INDIANAPOLIS — Chris Ballard doesn’t have a first-round pick, but he has a plan. After shipping off Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh for a measly sixth-round pick and sacrificing premium draft capital in the blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade, the pressure is mounting. The Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL Draft strategy officially kicks off at No. 47 overall, and they cannot afford to miss.
The front office isn’t looking for a singular superstar to save the franchise. They are hammering the middle rounds to build a violent, coherent roster for Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Free agency bought the Colts breathing room, not permanent solutions. Snagging Nick Westbrook-Ikhine after his quick stop in Miami gives the receiver room a veteran pulse. Signing linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, who racked up 117 tackles in Arizona last year, reunites a reliable thumper with Anarumo’s defensive scheme. These are floor-raising moves designed for basic roster maintenance.
The stadium shook when Pittman packed his bags, and the defense lost its soul when Zaire Franklin departed. The heavy lifting to replace that production falls entirely to Day 2 of the draft.
The middle of the Colts defense leaked yardage last season. They need range, and they need violence.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter strongly links Indy to Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez. Rodriguez dominated the Big 12, racking up 255 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, and 10 forced fumbles over his final two college campaigns. He’s a blue-collar, see-ball-get-ball defender who instantly plugs the coverage breakdowns that plagued the Colts last October. You could almost feel the collective groan of opposing offenses when Rodriguez blew up plays in the backfield last year.
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards takes a different route, projecting Texas phenom Anthony Hill Jr. to the Colts. Hill operates like a heat-seeking missile. He terrorized the SEC in 2025, flashing the sideline-to-sideline speed that NFL scouts drool over. He brings immediate explosive range. If Hill falls to No. 47, Ballard might sprint the draft card to the podium himself to fix the lingering gaps in the middle of the field.
The front office handed Alec Pierce a massive extension and heavily trusts Josh Downs, but they desperately need an alpha receiver to stretch the defense.
Enter Indiana University’s own Elijah Sarratt. The local kid affectionately known as “Waffle House” because he is always open. Sarratt just secured a National Championship with the Hoosiers, posting a monster stat line of 65 catches for 830 yards and 15 touchdowns. He offers the exact contested-catch ability and size Pittman left behind. Sarratt wouldn’t need to be the primary target from day one; he just needs to keep opposing secondaries honest and stop defenses from stacking the box.
Pro Football Focus analyst Max Chadwick hammered a home run mock pairing: Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas to Indianapolis. The Colts signed Arden Key and Micheal Clemons, but those are rotational pieces. Thomas brings pure, twitchy speed.
Scouting reports highlight his vicious speed-to-power traits. Adding Thomas gives Anarumo the flexibility to manufacture pressure with his front four, protecting a secondary that expects to take a massive leap forward. Relying on a single pass-rushing solution every week wears a defense out; Thomas provides the high-motor rotation the Colts crave.
“We took some hits. People want to write us off because we lost familiar faces. But you bring in dogs who want to eat, and the whole mood shifts. We’re building a bully here.”— Shane Steichen, Head Coach
Indianapolis holds seven total picks. Because they bypass the Thursday night glitz of the first round, Friday’s second and third rounds dictate their 2026 trajectory. Nailing the No. 47 pick—whether it’s grabbing a hometown hero like Sarratt or a defensive anchor like Hill—determines if this team competes for the AFC South crown or watches the postseason from the couch. Free agency bought Ballard flexibility; the draft must buy him firepower.
