AFC South · 2026 Draft Class

Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL Draft Class

Every Colts selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the needs they entered the weekend with, and the trades that reshaped their board.

Compiled by the NFL Mock Draft Simulator research desk · Front office at the time: Chris Ballard (GM), Shane Steichen (HC)

The class

Indianapolis Colts made 8 selections in the 2026 draft, opening with CJ Allen, a linebacker out of Georgia, at No. 53 overall.

The class skewed toward linebacker, where they used 2 picks. In total they drafted 6 different positions.

Going into the weekend our board had their priority needs listed as Linebacker, Safety, Edge Rusher, Wide Receiver, Offensive Tackle. They addressed 4 of their 5 pre-draft needs directly: Linebacker, Safety, Edge Rusher, Wide Receiver. Left unaddressed: Offensive Tackle.

Their best value relative to the consensus board was Deion Burks at No. 254, 155 slots later than the industry board had him ranked (99).

Draft capital

Colts draft capital broke down as 0 Day 1 picks, 2 on Day 2 and 6 on Day 3. 3 of those were compensatory selections, awarded for free-agency losses in the prior cycle. 4 were slots they did not own when the weekend began, acquired by trade. Entering Day 2 without a first-round pick changes the arithmetic considerably: a team in that position is buying volume rather than a single premium outcome.

Pick by pick

Every Colts selection, with where it landed against our consensus board and against their own pre-draft needs list.

• Round 2, No. 53: Colts took CJ Allen on Day 2, a board-rank 31 player who waited 22 slots past his board ranking to get there. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
• Round 3, No. 78: Colts took AJ Haulcy on Day 2, a board-rank 55 player who fell 23 slots below where the consensus had him. Safety was their No. 2 listed need.
• Round 4, No. 113: Colts took Jalen Farmer on Day 3, within 8 slots of his board ranking of 105. Interior Offensive Line was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 4, No. 135: Colts took Bryce Boettcher on Day 3, within 2 slots of his board ranking of 137. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
• Round 5, No. 156: Colts used the pick on George Gumbs Jr., ranked 202, the sort of dart every team throws on Saturday afternoon. Edge Rusher was their No. 3 listed need.
• Round 6, No. 214: Colts took Caden Curry on Day 3, within 16 slots of his board ranking of 198. Edge Rusher was their No. 3 listed need.
• Round 7, No. 237: Colts took Seth McGowan on Day 3, a board-rank 184 player who waited 53 slots past his board ranking to get there. Running Back was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 7, No. 254: Colts took Deion Burks on Day 3, a board-rank 99 player who fell 155 slots below where the consensus had him.

Pre-draft needs

Our needs assessment for the Colts going into the 2026 draft, ordered by priority. This is the list the class above is measured against.

Draft-day trades

• With Pittsburgh Steelers: sent No. 47 (R2), No. 249 (R7); received No. 53 (R2), No. 135 (R4), No. 237 (R7).

Related

• Round 2 results: every other pick made around the Colts' first selection.
• Position rankings for the groups they drafted: Linebacker, Safety, Interior Offensive Line, Edge Rusher, Running Back, Wide Receiver.
• The 2026 consensus big board: where every one of these players ranked before the draft.
• Every trade from the 2026 draft: the full ledger, including the Colts' moves.
• Steals and reaches: which picks diverged most from the board, and what that gap means.
• The draft by the numbers: positional supply, school production and how draft capital was distributed.

More on the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts franchise hub carries the current front office and needs, plus every other class we cover.