After finishing at 7-9 on the season, the Indianapolis Colts will be selecting 13th overall in this incoming NFL draft. The Colts have plenty of needs all throughout the roster.
Those needs more specifically sit at quarterback, wide receiver and interior defensive line. Luckily for Indianapolis, this draft is fairly deep at those positions.
Here are some prospects that could be available when the Colts are on the clock at 13:
Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon
Some draft experts have this Oregon QB going in the top-seven and some have him landing at 13 with the Colts. Herbert came back for his senior season at Oregon where he would lead the Ducks to the Rose Bowl and while he didn’t throw a touchdown in the game, he showed what a threat he was as a runner, running for three touchdowns.
Herbert has what the NFL is looking for in terms of size, mobility, and arm talent. The ball really jumps off his hands and he’s capable of making every throw. In the film you can tell his comfort is lacking when his first read isn’t available. Herbert will often lock-in on his first read and is too slow to keep working his progression. A lot of young college quarterbacks coming out struggle with progression, so it would be up to the Colts to develop him in that aspect.
Jordan Love | QB | Utah State
Love is probably the biggest question mark in this QB class coming out. Many people know in his 2018 season he threw 32 touchdowns and only six interceptions. After losing his top three receivers, his top running back, and his offensive coordinator Love had a 2019 season (20 TD, 17 INT) that left a lot of people questioning if he can be a franchise QB. The Utah State product has arguably the lowest floor and highest ceiling coming into this year’s draft.
If the Colts were to draft Love he would be a bit of a project, but the payoff could be paramount. Love has all the physical tools you want in a QB and is mechanically gifted at the position. The biggest knock on Love is his decision-making. A lot of bonehead interceptions on film, but if the right team can get those out of him, Love could be one of the next great NFL QBs.
Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama
Stop if you’ve heard this before, Alabama has an explosive receiver coming out that’s going to be a first-round pick. From Julio Jones to Amari Cooper, to now Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy is projected to go around picks 7–15, so he will be in range for the Colts. If the Colts were to pass on a QB at 13, Jeudy could provide that jolt that the offense lacked from its receiver group in 2019.
Jeudy has lighting fast speed, running a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. If you’ve seen the highlights, you’ve seen Jeudy’s ability to separate from defenders when he gets the ball in his hands, and his YAC ability would be greatly used in the Frank Reich West Coast scheme. The lone knock of Jeudy is his drops, sometimes he looks to make the next move before making the catch. But even that is really nitpicking an elite wide receiver prospect.
CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma
This wide receiver class coming out his a very deep one, and it’s headlined by one of the most exciting receivers of them all, CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma. At the combine, Lamb blew up, a 4.5 40 yard dash time, 34.5 vertical jump, and a 124-inch broad jump. Lamb got to show off his athletic ability. Like Jeudy, Lamb is projected to go around picks 7–15 and could very much be in play for the Colts.
His routes will need to become more efficient and crisp to beat man-to-man coverage against NFL size and speed, but his ball skills and explosiveness with the ball in his hand should allow teams to scheme him into explosive opportunities right away. Lamb has the potential to play all over the formation as a pro and should benefit greatly from the NFL’s continued movement toward college-style passing attacks.
Derrick Brown | IDL | Auburn
Labeled as the best interior defensive lineman coming out this year, Derrick Brown would be a great draft pick for the Colts at 13. Brown is projected to go in the top 10, so it’s a long shot the Colts get the chance to draft Brown, but with the emphasis at QB around the league, Brown could slip to 13 due to necessity at QB for some teams.
Brown is more of the traditional interior defensive lineman, won’t play a lot at the three-technique, but with his size, 6’5″ 318 pounds, he still can give you work in the pass rush department. Brown’s upright rush style means he might be more of a pressure rusher than a sack-man, but he should keep improving as a rusher with more dedication to the craft.
Javon Kinlaw | IDL | South Carolina
Effort. You see it every time Kinlaw steps on the field. Kinlaw reached his potential as a senior, earning first-team Associated Press All-America and first-team All-SEC honors even though his defensive production (35 tackles, six sacks in 12 starts) didn’t exactly match how dominant he was at times during games.
For a player with so many elite physical traits, Kinlaw’s tape was much more inconsistent than expected. He had moments where he was able to use his size, length, and power to overwhelm opponents, but poor pad level and an inability to harness his energy coming off the snap led to body control and balance issues that prevented him from reaching his full potential.
That said, Kinlaw is a strong fit for the Colts’ defensive front and is very much in play for the No. 13 pick.
