NFL Draft 2017: Best remaining players for the Colts at positions of need entering day two

The first 32 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft have been completed, but there are still six more rounds to go this weekend before the draft is over.

The second and third rounds will take place tonight beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, and the Colts will pick 46th overall (second round) and 80th overall (third round) tonight. They grabbed Ohio State safety Malik Hooker in the first round, but who might they target in rounds two and three? Let’s take a look at some of the best players still available at some of the Colts’ biggest areas of need.

EDGE:

Tim Williams, Alabama

Derek Rivers, Youngstown State

Tyus Bowser, Houston

Carl Lawson, Clemson

I will be surprised if the Colts don’t add an EDGE defender tonight. Chris Ballard doesn’t seem like one to reach for a need, but given the depth at the position and the magnitude of the Colts’ need there, it makes too much sense. The good news for Indy is that there are still a number of good EDGE options out there. The most obvious one is Tim Williams, who has generated a lot of discussion in the lead up to the draft. There are varying opinions on him, but he’s got very good pass rush skills. He would be a great selection if he falls to the Colts’ pick, but they don’t need to go all in for him because other guys, like Derek Rivers, Tyus Bower, and Carl Lawson are all still available too.

Cornerback:

Kevin King, Washington

Quincy Wilson, Florida

Sidney Jones, Washington

Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado

Similar to the depth remaining at EDGE, there’s also a lot of depth remaining at cornerback. Kevin King, Quincy Wilson, and Chidobe Awuzie are just three of the better guys still around at the position, which is a very important need for the Colts right now too. The wild card here is Sidney Jones, who would have almost certainly been a first round pick had he not torn his Achilles at his pro day. I’d imagine that some team will take the chance on him tonight, because even though he won’t play right away the talent level is there.

Running Back:

Dalvin Cook, Florida State

Joe Mixon, Oklahoma

Alvin Kamara, Tennessee

The Colts also need a running back and - guess what - there are still some good running backs left on the board (sense a trend?). Of course you’re likely familiar with Dalvin Cook, who was a common pick for the Colts in mock drafts for a while before his stock seemed to fall a bit likely due to a combination of past injury issues, past off-field issues, and fumbling issues. Those concerns aside though, Cook would be terrific value for a team in the second round. From a talent perspective, the same is true of Joe Mixon, who likely will go at some point tonight despite the bad incident from a few years ago in which he was caught on film punching a woman. Talent-wise, though, Mixon is a very good back. And then there are plenty of other backs still around, such as Alvin Kamara. It’s a deep class, and there are still guys available who can come in and significantly contribute right away.

Offensive Line:

Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky (G)

Cam Robinson, Alabama (T)

Dan Feeney, Indiana (G)

The interesting thing about the offensive line class this year is that it’s neither one of the Colts’ top needs (at least not at the level of EDGE, CB, or RB, or even ILB), nor is it a deep class at all at the position. But there is some real talent at the top, and interestingly some of those top guys are still around entering day two. Forrest Lamp is a very good option still around who will be great value for a team in round two, and he would be a great addition for the Colts. Cam Robinson and Dan Feeney are two other guys who will probably go in round two. This offensive line class isn’t very deep, so if the Colts want one they’ll likely need to get one of the top guys. The good news for them, if that’s their thinking, is that some of those top players are still around.

Other:

Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State

Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt

Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut

Budda Baker, S, Washington

Because the Colts are very much about BPA instead of drafting for need, this is an important category. The Colts don’t need a safety (they drafted Malik Hooker in the first round), but Obi Melifonwu and Budda Baker are good players. And if the Colts want an inside linebacker, Zach Cunningham might be their best bet tonight, while Malik McDowell is a very talented player who has fallen a bit due to some concerns about his work ethic and commitment. To be perfectly clear, I don’t expect the Colts to take one of these safeties after taking Hooker, but at some point if the value is seen as being so great we can’t rule it out. But I doubt it will get to that point.

So what are your thoughts? Who are you hoping the Colts are able to get tonight?