The 2020 NFL draft is less than two weeks away and while it will be a different format than we’ve ever seen before, the biggest event of the offseason is going to arrive.
The Colts have seven selections in the upcoming draft, all of which are in Rounds 2–6. Trades are a part of their draft plan and are almost a guarantee for Chris Ballard whether he’s looking to move up to grab a player or move back and add a later pick.
Sporting News ran a seven-round mock draft on Friday. Here’s what the haul looked like for the Colts:
Day 2: Rounds 2–3
No. 34: WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
No. 44: TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
No. 75: QB Jacob Eason, Washington
After making some big moves to the defensive side of the ball during free agency, the Colts went and added some playmakers to the other side in this mock draft. Aiyuk should be an exciting prospect for the Colts given what he can do vertically and after the catch. However, there are concerns about his ability to beat press coverage on the boundary, which means he’d likely be relegated to the slot.
Kmet is one of the top tight ends in the draft and would be a fantastic addition to a room that needs a future. His blocking needs development, but he’d be a nice fit in the scheme for Frank Reich.
Eason is a volatile prospect with a high ceiling given his arm talent. His footwork and decision-making have to improve but there would likely be more optimism given that he would sit at least a year behind Philip Rivers.
Day 3: Rounds 4–6
No. 122: OT Alex Taylor, South Carolina State
No. 160: EDGE Alex Highsmith, Charlotte
No. 193: LB Jason Strnad, Wake Forest
No. 197: WR James Proche, SMU
All developmental players on Day 3 for the Colts here. Taylor is intriguing as a prospect given his size (6’8″ – 308) and length (36.125″). He’s a mauler on the edge with a mean streak in the run game but needs to refine his technique with his pass protection.
Highsmith would be a solid addition in the fifth round. He’s explosive off the edge and would fit nicely in the one-gap front for the Colts. Have him develop behind Justin Houston, Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu.
Strnad is an intriguing linebacker prospect for the Colts and fits the bill of being a rangy playmaker in the middle of the field. He’d slide as a WILL behind Darius Leonard but has some intriguing traits to fill in as a depth piece.
Proche is a contested-catch receiver with strong tracking skills and the ability to challenge on 50/50 balls. But his lack of refinement as a route runner could keep him lower on the depth chart while working on special teams.
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