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Colts' Late-Round Pick Named A Favorite By Multiple Draft Experts
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- Colts' Late-Round Pick Named A Favorite By Multiple Draft Experts
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
Indianapolis Colts seventh-round pick Deion Burks could have a Year 1 impact anywhere from becoming a starter to not even making the roster.
One of the biggest themes of the Indianapolis Colts ' eight-man haul in the 2026 NFL Draft was value.
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Each of their first two picks, linebacker CJ Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy , was selected later than many expected or had ranked. However, the Colts' biggest value score came near the very end of the draft in the seventh round when they picked wide receiver Deion Burks with the 254th overall pick .
Longtime draft experts Todd McShay , Daniel Jeremiah , and Dane Brugler all singled out Burks as one of the greatest bargains in the draft.
McShay and Jeremiah both listed a pick in each round as their favorite, and Burks to the Colts was both of their picks for Round 7. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic compared the rankings of each player in Brugler's annual draft guide, "The Beast," versus where they were actually picked to form a best-value roster, and Burks was one of the three receivers.
Burks (5'9", 180, 23 years old) is short in stature but with much more power than receivers with his measurables. He displayed elite athleticism during the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash (1.49 split), with a 42.5" vertical and 10'11" broad jump.
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You could argue that his film from Purdue (2021-23) shows much more of that athleticism and versatility than his film from Oklahoma (2024-25). Still, Burks shows the ability to stretch the field vertically, but also to turn a three-yard catch into a 50-yard gain because of his speed and yards-after-catch ability.
Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (4) leaps to the end zone past Louisiana State Tigers cornerback PJ Woodland (11) to score a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the LSU Tigers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-13. Mandatory Credit: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
The athleticism, explosion, and playmaking potential is what had experts ranking Burks as a top-100 pick. However, there are some reasonable explanations as to why he slid in the draft.
When you know a player is undersized but explosive, you want to see it consistently on film. However, as Brugler points out in "The Beast," Burks forced more missed tackles in his last season at Purdue (17) than he did in his two seasons combined at Oklahoma (14), and he had just two catches (15 targets) of 20-plus yards in his time at Oklahoma.
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As far as production, Burks' single-season bests are 57 catches, 629 yards, and seven touchdowns, which are fine, but not enough to move the needle.
The last main issue, and what is always most concerning with undersized players, are injuries.
Burks played in just five games in 2024. A "soft tissue" injury caused him to miss five games, and then he suffered a concussion in his return, which kept him out of the final two games.
The Colts got great value with Burks in Round 7, but what are realistic expectations for him with the team? Initially, the range of outcomes is vast.
Indy has an opening at Z receiver (where Burks played at Oklahoma), but they're expected to deploy a committee between Ashton Dulin , Nick Westbrook-Ikhine , and Burks. If Burks blows everybody away in training camp, then he could win the spot outright, while still ceding reps to the two veterans situationally.
The Colts will also give Burks a shot in the return game, which could mean that he and veteran Anthony Gould are competing for a single roster spot.
