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Colts will select 18th in 2016 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts will select 18th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 NFL season is officially over for 20 teams, and one of those teams is the Indianapolis Colts.  A preseason favorite to contend for the Super Bowl, the Colts finished just 8-8 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2011.

That also means, however, that the Colts will have the highest pick in the draft since that 2011 season, and the draft order for the top 20 teams is officially decided at this point.  The Colts will have the 18th overall selection in this year's draft, coming in just ahead of the playoff teams in the draft, which starts at number 21.

Two of the Colts' AFC South rivals will draft in the top five this year, as the Tennessee Titans secured the top overall pick with their loss to the Colts on Sunday while the Jacksonville Jaguars secured a top five pick as well, slotted in at the number five spot.  The Houston Texans' draft position will be determined by the playoffs.

Here is the top 20 in the draft order, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller:

1.  Tennessee Titans

2.  Cleveland Browns

3.  San Diego Chargers

4.  Dallas Cowboys

5.  Jacksonville Jaguars

6.  Baltimore Ravens

7.  San Francisco 49ers

8.  Miami Dolphins

9.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10.  New York Giants

11.  Chicago Bears

12.  New Orleans Saints

13.  Philadelphia Eagles

14.  Oakland Raiders

15.  St. Louis Rams

16.  Detroit Lions

17.  Atlanta Falcons

18.  Indianapolis Colts

19.  Buffalo Bills

20.  New York Jets

There will be Colts fans who see that the team is picking 18th and are instantly upset that they won on Sunday, but understand that for several weeks the Colts have been projected to pick in the middle of the first round.  This is about where the Colts should be slotted, considering the fact that they were in the playoff race and won eight games.

In recent years, the number 18 overall pick has been used on Marcus Peters (cornerback, Chiefs, 2015) Calvin Pryor (safety, Jets, 2014), Eric Reed (safety, 49ers, 2013), Melvin Ingram (linebacker, Chargers, 2012), and Corey Liuget (defensive end, Chargers, 2011).  The last time the Colts had the 18th pick was in 1981, when they drafted defensive end Donnell Thompson out of North Carolina.