The Indianapolis Colts were bounced in the wild card round by the Buffalo Bills. The Colts were only a few plays away from winning the game and moving on to the divisional round. Indianapolis had two important retirements as both Anthony Castonzo and Philip Rivers retired. The two retirements left holes at the most pivotal positions in the NFL.
Thankfully, Chris Ballard did what he does. That is, making aggressive moves that not only help his team but doing so and sticking to his guns. Ballard sent 2021 3rd and 2022 conditional second-round pick to the Eagles to bring Carson Wentz to Indianapolis. Wentz will now be the starting quarterback for the Colts, and he is reunited with Frank Reich, who had him at his best in Philadelphia. Ballard and the Colts only have six picks in the draft, so expect them to trade down to gather more picks. This mock doesn’t include trades to keep it more simple.
To help with this mock draft, I used The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator.
Make sure to check out all of our other NFL Team Mock Drafts.
Round 1, Pick 21: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
With the retirement of Castonzo, left tackle is the glaring need on the Indianapolis roster. Somehow, Darrisaw fell in this mock, and the Colts would be more than happy to take him. Some have the Virginia Tech product rated higher than Rashawn Slater. With the hole at left tackle, Darrisaw will start immediately and keep the Indianapolis offensive line a strength.
For more on Darrisaw, check out our scouting report on him here.
Round 2, Pick 54: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse
The Colts already had a hole here during the season. Rock Ya-Sin hasn’t performed like many had thought when Indianapolis selected him with the 33rd pick in the 2019 draft, and both Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie are impending free agents. Indianapolis primarily plays a zone scheme under Matt Eberflus, and Melifonwu would be a perfect fit in this scheme. He would immediately start and hopefully give the Colts another piece on their defense.
For more on Melifonwu, check out our scouting report on him here.
Round 4, Pick 127: Cameron Sample, EDGE, Tulane
The Colts desperately needed pass-rush help from anyone else besides DeForest Buckner last year. Both Justin Houston and Denico Autry are impending free agents, and Ben Banogu hasn’t seen the field much thanks to injuries. Sample is a bit of an underrated prospect as he went to Tulane, but he is a versatile mismatch that can play on the interior, as an end with his hand in the dirt, or as a stand-up pass-rusher. He has a nasty bull-rush move and would fit nicely in Indianapolis, thanks to the 4-3 scheme.
Round 5, Pick 166: Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
Looking around at other mocks, this is a popular pick, and it’s easy to see why. Schwartz is the perfect replacement for T.Y. Hilton, who likely walks in free agency. He is best suited in the slot and is a threat to break a big play at any given moment, thanks to his game-changing speed. Ballard looks to have hit on Michael Pittman as a second-round choice last year, and Schwartz would be another excellent pick. Adding to the receiving core, which already has Pittman, Zach Pascal, and Parris Campbell, if he stays healthy, that is, would be excellent. Indianapolis has already met with Schwartz, so this pick is starting to take shape.
Round 6: Pick 207: Rachad Wildgoose, CB, Wisconsin
Wildgoose was a surprise to declare for the draft. He only played two games this year due to injuries and would’ve benefited from another year under Jim Leonard at Wisconsin. Ballard gets his second Badger after selecting Jonathan Taylor last year by selecting Wildgoose, who would provide a developmental cornerback that could play in sub-packages and special teams.
Round 7: Pick 243: Josh Ball, OT, Marshall
Not only did Castonzo retire, but both Chaz Green and Le’Raven Clark are free agents. To make matters even worse, Braden Smith is a free agent after next season. Ball is a developmental option that could be the starting right tackle for the 2022 season if Smith were to walk. Ball was dismissed from Florida State but seems to be on the right track now. Ballard has shown confidence in selecting linemen from the MAC, as he selected Danny Pinter from Ball State last year.
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