close out games. Pair that with injuries at wide receiver and struggles from kicker Adam Vinatieri, the season ended in disappointment. The stage is now set for a pivotal off-season for the Chris Ballard regime.
Current Moves
Trades
- Traded 2020 1st round pick (#13) to San Francisco for DT DeForest Buckner
Free Agent Signings
- QB Phillip Rivers
- DT Sheldon Day
- CB Xavier Rhodes
- CB TJ Carrie
Coming into the off-season the two biggest concerns were wide receiver depth and quarterback. TY Hilton is one of the best receivers in the league but has dealt with a number of injuries in the last few seasons. Behind Hilton is Zach Pascal and Paris Campell. The receiver position hasn’t been addressed yet in free agency so look for that to be done in the draft.
Ballard signed Brissett to a two year $30 million contract extension before the 2019 season. Brissett’s poor play lead to many fans calling for a change. Ballard signed veteran quarterback Phillip Rivers to a one year deal which hasn’t settled well with many fans. There was speculation that the Colts would draft QB Jordan Love with the 13th pick in the draft but the DeForest Buckner trade essentially ended that dream.
Team Needs
- Wide Receiver
- Offensive Line depth
- Defensive Line
- Tight End
- Quarterback
Draft Picks
- Round 2, pick 2 (No. 34 overall)
- Round 2, pick 12 (No. 44 overall)
- Round 3, pick 11 (No. 75 overall)
- Round 4, pick 16 (No. 122 overall)
- Round 5, pick 14 (No. 160 overall)
- Round 6, pick 14 (No. 193 overall)
- Round 6, pick 18 (No. 197 overall)
Seven Round Mock Draft
- #34 Brandon Aiyuk WR Arizona State
- #44 Shane Lemieux G Oregon
- #75 Brycen Hopkins TE Purdue
- #122 Collin Johnson WR Texas
- #160 Jack Driscoll OT Auburn
- #193 Joe Bachie LB Michigan State
- #197 Joe Gaziano DE Northwestern
Aiyuk, Hopkins, and Johnson would be a huge boost for the Colts offense. Hopkins was a standout at Purdue. He’s a big body with glue on his hands. With the loss of Eric Ebron, Hopkins would be a great addition to the tight end room. Lemieux was one of the best linemen in all of college football. He would immediately add to an already beefy line in Indianapolis. Bachie and Gaziano could be two of the biggest steals in the draft. Both were Big Ten standouts and could have long careers at the next level.
The draft is just under a month from now on April 23rd. It will be a busy next few weeks for GM Chris Ballard. Expect more moves to be made by his regime in the coming weeks which should lead to an exciting end to the off-season.