INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books.
The Colts had eight draft picks in the class, drafting five defensive players. All of their draft picks came from either the SEC or Big Ten.
Colts Insider Kevin Bowen gave the Colts a grade of a “B” for their draft.
“None of these are maybe these elite testing athletes that Chris Ballard has been prone to kind of fall in love with,” Bowen said.
“What you see is multi-year starters, again at the highest level of college football, all-conference players as well,” Bowen added.
Bowen has covered the Colts for 15 years and is a radio host for 107.5 The Fan, hosting “The Fan Morning Show.”
Bowen said there is a higher floor with some of the players the Colts drafted than in past drafts.
“Probably the most football production that I’ve seen from a draft class of any that Chris Ballard’s had now in his 10 Colts drafts,” Bowen said.
Bowen is most impressed with former Georgia linebacker CJ Allen (the Colts second round pick) and former LSU safety A.J. Haulcy (the Colts third round draft pick). He thinks that both players will be day one starters.
He said Allen will have the biggest immediate impact from the draft class.
“First off, there’s a great track record of Georgia linebackers transitioning to the NFL,” Bowen said. “Started as a true freshman five games and was a two-year starter, and he was the signal communicator from the sideline to the field. It’s a big responsibility for a Georgia defense that’s very complex, and that’s going to be a massive key for him with Lou Anarumo now in year two with the Colts.”
The Colts drafted a local player in the sixth round in Caden Curry. Curry won two state championships at Center Grove and played college football at Ohio State.
“He really had an awesome last year here at Ohio State as a starter,” Bowen said about Curry. “Indiana fans will certainly remember the hit he put on Fernando Mendoza to start the Big Ten title game. He had 11 sacks playing for Ohio State in the Big Ten. I mean, that’s an impressive number.”
Bowen thinks there is playing time to be had for Curry and George Gumbs Jr., the Colts fifth round pick out of Florida, on the edge.
