For a team with plenty of holes to fill, the Indianapolis Colts have left themselves precious few draft picks with which to do it. The Colts have no pick at all in the sixth round and with their current salary cap situation, couldn’t spend a lot in free agency.
Still, the Colts got a solid haul with their bargain hunting and a few diamonds in the rough, especially wide receiver Kamar Aiken who I expect to steal the starting job opposite T.Y. Hilton by the time the season starts.
Even though the Colts don’t have any sixth or seventh round picks, they do have seven draft picks to work with in the first five rounds. There’s no reason they can’t nab two rookie starters out of this group and maybe a couple of starters for next season.
To see the perfect drafts for all 32 teams, click here.
Round 1, Pick 15: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk has shot up draft boards and is pretty much the consensus top offensive tackle in this draft. This is way late, at 15, for the top tackle to normally fall, but this is a weird, top-heavy draft of the type we don’t usually see. Ramczyk could allow the Colts to completely reshuffle their line, with Ramczyk taking over at left tackle, Anthony Castonzo moving to right tackle and last year’s third round pick, Le’Raven Clark moving to guard.
Round 2, Pick 46: Budda Baker, Safety, Washington
2016: 70 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, 3 sacks, two picks, five passes defended, one forced fumble
Baker is another guy with first round talent that slips into round 2. At 5-10 and 192, Baker is Honey Badger-sized, but he’s a playmaker that should move right into a starting spot at free safety and allow the Colts to either move Darius Butler to strong safety. The Colts just kept Butler on a one-year deal this season for $3 million so they know they need an upgrade. Baker’s the guy.
Round 3, Pick 80: Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State
2016: 58 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, 15 sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, one pass defense
While Rivers was a defensive end at the FCS level, he walks right into a pass-rushing outside linebacker spot in the Colts’ 3-4 defense and could push newly-acquired John Simon to the bench before the year is over.
Round 4, Pick 121: Ryan Glasgow, DT, Michigan
2016: 39 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, three sacks, one pass defense, one forced fumble
The Colts front three down defensive lineman produced next to nothing last season, producing less than 10 sacks between all the starters and the bench. The Colts have upgraded the line, bringing in Jonathan Hankins from the New York Giants, Al Woods from the Tennessee Titans and Margus Hunt from the Cincinnati Bengals, but Glasgow actually adds some youth and potential development. At worst, he can rotate in with the new guys. The Colts should cut pretty much every other defensive lineman on their team.
Round 4, Pick 137: Wayne Gallman, RB, Clemson
2016: 232 carries, 1,133 yards, 17 touchdowns, 20 catches, 152 yards
The Colts draft Frank Gore’s replacement in the fourth round, getting a starter-level talent just tossed into their laps. Gallman can do it all for the Colts offense, including pass blocking and catching the ball out of the backfield. If you’l recall from my pre-draft running back rankings, Gallman is my No. 3 back, ahead of Joe Mixon and Christian McCaffrey.
Round 4, Pick 144: Zach Banner, OG/OT, USC
Banner is massive at 6-8 and 353 pounds, but never really lived up to his potential at USC, spending a lot of his career injured. When he did start, he was an elite right tackle and was named a first team All PAC-12 in 2014 and 2016.
Round 5, Pick 158: Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova
2016: 45 tackles, 8 for a loss, 11 sacks, one pass defense, one forced fumble, one blocked kick
Not only is Tanoh Kpassagnon an elite athlete, he might be the first person the Colts bring in that Andrew Luck can have a legit conversation with. Kpassagnon was a double major in accounting and finance at Villanova. His dad is a chemical scientist and his mom is an economist. His big brain didn’t get in the way of his football skills and ended up an AP FCS All-American.
To make a wager on any sport, go to the world famous Diamond Sportsbook by clicking here.
