2017 Colts - NFL Draft

ARLINGTON - The NFL Draft made it's trip to Dallas this year thanks to the gracious efforts of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The draft took place at AT&T Stadium, the first football stadium to host the event, and over twenty thousand fans made the trip. With the Colts crushing the season and free agency they headed into the draft with a short list of needs.

The Atlanta Falcons made Nebraska QB Ron Milliner the #1 overall pick, and the Buffalo Bills made Miami C Terry Brown the #2 pick. Indianapolis was trying to trade up for Brown, but ultimately the price was too high. The story of the Colts draft was trading out of the 2017 draft and into the 2018 draft with three separate trades that left them with only four selections. With no DT or TE with a 1st round grade left GM Phil Emery sent the 32nd pick to Dallas, who selected Missouri QB Khris Bloom, in exchange for a 1st & 3rd round pick in 2018. Emery also sent their 6th rounder to New Orleans for a 5th round pick in 2018 and their 7th round selection to Seattle for their 6th round selection in 2018.

While this draft was a snooze for Colts fans they will head into the 2018 draft with a whopping 13 picks thanks to the Donald Thomas trade with Pittsburgh. Their haul includes two picks in every round but the 2nd, if they can't fill their roster needs next year they might kick Emery out the door.

2017 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (32)	Traded to DAL
2 (64)	Tanner Farrell	Florida A&M	MLB	6'-2"	240
3 (96)	Charlie Harris	California	HB	5'-11"	220
4 (128)	Domonic Cosby	Rutgers	FS	6'-1"	195
5 (160)	Jamerson Ogeltree	Clemson	CB	6'-0"	190
6 (192)	Traded to NO
7 (224)	Traded to SEA

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Best Pick(s) : Trading the 32nd pick to Dallas, MLB Tanner Farrell

With all of the best OL and DT prospects taken the trade with Dallas nets a 1st and 3rd rounder for next year. Chances are the Cowboys will not be one of the top teams in the NFL next year, so the Colts are looking at two good 1st round picks next year. Farrell flew under the radar during the season, but he wowed scouts during the combine and interviewed well. After reviewing his game film more and more teams became interested in the Florida A&M player and Indianapolis made him the first FCS player taken in the draft. He has elite size and good speed, shows sound fundamentals and looks well above average in pass coverage. If Farrell had been a Power 5 player he could have made it into the 1st round.

Worst Pick(s) : FS Domonic Cosby, CB Jamerson Ogeltree

With the Colts playing more and more Dime/Quarters coverage grabbing some secondary depth seems like a good idea. The problem is that Cosby will be a backup at best with Branch Daniels firmly seated in the starter position, that pick could have been better used on a DT. Ogeltree certainly looks interesting on paper, with good size and elite speed, but his coverage skills and footwork aren't nearly as sharp as scouts had hoped. His time at Clemson was unremarkable, and his time with Indianapolis could be the same. He will start off 5th on the CB depth chart with little chance of seeing much playing time outside of special teams. Again, this pick would have been better used on a DT.

Sleeper Pick(s) : HB Charlie Harris

It might be a stretch to say that a 3rd round pick is really a sleeper, but the Colts expect big things out of the Cal running back. Scouts and team execs were all over the place on Harris, with one scout comparing him to Jamaal Charles and another worrying that he could be a system product. While Harris didn't crack 1000 rushing yards in the Bear Raid offense, his elite speed and soft hands helped him finish 4th on the team in receiving yards (553) and receptions (50). Ultimately the Colts are looking for more versatility out of the backfield, and Harris should give them exactly that.

Draft Grade : B

While the Colts managed to get some good players, they really whiffed on filling team needs. They failed to draft a TE or a DT, which means they are going to be looking for someone off the scrap heap during camp. They also needed to add OL depth, which they didn't do, but they did add some depth at secondary. After a massive wave of free agent signings this team won't have any glaring openings, so trading back so many times makes sense for the future. Charlie Harris could be a real steal and break the cycle of signing guys to short deals to fill out the HB depth chart. Ultimately this class is more about setting up the 2018 draft.

2016 Colts - NFL Draft

MIAMI - The NFL Draft tour continues with South Florida as the new backdrop, a much warmer venue than past host cities. With the Colts basically sitting on their wallets during free agency, a number of holes to fill, and a few extra draft picks, this draft promised to be very eventful. GM Phil Emery would head into this draft looking to build for the future and prepare for another run at the Superbowl.

Tennessee took ROLB Boris Ferguson out of Wisconsin #1 overall, and the New York Giants took RE Mario Devito out of Alabama at #2. The theme of this draft was defensive talent, with the 1st round filled with mostly defenders as teams try to counteract the NFL's offensive explosion. The Colts enjoyed extra picks in the 2nd and 7th round thanks to trades with Pittsburgh (52nd) and the New York Jets (200th).

2016 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (32)	Kian Sampson	California	CB	6'-1"	200
2 (52)	Shayn Ramsey	Pittsburgh	HB	6'-1"	220
2 (64)	Kendrick Finley	Michigan State	LG	6'-4"	315
3 (96)	Wayne Vega	Missouri	RT	6'-7"	335
4 (128)	Aerion Mims	Tulane	CB	6'-0"	195
5 (160)	Brieon Vaughn	Texas	RE	6'-3"	295
6 (192)	Eddie Agurs	Utah	FS	6'-2"	205
7 (200)	Malcom Garner	Florida	DT	6'-3"	310
7 (224)	Taylor Reyes	Mississippi State	K	5'-11"	180

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Best Pick(s) : CB Kian Sampson, RT Wayne Vega

Emery must have been elated to have Sampson fall to the final pick of the 1st round. The Cal corner was one of the fastest and most fluid defenders available, and he fills a position of need. The Colts lost one of their starting CB in Prince Amukamara, and Sampson looks like he may be able to step right in and take his place. Vega may be the steal of the draft, the 6'-7" mauler was overlooked a little coming out of Missouri, but the Colts didn't hesitate to call his name in the 3rd round. Vega has elite size and showed good footwork, but he found himself slotted behind a number of other tackles. The Colts already have an established offensive line, so Vega and fellow draft pick Kendrick Finley will have time to develop.

Worst Pick(s) : DT Malcom Garner, FS Eddie Agurs

It's easy to point at a late 6th and 7th round pick and call it a bad pick, but these were confusing picks for a team that desperately needs a DT and has no TE on it's roster. Garner did play in the SEC, and he's a prototypical DT, but he is definitely not an immediate starter. Why Emery went with a FS when the team needs a TE, and when they have a stud FS already, nobody will ever know. The Agurs pick seems like a waste, unless he moves to SS and turns out to be better than scouted.

Sleeper Pick(s) : RE Brieon Vaughn, CB Aerion Mims

These were also easy to pick out, and on some level it's hard to believe these two fell as far as they did. Vaughn was the biggest surprise as a pass rusher out of a 3-4 system in college with elite size and strength, it looks like he was knocked down by his lack of production at Texas where he only registered 12 sacks during his three years as a starter. The Colts are more interested in lineman who can play the run, and many teams pegged Vaughn as a bit of a tweener when it came to DE-NT and he lacks the finer details you would want out of a DE like a quick burst and a knack for pursuit. He has the physical tools to be good, and considering the Colts issues on the defensive line he may be an immediate starter. Mims, another speedy corner, shows elite athleticism but lacks the finer points of pass coverage. He has shown the ability to be an above average defender in zone coverage, but he can be exploited in man coverage. His incredible speed, 4.28 40-yard dash, allowed him to paper over these cracks at times in college, but better receivers showed his deficiencies. Mims doesn't need to start immediately, he will have time to develop, and if the coaching staff can work their magic he has the potential to be a starting CB in the NFL.

Draft Grade : A-

It's definitely too early to make any definitive calls, but early reports have the Colts winning here as well. Emery was able to land some win-now talent (Sampson) and build for the future at the same time. The only knock on this class would be a lack of high-impact talent and Indianapolis' failure to draft a TE or DT capable of starting. None of these prospects made anyone jump for joy, but they will help the Colts make a run at a second Superbowl in 2016.

2015 Colts - NFL Draft

CHICAGO - Following a busy free agency period the Colts hit Chicago with a long list of needs, but luckily for new GM Phil Emery he came in with a few extra picks. The draft opened with a little bit of drama, two teams traded into the Top 3 (Cincinnati and Dallas) while Oakland took the concensus #1 pick.

Oakland made Texas OT Julian Branch the #1 overall pick, a definite need for the struggling Raiders. They spent well in free agency and don't seem set to pick high again in 2015. The Bengals traded up to #2 to take Alabama FS Kadeem Orr, an Indianapolis target, and Dallas jumped to #3 to take LSU DT Dan Estes.

2015 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (17)	Branch Daniels	LSU	FS	6'-1"	207
2 (49)	Donavon Browning	Pitt	LE	6'-5"	306
3 (65)	Erik Looney	Wisconsin	RG	6'-3"	309
3 (81)	Landon Stone	Delaware State	LE	6'-5"	250
4 (113)	Don Walters	Florida	ROLB	6'-2"	235
4 (120)	Artez Kilgore	California	CB	6'-1"	183
5 (145)	Daryll Odom	Northern Illinois	CB	6'-2"	186
7 (203)	Venson Patterson	Eastern Michigan	DT	6'-3"	275
7 (209)	Rasheem Duncan	Baylor	LE	6'-3"	280

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Best Pick(s) : FS Branch Daniels, DE Donavon Browning.

Daniels and Browning fill some serious needs and represented the best player available. The Colts were trying to trade up, having additional picks, and get FS Kadeem Orr so having Daniels fall to them was a real blessing. Daniels was a two-year starter at LSU and showed good coverage skills with loose hips and a fluid backpedal, but his biggest strength is his ability to make tackles in the open field. Daniels has a shot at making the starting roster, but it's more likely he will learn behind fellow LSU grad LaRon Landry. Browning went under the radar a little, but he's a solid 3-4 DE with a good frame who holds up well against the run. He didn't register too many sacks at Pitt, but film seems to indicate he was double teamed regularly as the Panthers' best defensive lineman.

Worst Pick(s) : OLB Don Walters, DE Rasheem Duncan.

Walters entered the draft process with a 1st round grade but found himself plummeting as the draft went on. Walters didn't run well at the combine, showed up overweight, and struggled to bench press anywhere near his peers. He interviewed well and looked good on tape, showed the production teams want at OLB, but teams were seriously turned off by his combine performance. The Colts didn't seem to care and saw a bargain, but they needed an immediate starter and he will be a long term project. It's hard to say the 209th pick in the draft is a "bad" pick, but Duncan came out of nowhere. Duncan came into the draft essentially unranked, only started 10 games for Baylor in 2014, and didn't really impress scouts. Maybe the Colts coaching staff saw something, hard to tell.

Sleeper Pick(s) : CB Artez Kilgore, CB Daryll Odom

Both Kilgore and Odom went a little under the radar, unless it's a radar gun. Kilgore and Odom both ran 4.29 40-yard dashes at the combine, showed loose hips and impressive acceleration. Neither of them show much in terms of zone coverage, but they have the speed to develop into decent man-coverage corners. They will definitely see some work on special teams, and both might prove to be decent additions to Indianapolis' ailing Dime and Quarters coverage.