As the Indianapolis Colts look to address their needs this offseason, they find themselves in a bit of a quandary in how they might go about the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
They could try to trade up for a quarterback prospect, find the replacement for Anthony Castonzo at left tackle or address another major need at edge rusher.
In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft following the Senior Bowl, the Colts went with the latter of the three, selecting former LSU edge rusher Gregory Rousseau.
The Colts added a star to the interior of their defensive front when they traded for DeForest Buckner, but now they need a difference-maker on the edge. Rousseau was once projected as a potential top-five pick, and he’s still got the talent to prove worthy of that level after opting out of the 2020 college football season.
In this mock draft, five quarterbacks went within the top-12 picks. In addition, four offensive tackles went ahead of the Colts as well.
Rousseau may be a bit of a wild card in the draft. He’s talented and was viewed with top-five potential before the 2020 season but he opted out due to COVID-19.
In 13 games during the 2019 season, recorded 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.
The Colts absolutely need to add to the edge rush this offseason. The interior defensive line is stout but the production they got from the edge was far too inconsistent. To go along with that, Justin Houston, Denico Autry and Al-Quadin Muhammad are all pending free agents this offseason.
There will be chances to add to the room in free agency but don’t discount the Colts’ desire to add a potential cornerstone in the draft.
