INDIANAPOLIS — The “Berlin Hangover” was no myth. After a blistering 8-2 start to the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts returned from Germany and didn’t win another game. That 0-7 collapse to finish the year exposed a roster that was top-heavy and thin on depth. Now, General Manager Chris Ballard faces the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick—the price paid for the blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade. With quarterback Daniel Jones signed to a massive $88 million extension and Alec Pierce locked in as the $114 million WR1, the focus shifts entirely to a defense that fell apart when it mattered most.
Losing Nick Cross in free agency left a crater at strong safety. Ballard didn’t blink in this PFF simulation, grabbing LSU’s A.J. Haulcy at pick 47. Haulcy is a thumper. At 6-foot-0 and 222 pounds, he looks more like a linebacker but moves with the instincts of a centerfielder. He recorded 88 tackles and three interceptions for the Tigers last season. While he won’t win a 40-yard dash against the league’s elite speedsters, his 12 career interceptions prove he knows how to find the football. In Shane Steichen’s zone-heavy scheme, Haulcy serves as the enforcer the Colts lacked during their late-season slide.
The current linebacker depth chart in Indy is a disaster. If the season started today, the team would rely on Austin Ajiake and John Bullock—names that don’t exactly strike fear into AFC South rivals. Ballard addressed this by triple-dipping at the position. It started with Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis at pick 78. Louis is a “Shark” in the water, tallying 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a sophomore. He lacks prototypical size at 220 pounds, but his closing speed is electric.
The Colts followed up by drafting Alabama captain Deontae Lawson at 113 and taking a high-upside flyer on Harold Perkins Jr. at 214. Perkins was once a projected top-10 pick before a 2024 ACL tear hampered his explosiveness. Getting a talent like that in the sixth round is the definition of a Ballard value play. If even two of these three hit, the Colts’ second level goes from a liability to a strength.
With Braden Smith now a member of the Texans, right tackle is a massive question mark. The selection of Diego Pounds at 156 provides a developmental swing tackle, though he’s more of a pass-protection specialist than a road-grader. Rounding out the class is Maryland safety Jalen Huskey at 249. Huskey is a special teams ace who started 36 games in college. He won’t displace the starters, but he’s the kind of high-IQ player who sticks on a 53-man roster through grit alone.
“We know how the city felt after that 8-2 start turned into nothing. It was embarrassing. We’re not looking for ‘potential’ anymore; we’re looking for guys who can finish a game when the wind is cutting through Lucas Oil in December.”
— Anonymous Colts Veteran
This draft is a clear admission that the defense failed the offense in 2025. By ignoring offensive skill positions, Ballard is betting the house on Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce justifying their new tax brackets. The AFC South is a gauntlet; the Texans and Jaguars have only improved. If this rookie class—specifically Haulcy and Louis—can’t contribute by Week 1, the Colts risk another mid-season implosion. The lack of a first-round pick means there is zero margin for error in the middle rounds. Expect the Colts to scour the post-draft veteran market for a bridge linebacker before training camp kicks off in Westfield.
