Colts on Verge of Top 5 Pick: Updated NFL Draft Order

The Indianapolis Colts' epic collapse against the Minnesota Vikings has helped them move up again in the NFL Draft.

Up 33-0 at halftime, a call to the locker room comes in, "OK, good first half, but don't screw up our draft position."

OK, that didn't happen (we think), but if there's a silver lining to being on the wrong side of an historic loss, it's that the Indianapolis Colts moved up again in the NFL Draft order.

At 4-9-1 the Colts are currently sitting at No. 6 in the NFL Draft with just three games to go. The New Orleans Saints win over the Atlanta Falcons bumped the Saints down to No. 9 while the Colts, Falcons and Panthers moved up a spot.

Looking ahead to this week, the Colts take on the LA Chargers on Monday Night Football and are currently a 6.5-point underdog according to SI Sportsbook. 

The Denver Broncos and LA Rams each have four wins and play each other on Christmas Day. If the Colts lose to the Chargers in LA, they will jump ahead of the Broncos/Rams winner into the top five.

The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 5 spot in the draft, and they're at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. However, the 4-10 Cardinals may be the worst team in football right now. As bad as Tampa has been, don't expect the Colts to get any help in Phoenix on Sunday night.

A top-five pick in the upcoming draft opens a world of possibilities for the Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Colts could address the quarterback of the future with Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud possibly being available. The top offensive tackle in the draft, Paris Johnson of Ohio State, should be on the board at five.

Someone could reach for a trio of quarterbacks including Young, Stroud, and Will Levis, leaving either edge rusher Will Anderson or defensive lineman Jalen Carter on the board.

Obviously the pain of losing a game in which the Colts led 33-0 is going to sting for a while, but come draft day, the Colts will have benefited.

UPDATED NFL DRAFT ORDER:

1. Houston Texans (1-12-1)
2. Chicago Bears (3-11)
3. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver 4-10)
4. Detroit Lions (via LA Rams 4-10)
5. Arizona Cardinals (4-10)
6. Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)
7. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)
8. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
9. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
10. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)