Colts hit pause on addressing top need in ESPN's 7-round mock draft

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Colts hit pause on addressing top need in ESPN's 7-round mock draft

Paul Bretl, Colts Wire · Colts Wire

Mon, Mar 30, 2026 ·

3 min read

Pick 47: R Mason Thomas , EDGE, Oklahoma

What's the need? Arden Key and Micheal Clemons give the rotation a boost, but ideally, the Colts would still add a more high-impact presence to pair with Laiatu Latu . However, finding that caliber of player without a first-round pick may not be likely. So adding more competition and bolstering the depth may be the way the Colts have to go here.

What Miller had to say:"Teams looking for a speed rusher this year have identified Thomas as one of the best. He's a blur off the snap with excellent twitch and an ability to get under the hands of opposing offensive tackles. The Colts have room for an additional rusher to work in concert with Laiatu Latu and free agent signee Arden Key ."

Pick 78: Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech

What's the need?The Colts may have their starting five on the offensive line already on the roster, but improved depth and competition for those backup roles remains a fairly big need.

What Miller had to say:"You won't find a nastier blocker than Rutledge in this class. He plays with a mean streak in run blocking that has coaches falling in love with his game. He would be a Day 1 starter at right guard over Matt Goncalves ."

Pick 113: Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati

After trading Michael Pittman , the WR3 role is now up for grabs. Currently set to compete for that playing time are Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine . In his lone season with Cincinnati, Caldwell caught 32 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 14.9 yards per catch, according to PFF .

Pick 156: Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana

Linebacker remains a major need for the Colts. There is very little experience on the roster at this position. I imagine the hope is that this position would be addressed much sooner than in Round 5. Fisher has been very effective as a blitzer in his career.

Pick 214: Landon Robinson, IDL, Navy

After making several offseason additions here, addressing defensive tackle for the 2026 season isn't a need. However, looking ahead to 2027, none of the tackles currently on the roster are under contract next year. Listed at 287 pounds, Robinson is an undersized defensive tackle. He's logged 62 pressures over the last two seasons.

Pick 249: Deven Eastern, IDL, Minnesota

While planning ahead for 2027 and getting some rookie contracts on the books at this position makes sense, I don't think the Colts have the luxury to be spending two draft picks on the defensive tackle spot.

Pick 254: Caullin Lacy , WR, Louisville

The same thing I just said about defensive tackle could be applied to wide receiver. Safety is a greater need than adding a second wide receiver in the draft. Lacy caught 60 passes for 635 yards with two touchdowns. Most of his snaps came from the slot, where the Colts have Josh Downs and Anthony Gould .