Mock Draft Monday 1.0

The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Tennessee Titans 31-17 at home on Sunday. With this loss, the Colts are very close to elimination from playoff contention on the year. While they still could potentially make it, they would need to win out and get some help to even have a chance at the postseason. With how unlikely it seems to happen, especially with how this offense is playing, it is officially “Draft Season” in Indianapolis.

As we enter draft season, there is nothing better than reading mock drafts. They may not be the most accurate when it is all said and done, but it is a nice way to learn about potential players the Colts could have interest in come April. With all the research I did for the Build-A-Ballard series last off season and looking at the Colts’ needs going into next year, I will be doing a weekly mock draft on this site titled Mock Draft Monday. This is the first of many to come using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Simulator on their site.

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Round 1 Pick 18: Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Oregon

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The Jacoby Brissett experiment is coming to a close for the Colts, or at least it should be. While he has had some bright spots this year, he is just not consistently getting it done for the team week in and week out. While he is not a bad quarterback, his struggles with being aggressive, throwing with anticipation and touch, and facing the blitz are just too much for this team to overcome each week. He is an average quarterback in this league and the Colts need to look for an upgrade this off-season.

Enter the potential savior in Justin Herbert. His stock is all over the place right now with some sites saying he could be the first overall pick to some having him drop out of the first round entirely. He has an outstanding arm and can make every throw an NFL quarterback is asked to make. He moves well in the pocket and is not afraid to push the ball down field when he has to. There are definite flaws in his game that need to be worked out, from his sporadic accuracy to his offense at Oregon, but he has the potential to be a very good player under the tutelage of Frank Reich. Whether he is the backup to Brissett in 2020 while he works through his flaws in this scenario, or a starter right away, I think Herbert would be a good pick for the Colts in this upcoming draft.

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Round 2 Pick 36: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU

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The Colts need help at receiver. TY Hilton has been one of the best receivers in football throughout his career but he is getting into his 30’s, now, and the injuries are starting to mount. Devin Funchess was signed to be the team’s number two, but he broke his collarbone in the first game of the year and his future with the team is very much up in the air. Rookie Parris Campbell has shown flashes this season, but was a raw prospect coming out who has also dealt with many injuries in just his rookie season. To round out the roster, Zach Pascal has had a breakout year but he is likely not the answer as a top 2-3 receiver on this team going forward.

The Colts desperately need another play-maker on the outside. To go with their new quarterback in Herbert, why not also give them a shiny new weapon in Jalen Reagor. Reagor is an outstanding prospect who is flying a bit under the radar in this loaded wide receiver class. He has excellent speed and acceleration and excels with his route running as a result of these elite traits. He also showcases great ball tracking and concentration as he has the ability to make difficult catches on off target throws. He is also a plus punt returner who could take a hold of that job for the Colts. Overall, he is an excellent prospect in this class who reminds me a lot of TY Hilton in college.

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Round 2 Pick 50: Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

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The Colts need for help on the interior of their defensive line was further emphasized on Sunday with the big game from Derrick Henry. The Colts need another talented player in there. Denico Autry has been a bit of a disappointment this year but is still a solid piece on the interior. Margus Hunt was signed to be the other defensive tackle but he regressed a ton this off-season and was relegated to back up duties early in the year. Grover Stewart has had a breakout year but he gets little to no rush as a pass rusher.

The best thing the Colts could do for this interior is bring in a high upside player like Neville Gallimore. A big, strong, nasty interior player, Gallimore fits everything the Colts want on their interior. He is a freak athlete who offers a great baseline skill as a run defender while also having the upside to be a very good pass rusher. Having a three man rotation of Gallimore, Stewart, and Autry would go a long way in making this Colts interior defensive line quite dominant.

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Round 3 Pick 82: Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas

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In a normal draft class, it would be hard to see Devin Duvernay slipping out of round two. With how loaded this 2020 class is though, it is a very real possibility that he is available for the Colts’ third round pick. A Ballard-type player in every way, Duvernay is a Team Captain, an All-Big 12 Academic player, puts a ton of work in the community, and will be at the Senior Bowl, come January. All of that screams a player that Ballard would love to bring to the Colts. On the field, he is insanely athletic and dependable in the slot. He makes cornerbacks work on every possession, and is having a monster year for the Longhorns with over 100 catches on the season. Getting both Duvernay and Reagor in the same draft class would take a major weakness and turn it into a major strength.

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Round 4 Pick 114: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

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While cornerback isn’t this biggest need on this team with the steady play of Rock Ya-Sin and the emergence of Marvell Tell III, Chris Ballard would be wise to add another talented player to this group come draft time. Damon Arnette is another player that fits the Ballard mold as he is a big and lengthy corner who knows when to be physical. He is also a veteran leader on defense who has experience on special teams. Plus, he is an Ohio State player, which makes him even more of a fit for what Ballard likes. Arnette, though, would be a good player to round out the depth chart for the Colts. He is a physical player who is competitive on each and every snap. His fit with this team would be great.

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Round 5 Pick 145: Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton

Chris Ballard loves himself some small school gems and that is exactly what Adam Trautman is. A small school invite to the Senior Bowl, Trautman is starting to make waves through the draft media. He has excellent size at 6’6” and plays even bigger than that, somehow. He has very natural hands and his athleticism is quite good for a player of his size. While there isn’t too much information about him at this moment, we should all have a good feel for who he is as a prospect after the Senior Bowl in January. Right now, though, I’m intrigued by his potential to maybe be the next good receiving threat at tight end for the Colts.

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Round 6 Pick 177: Jason Strowbridge, DL, North Carolina

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Another Senior Bowl invite (noticing a trend?) that Ballard would probably love to get his hands on is defensive lineman Jason Strowbridge. The Colts need more of an interior pass rush and this could be just the guy to help in that area. A former edge rusher for North Carolina, he bulked up in order to play more on the interior throughout his collegiate career. While he has had his struggles with this position change, he has still shown some potential as an interior pass rusher. He is quick off the line and tough for lineman to handle as he has put up a modest 7.5 sacks the last two seasons at this new position. While he may never be a starter in this league, he could be a great depth addition to the team late in the draft.

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Round 6 Pick 182: Khaleke Hudson, SAF/LB, Michigan

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This is one of my personal favorite players in the draft who would be a great fit for the Colts. The Colts have a fairly versatile defense that will sometimes deploy sometimes up to five safeties on a given play to confuse opposing quarterbacks. With the potential departure of Clayton Geathers this off-season, why not add one of the most versatile players in the draft in Khaleke Hudson.

He is a very athletic player who loves to attack downhill with great speed. He is also an excellent blitzer as he has a rare ability, much like Kenny Moore II does, to make his way to the quarterback despite his smaller size. He is also an excellent special teamer, as he has been vital for Michigan in that area throughout his career. He may scare teams off due to his tweener label and struggles in man coverage, but the Colts could get a very versatile special teamer late in the draft with Hudson.

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Round 7 Pick 209: Jon Runyan, OT, Michigan

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With the final pick in today’s mock draft, we will be taking a talented tackle from Michigan. Runyan is a solid player who will likely slip late in this draft due to some of his deficiencies. He struggles with footwork and his overall strength is a concern at times.The reason he’s intriguing, though, is that he has natural size and showcases good technique against pass rushers at times. He handled star pass rusher Chase Young fairly well against Ohio State this past weekend, for example. Runyan could immediately come in and be a quality backup for the Colts in case anything were to happen to either of their starting tackles.