Colts 7-Round Post-Senior Bowl Mock Draft

With the week of Senior Bowl practices complete, it's time to fill out the Indianapolis Colts' draft haul full of participants.

Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team tight end Mason Taylor of LSU (86) and American team defensive back Dan Jackson of Georgia (37) spar during Senior Bowl practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Now that the first major NFL Draft domino has fallen with the conclusion of Senior Bowl practices, it's time to take what we learned in Mobile and translate it to the NFL.

The Indianapolis Colts aren't in a rebuild, but they have come to the realization that no one on the roster should be considered safe from competition. While this should mean an uptick in activity in free agency, it also means selecting the right impact players in the draft.

The Colts hold the 14th overall pick in the draft, but the entire draft order will be completed after compensatory selections are determined in March. Also of note, unless the Colts have a blue-chipper fall to them again like last year with Laiatu Latu, it feels like a good chance they trade back in the first round. It's not a top-heavy draft, as Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy recently commented that he's talked with teams that only have 8-10 players with first-round grades.

Today, we'll look at players exclusively from the Senior Bowl and give the Colts a seven-round draft haul.

ROUND 1

DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

With both DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart north of 30, the Colts need to make a real investment in their interior defensive line. The likes of Taven Bryan, Raekwon Davis, Adetomiwa Adebawore, and formerly Eric Johnson II haven't panned out. At 6'3", 293, Nolen blends terrific athleticism, play strength, and violence with that size. Giving the Colts a true lightning rod on the field when Buckner and Stewart go to the sideline for a breather will keep the defense from being vulnerable on those snaps. This approach will also allow Nolen the time to develop into a star by the time the Colts need to move into life without the two vets.

ROUND 2

TE Mason Taylor, LSU

I was really pleased with the tight end group this year, and Taylor was arguably the best performer among them. He's got good size at 6'5", 250, and he moves better than many players at that size. He's both fast and quick and runs effective routes, which helps him create separation to make plays with his sure hands. His skills in the passing game are easy to see, but he's got a good baseline and traits to become an even better blocker than he already is. It may take a little time if the Colts want him to be a true three-down tight end who also blocks on the line, but he won't be a liability while he acclimates.

ROUND 3

CB Darien Porter, Iowa State

On the surface, the Colts have an alright group of boundary corners. Jaylon Jones is startable and took a step forward in his second year. Likewise, Samuel Womack had a solid year in relief of JuJu Brents, who missed nearly all of the season with a knee injury. However, do the Colts want to skate by with a group that's just good enough? They clearly wanted more for the position when they drafted Jaylin Simpson and Micah Abraham last year, but neither is still with the team. The Colts will likely go the veteran free-agent route to fill their need near the top of the cornerback depth chart, but if they don't, then grabbing a fast, athletic corner measuring 6'2", 197, with 33" arms would be a good move. Porter had a good week in coverage and was also a core special teamer throughout his career at Iowa State. He's got the length, speed, and athleticism the Colts are looking for in a boundary corner, and he's a plus player against the run, which can't be said for all the Colts' corners.

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ROUND 4

LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

Another former safety-turned-linebacker, Bassa's background shows in his plus-coverage skills at linebacker. He's incredibly rangy, fluid in coverage, and is a thumper against the run. He was also touted for his leadership abilities this week. Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin just received a contract extension last offseason, but E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard are free agents. Throughout his tenure as GM, Chris Ballard has had the foresight to successfully draft and develop linebackers to take over when an important starter leaves in free agency, and this could be the next example of that. A group of Franklin, Jaylon Carlies, and Bassa would give the Colts what they need in a linebacker group.

ROUND 5

RB Damien Martinez, Miami

It's time for the Colts to get a real complementary option for Jonathan Taylor because Trey Sermon hasn't cut it. He had 56 carries and 16 receptions in 2024 and averaged just 3.6 yards per touch. Taylor is far too relied upon, accounting for 82% of the offensive snaps in games he played in 2024, but he also misses an average of 3.5 games per season in his five-year career. Martinez can provide the early-down insurance behind Taylor as a runner, but he can also catch the ball and pass protect.

ROUND 6

IOL Clay Webb, Jacksonville State

The Colts have question marks at center and right guard, as starters Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are impending free agents, while backups Mark Glowinski, Danny Pinter, and Wesley French are as well. Realistically, they may not all be back, leading to the Colts needing quality, young depth along the interior. Ballard did a great job preparing for the future in last year's draft by selecting Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini and signing Dalton Tucker as an undrafted free agent. However, they shouldn't be done adding to the group, especially since Ballard himself questioned the line's depth in his end-of-season press conference. Webb dominated his level of competition in 2024 after transferring from Georgia but will need some time to develop the frame and play strength necessary to be effective in the NFL.

ROUND 7

RB Marcus Yarns, Delaware

That's right, we're doubling up on running backs here. Martinez is a replacement for Sermon, and Yarns would be direct competition for Tyler Goodson. Both Yarns and Goodson are quality receiving backs, but Yarns appears to have better instincts running between the tackles. This move would allow the Colts to get younger and fresher at the position while not losing the diversity in the backfield of having players who can pass protect (Martinez) and catch the ball (Martinez and Yarns). Also, in what feels like a make-or-break season upcoming for Anthony Richardson, why not lean heavily into the run to support him?

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