Who Will Indianapolis Colts Pick in NFL Draft’s Second Round?

After not making a first-round selection, the Indianapolis Colts have two in Friday's second round. The best players still available for GM Chris Ballard's consideration include Iowa edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, and several wide receivers including Clemson's Tee Higgins and Colorado's Laviska Shenault Jr.

INDIANAPOLIS — After being absent from Thursday’s drama in the virtual NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts won’t need to wait long to enter the selection process in the second round.

General manager Chris Ballard has Friday’s second pick, at No. 34 overall, as well as another selection at 44. He resisted the temptation of trading back into the first round at the expense of draft picks after the Colts dealt away their 13th overall selection to acquire San Francisco defensive tackle DeForest Buckner last month.

So which prospects are the Colts looking at now? Here's the Sports Illustrated list of best players still available.

As much as mock drafts have projected the Colts should address wide receiver with the first selection, there are several intriguing options to consider.

Fans clamoring for a quarterback think the Colts should take a chance on Washington's Jacob Eason, Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts or Georgia's Jake Fromm. But Ballard has been insistent that he won't force a pick to reach on a quarterback, the inference being he had to be sure of the right fit. This trio was expected to be there, so it's unlikely the Colts were counting on drafting one of them at No. 34.

What if Ballard is surprised that Iowa edge rusher A.J. Epenesa is still available? The Cincinnati Bengals are ahead of the Colts on the clock, but their needs include offensive line and linebacker.

Epenesa is a 6-5, 275-pound pass rusher with ideal size and strength to go with an array of moves. The two-time All-Big Ten standout could fit in nicely at defensive end as a replacement for Jabaal Sheard, who is an unsigned free agent.

Before fans groan about the thought of going defense when wide receiver is such an obvious need, keep in mind the Colts have that second pick at 44 and this is an exceptionally deep wide receiver class.

That’s why considering other defensive players such as Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton, Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, LSU safety Grant Delpit or even Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson would make sense. Ballard reportedly fielded offers this week for safety Malik Hooker, a former first-round draft choice who has shown flashes of playmaking ability but is inconsistent. And while the Colts signed former All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes for one year to start with second-year pro Rock Ya-Sin, the Colts are thin in the secondary. Thinking beyond 2020 would be smart.

All that said, Ballard has some excellent big wide receivers to choose from at No. 34 in Clemson’s Tee Higgins, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault Jr., Baylor’s Denzel Mims and USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts need a wide receiver with size to go with the speedy T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell.

Higgins stands out among this group because of his knack for making big plays and hauling down contested catches. He knows how to use his size and spot the ball in flight.

Because there are several options here, it’s not a reach to deduce that one of these prospects will fall and still be available at 44. Hence, Ballard could surprise some by taking a defensive player or someone else he likes other than wide receiver because he’s confident a quality pass catcher will be there later.

For what it’s worth, the Colts tweeted in the midnight hour a video of head coach Frank Reich taking it easy at home with the message, “Get some sleep. The fun begins tomorrow.”

Get some sleep. The fun begins tomorrow. #ColtsDraft pic.twitter.com/gPyGavt9Py

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 24, 2020