Draft Dilemma: Looking at Colts draft order scenarios

I don’t know about you, but ever since the Colts lost to Tampa Bay in Week 14, I’ve been racking my brain thinking about possible draft scenarios and how high Indy can climb in the draft order.

Of course, great players can be found anywhere. The Chiefs weren’t ”tanking” when they found Patrick Mahomes. Baltimore didn’t lose a bunch of games before selecting Lamar Jackson. Drafting higher does inevitably increase your success rate per pick, however, which is why climbing up the order for more a valuable selection is such a tempting idea.

Now, this isn’t to say to purposely lose games. No NFL team willingly loses (nor should they) to move a couple picks up. But as fans, it’s okay to quietly cheer for losses once playoff hopes are dashed.

The big question though - is what exactly should fans be rooting for? With two weeks remaining and currently sitting with the 14th overall pick, here are some potential Colts draft scenarios and what needs to be done in order to achieve them.

Scenario 1: Dream Scenario (picking 6th)

• Colts lose last 2 games
• Cardinals, Jets, Jaguars win last 2 games
• Chargers, Falcons, Broncos, Panthers, Raiders win at least 1 game

Scenario 2: Optimistic scenario (picking Top 10)

• Colts lose last 2 games
• 4 of Chargers, Falcons, Broncos, Panthers, Raiders win at least 1 game

OR

• Colts win 1 game
• Cleveland wins at least 1 game
• 4 of Chargers, Falcons, Broncos, Panthers, Raiders win last 2 games

Scenario 3: Realistic Scenario (picking 13th)

• Colts win 1 game
• Raiders, Browns lose last 2 games

Scenario 4: Disappointing Scenario (picking 16th)

• Colts win out
• Browns lose 1 game
• 1 of Bucs, Eagles, Bears lose last 2 games

Scenario 5: Nightmare Scenario (picking 18th)

• Colts win out
• Browns lose 1 game
• Bucs, Eagles, Bears lose last two games