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Colts drafted Bryce Boettcher, but not before Houston Astros chose him in MLB Draft for baseball first
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- Colts drafted Bryce Boettcher, but not before Houston Astros chose him in MLB Draft for baseball first
Colts drafted Bryce Boettcher, but not before Houston Astros chose him in MLB Draft for baseball first originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Some guys can just do anything they put their mind to.
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Bryce Boettcher, the newest Indianapolis Colts draft pick, is apparently one of those guys.
He used to be a standout baseball player.
In fact, he was a 13th-round MLB Draft pick in 2024 by the Houston Astros.
Boettcher played baseball through that spring for the Oregon Ducks. In 2024 at Oregon, he batted .276 and hit 12 home runs.
He stopped baseball at that point to focus on football, though.
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Boettcher was also a linebacker for the Ducks, and now he's in the NFL as a linebacker.
The Colts made him the 135th overall pick at the end of the fourth round on Saturday.
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He broke out in in a big way after stopping his baseball career.
In 2024, Boettcher had 94 tackles, including 8.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks.
In 2025, he had 136 tackles, including 5.5 for loss.
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Boettcher also had an interception in each of the last two seasons, and he forced two fumbles in 2025.
The Colts traded away linebacker Zaire Franklin this offseason, and they'll want to bulk that position back up.
Boettcher can help them do that, and he's got a multi-sport past that should only help him be more versatile.
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