It is not exactly a secret the Colts could view this draft as the avenue to upgrade a tight end contingent that has been an issue for a while. Although Indianapolis ranked 32nd in receptions from tight ends last season, the team has been in need for many years at the position.
The Colts have zero 400-yard TE receiving seasons during the 2020s, seeing Jelani Woods‘ back-to-back missed seasons disrupt their plans. This draft features two prime options, in Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland. Sitting at No. 14, Indianapolis has a clear chance to pounce on a potential impact receiving tight end to help its inaccurate quarterback. Though, Daniel Jones will have plenty to say about whether Anthony Richardson receives another extended chance.
Loveland combined for 1,231 receiving yards for the past two Wolverines teams, though he is coming off shoulder surgery. Warren exploded onto the first-round radar with a 104-catch, 1,233-yard 2024 season that helped the Nittany Lions to the semifinals in last season’s expanded CFP bracket. Showing significant interest in Warren, the Colts scheduled a workout. Indianapolis had been interested in Brock Bowers last year, seeing Las Vegas swoop in at No. 13, and Warren ties have formed for a while now. The Colts are indeed expected to consider a first-round TE investment once again, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes.
While tight end appears the team’s most glaring issue, Holder adds offensive and defensive line aid should be considered a draft priority. The team lost Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. The latter two players scored big-ticket FA deals, being much younger than the more proven Kelly, but Indy still must navigate the fallout.
Kelly served as a nine-year starter with Indy, which had seen Fries play well before he went down with a broken leg early last season. The team used rookie fourth-rounder Tanor Bortolini as Kelly’s primary replacement last season; 2024 UDFA Dalton Tucker and a low-cost Mark Glowinski reunion represented Indy’s post-Fries plan last year. While Bortolini may have a decent chance of succeeding Kelly, the team adding a rookie-scale starter at guard — to complement Quenton Nelson‘s big-ticket contract — may be one of its early-round goals.
Another D-line addition early in the draft should not surprise, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, who notes the team has drafted seven D-linemen from Rounds 1-3 during Chris Ballard‘s eight-draft GM tenure. The team is expecting Samson Ebukam to play a key role once again; Ebukam missed all of last season with an Achilles tear. Chosen shortly after the Raiders took Bowers, No. 15 overall pick Laiatu Latu is also in line for a bigger role post-Odeyingbo, Erickson adds.
Latu started just one game as a rookie but played 54% of Indianapolis’ defensive snaps, notching four sacks. Ebukam tallied a team-high 9.5 in 2023, helping the Colts to an Indianapolis-era-best 51 sacks that year. The team posted 36 sacks in 2024.
The Colts still have DeForest Buckner and 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye, who is going into a fifth-year option season. Grover Stewart is also in place as a run-stopping presence inside. The Colts ranked 24th against the run last season. After the team deviated from its general Ballard-years M.O. by splurging for secondary help (Camryn Bynum, Charvarius Ward) in free agency, D-line aid may be coming in the draft.
Boring team w/ a worse QB situation than either NYG and Steelers. Heck of an accomplishment(?).
Looking at TE’s is not what dynasty owners want to hear right now.
“The Colts have zero 400-yard TE receiving seasons during the 2020s, seeing Jelani Woods‘ back-to-back missed seasons disrupt their plans.”
Woods had 44 catches for 598 yards his last college season, which were both well more than his total of the three seasons before. He caught all of 25 passes his one healthy pro season. He was taken in the third round because Ballard has a fetish for outlier physical traits, but it’s not like Woods could have been counted on to become a good starter if he’d stayed healthy. There are arguably half a dozen tight ends in this draft who are more likely to be solid starters by year two than Woods ever was.
Looks like Andrews is staying put in Baltimore. Which means Likely is 2nd fiddle. Draft day trade with Likely as centerpiece.
Ravens don’t like moving up but maybe this is the year to do it? Colts have only 7 picks. Ravens have 11. Likely and 2 later picks for Colts #14?
Likely was second fiddle this past year too and he still played 60% of their offensive snaps and he’ll play all of next season at 25, so I don’t see the impetus for Baltimore to part with Likely. If they could trade him and two later picks for 14, sure, but that’s not realistic.