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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
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
10. New York Giants
11. Chicago Bears
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.