The Indianapolis Colts are finally set to make some noise in the 2020 NFL draft following the first round conclusion on Thursday night, of which they were absent after trading their pick away in free agency.
Holding three picks on Day 2 (Nos. 34, 44 and 75), the Colts have a chance to add some talent on both sides of the ball. They are likely to make a trade in the second round to add some later draft capital but they will most likely finish the day with roughly three or four picks.
Before it gets started, here are our staff predictions for which prospects the Colts will pick on Day 2:
No. 34 | No. 44 | No. 75 | Overview
Round 2 | No. 34
Kevin Hickey: *Trade 34 to the Broncos for 46 and 83*
There is a lot of value to be had in the second round of this draft and while the Colts will essentially have the pick of their choosing being second in line, Ballard wants to move back. Though adding a future 2021 pick might be the way he goes, Ballard can snag an extra third-rounder by moving back 12 spots with the Broncos, a team already looking to move up. This would give the Colts No. 44 and 46 in Round 2 and No. 75 and 83 in Round 3. As much as I would love to put Denzel Mims here, Ballard’s desire to move back might be stronger.
Sam Sinclair: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
To my surprise, Mims is here at 34 for the Colts. My projections had him going late-first round to the Patriots or Saints but luckily for the Colts, he’s here at 34 to be taken.
Mims has that rare blend of size (6’3 207) and speed (4.38). My two concerns on Mims are easily correctable—drops and route running. Pairing him with a wide receiver like T.Y. Hilton will help him learn a more diverse route tree and playing with a quarterback like Philip Rivers will make him an instant impact player Day 1.
John Alfieri: S Grant Delpit, LSU
This hard-hitting, dynamic safety falling into Indy’s lap would be a steal. His coverage skills are elite and he can come up and stop the run as well. With 65 total tackles, two sacks and two interceptions in 2019, he can do it all in the secondary. If the Colts want to move on from Malik Hooker, Delpit is a huge step in the right direction.
Round 2 | No. 44
Kevin Hickey
No. 44: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
After trading back, it’s time for the Colts to add to the wide receiver room. I expect Mims to be gone so the next highest wide receiver on the board will be Pittman Jr., who is a perfect fit for the Colts. An X to work on the boundary, Pittman Jr. wins with physicality, length and ability to create subtle separation and win in contested catches. He’s a great fit for the offense
No. 46 (from DEN): S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
An athletic freak who can line up all over the defense, Chinn is a great fit for the Colts defense. He brings elite size (6’3, 221) and speed (4.45) while also being a versatile threat for the Colts to use in the box or in the slot. With depth and talent needed at safety, Chinn is a wonderful pick in Round 2.
Sam Sinclair
No. 44: S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
This is a guy I didn’t know a lot about until about a month into the draft. If you were to read about Chinn you would think he’s made straight out of a Ballard factory. As a safety he’s 6-foot-3, sculpt body frame, athletic freak with long arms, can play multiple positions on defense, was a Senior Bowl guy, from Indianapolis, and was named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star team and MVFC All-Academic team with a 3.55 GPA.
John Alfieri
No. 44: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
A guy on a lot of people’s draft boards finally falls to the Colts here. Wide receiver is a huge need in this draft and this deep receiver class has plenty of value and upside. Pittman’s unique combination of speed and size makes him one of the most underrated players in this draft and he would be a good fit in with Frank Reich’s offense (assuming Mims and Higgins are already off the board).
Round 3 | No. 75
Kevin Hickey
No. 75: OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
The Colts don’t need a starter on the offensive line, but they desperately need depth and with Anthony Castonzo under contract for just two more seasons, it’s time to find his replacement. Peart is a fantastic addition for that. He will need to develop consistency in his pass sets, but he has length, athleticism and the right attitude to fit in perfectly on the offensive line.
No. 83 (from DEN): EDGE Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
With Justin Houston returning and the promising developments of Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu taking place, the Colts still need depth. This is especially true when it comes to setting the edge. Willekes isn’t the bendiest pass rusher and he might be somewhat limited in his ceiling there, but he brings a high motor, plus hand usage and the type of skill set to work immediately in the rotation on the edge.
Sam Sinclair
No. 75: QB Jacob Eason, Washington
In a perfect world, no quarterbacks are taken until the Colts are on the clock at 75 and they take Eason here. A pure pocket passer a lot like Rivers, Eason can sit a year or two behind the veteran and learn the offense and adapt to the NFL. A big arm that Reich should love, it would be hard for the Colts to pass on a quarterback in Eason that should be a second round guy and don’t take him here at 75.
John Alfieri
No. 75: EDGE Bradley Anae, Utah
Another need for the Colts is edge rusher and Anae might be one of the best in this draft. This is not a very deep class for the position, so a lot of teams are overlooking the value that is available later on in the draft. Anae had three straight seasons with 10+ tackles for a loss and 14 sacks in 2019. His strong, quick playstyle would fit in the opposite of Justin Houston on that rebuilt defensive line.
Overview
Kevin Hickey
No. 44: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
No. 46 (from DEN): S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
No. 75: OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
No. 83 (from DEN): EDGE Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Sam Sinclair
No. 34: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
No. 44: S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
No. 75: QB Jacob Eason, Washington
John Alfieri
No. 34: S Grant Delpit, LSU
No. 44: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
No. 75: EDGE Bradlee Anae, Utah
