Indianapolis Colts' 7-Round Mock Draft and Top-100 Big Board

After a relatively quiet free-agency period, it's time for Indianapolis' main offseason activity, one that fans have been looking forward to for months. 

Every team's fans look forward to the draft, but this was supposed to be an offseason of shakeup and activity for Indianapolis after a lackluster 2015 season. Head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson had their jobs in serious jeopardy before owner Jim Irsay offered both extensions in a last-ditch effort to make the current regime work. 

Losing Andrew Luck to injury for much of last season exposed the Colts roster as lacking in several key areas, namely pass-rusher, secondary and offensive line. The Colts' lack of playmakers continues to be a sore spot, whether it be in any area of the roster. 

Sure, Luck is a stud, if healthy, and the team has a few young offensive receiving weapons to build around, but the rest of the roster could use an infusion of talent. 

That means the Colts have two main goals in this draft. First, improve the defense, addressing pass-rusher before all else and filling voids in the secondary and linebacker positions where the draft value falls. Second, pick up at least one potential starter on the offensive line. The actual position, whether it be center, guard or right tackle, matters little, as utility lineman Joe Reitz is versatile enough to move around. 

Above all else, however, the Colts simply need a good draft. They need players who will be long-term positive impacts on the franchise while avoiding busts like Bjoern Werner and Trent Richardson. They could desperately use instant-impact players at the top, even if it is a relatively weak draft. This is one of the franchise's best draft positions in years, and hopefully the best it will be for years to come. They must take advantage of it. 

Top 100 Big Board

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Indianapolis Colts Big Board

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
2	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
3	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
4	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
5	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
6	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
7	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
8	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
9	Shaq Lawson	EDGE	Clemson
10	Noah Spence	EDGE	Eastern Kentucky
11	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
12	William Jackson III	CB	Houston
13	Leonard Floyd	EDGE	Georgia
14	Mackenzie Alexander	CB	Clemson
15	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor
16	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
17	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
18	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama
19	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
20	Vernon Butler	DT	Louisiana Tech
21	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
22	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
23	Ryan Kelly	C	Alabama
24	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
25	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
26	Chris Jones	DT	Mississippi State
27	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
28	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
29	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
30	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
31	Jonathan Bullard	DE	Florida
32	Kenny Clark	DT	UCLA
33	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
34	Su'a Cravens	S/LB	USC
35	Joshua Garnett	OG	Stanford
36	Karl Joseph	S	West Virginia
37	Shilique Calhoun	EDGE	Michigan State
38	Nick Martin	C	Notre Dame
39	Jordan Jenkins	EDGE	Georgia
40	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pittsburgh
41	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
42	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
43	Darian Thompson	S	Boise State
44	Joshua Perry	LB	Ohio State
45	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
46	Austin Johnson	DT	Penn State
47	Sterling Shepard	WR	Oklahoma
48	Vonn Bell	S	Ohio State
49	Sheldon Day	DT	Notre Dame
50	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
51	Christian Westerman	OG	Arizona State
52	Germain Ifedi	OT	Texas A&M
53	Artie Burns	CB	Miami (FL)
54	Emmanuel Ogbah	EDGE	Oklahoma State
55	Keanu Neal	S	Florida
56	Derrick Henry	RB	Alabama
57	Jeremy Cash	S	Duke
58	Xavien Howard	CB	Baylor
59	Braxton Miller	WR	Ohio State
60	Carl Nassib	DE	Penn State
61	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
62	Kyler Fackrell	EDGE	Utah State
63	Maliek Collins	DL	Nebraska
64	Pharoh Cooper	WR	South Carolina
65	Hunter Henry	TE	Arkansas
66	Rashard Higgins	WR	Colorado State
67	Jalen Mills	S/CB	LSU
68	Kamalei Correa	EDGE	Boise State
69	Kenneth Dixon	RB	Louisiana Tech
70	Leonte Carroo	WR	Rutgers
71	Adolphus Washington	DT	Ohio State
72	Jordan Howard	RB	Indiana
73	Javon Hargrave	DT	South Carolina State
74	Hassan Ridgeway	DT	Texas
75	Paul Perkins	RB	UCLA
76	Deion Jones	LB	LSU
77	Bronson Kaufusi	DE	BYU
78	Kentrell Brothers	LB	Missouri
79	Alex Collins	RB	Arkansas
80	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
81	Ronald Blair	EDGE	Appalachian State
82	Jihad Ward	DL	Illinois
83	Jerald Hawkins	OT	LSU
84	C.J. Prosise	RB	Notre Dame
85	Le'Raven Clark	OT	Texas Tech
86	Connor McGovern	OG	Missouri
87	Joe Schobert	EDGE	Wisconsin
88	Harlan Miller	CB	Southeastern Louisiana
89	Cyrus Jones	CB	Alabama
90	Malcolm Mitchell	WR	Georgia
91	DeAndre Houston-Carson	CB/S	William & Mary
92	Miles Killebrew	S	Southern Utah
93	Jonathan Williams	RB	Arkansas
94	Willie Henry	DT	Michigan
95	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
96	Charles Tapper	DE	Oklahoma
97	Will Redmond	CB	Mississippi State
98	Isaac Seumalo	OG	Oregon State
99	Matt Judon	EDGE	Grand Valley State
100	KeiVarae Russel	CB	Notre Dame

Round 1

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Round 1, Pick 18: Noah Spence, EDGE, Eastern Kentucky

Unless Vernon Hargreaves III or Shaq Lawson are miraculously available at pick No. 18, the Colts' best-case scenario is for Noah Spence to drop. 

In a class with little elite talent at the EDGE positions, unlike 2015 and a potentially phenomenal 2017 class, the Colts would not be able to pass up on a player like Spence, who has all of the tools to be a productive pass-rusher in the NFL. 

While he's not a particularly powerful edge player, Spence is lightning-quick and has the flexibility and balance to dip around the corner with frightening ease. He has a natural leverage that should translate to an advantage in the NFL as well. Spence dominated the Senior Bowl, be it in the game or midweek practice sessions, proving that his success at Eastern Kentucky was not merely about the level of competition. 

However, Spence's past drug tests failures and eventual banishment from Ohio State and the Big Ten loom large on his resume. This is the biggest reason why he might fall to Indianapolis, and could be their ally in this situation. Grigson doesn't usually take character concerns this early in the draft, but after failing to improve the edge for so long, he shouldn't pass up a talent like Spence should the opportunity arise. 

Round 2

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Round 2, Pick 48: Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA

Unless Christmas comes early and a top interior lineman like Ryan Kelly or Cody Whitehair drops to the Colts' second-round pick, the best value will likely be found on defense, particularly in the interior defensive line. 

The defensive line is probably the deepest area in the 2016 draft, so the Colts would do well to pick up a player who drops out of the first round unexpectedly. With Chris Jones of Mississippi State rising in recent weeks, it seems more likely that a dropping player may be somebody like Jonathan Bullard of Florida or Kenny Clark of UCLA. Clark would be ideal here, a big man in the middle to fill out the Colts' quickly improving defensive line. 

At 6'3", 314 pounds, Clark has the size to hold the middle of the line and the experience and versatility playing across different positions on the line, something the team values highly on their 3-4 line. Clark knows how to play low from the snap and maintain leverage throughout the play, and while he's not particularly quick, he has an explosive burst off the snap. 

Clark would likely be just a two-down player to start, but he's flashed potential for more, and the Colts have enough depth on the line that they wouldn't need him to be a three-down cornerstone from Week 1. While defensive line isn't the biggest need for Indianapolis, getting a player of Clark's value to solidify the trenches would take care of the Colts' needs up front for some time. 

Round 3

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Round 3, Pick 82: Nick Martin, C, Notre Dame

If the Colts go defense with the first two picks of the draft, fans might be prepared to riot if an offensive lineman doesn't come soon after. If Nick Martin of Notre Dame is available, it fits perfectly into what the Colts need going into 2016, with a decent value attached as well. 

The Colts' biggest holes on the line in 2015 were not at right tackle, despite the multitude of mock drafts that might have you think otherwise. Utility lineman Joe Reitz slid over to right tackle in Week 3 of last season and did remarkably well, grading out as one of Pro Football Focus' top 15 tackles over the course of the season. 

No, the Colts' real issues were on the interior, where 2013 fourth-round pick Khaled Holmes never panned out as the answer at center and 2013 third-round pick Hugh Thornton's inconsistencies and injuries led to a consistent headache at right guard.

This is where Martin would fit in quite well, having played both guard and center at Notre Dame. Martin doesn't have the upside his brother Zack did for Dallas, but he has the profile (both athletically and mentally) to be a a solid starter for years. As the Colts move toward more of a zone running scheme, Martin would seem to be a perfect fit. 

The real question is whether Martin would last this long. His stock has fluctuated between the second and third round, and even getting him in the second wouldn't be bad value for Indianapolis. But with other centers available in later rounds (like Austin Blythe of Iowa), it's likely worth the risk to wait until the third to pull the trigger on Martin.

Round 4

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Round 4, Pick 116: Harlan Miller, CB, Southeastern Louisiana

With no improvements to the secondary made in the first three rounds, it's time to grab a player who would likely be one of the few remaining cornerbacks with starting potential. With Greg Toler leaving in free agency and slot corner Darius Butler slipping last season, the Colts need more young talent to compete opposite Vontae Davis. 

Harlan Miller of Southeastern Louisiana isn't a big name to most people, but he was named to the second-team AP All-American squad as a senior last season. Miller was a third-team All-American the year before, so it was encouraging watching the former teammate of Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford continue to make strides as a No. 1 cornerback. 

Miller shadowed opponents' top receivers in 2015, playing plenty of press and off-man coverage. He has a rare blend of quickness and balance that lets him mirror receivers with ease, a potential steal of a slot cornerback that could make an impact right away. 

Of course, with a 40 time of 4.57 seconds and a rather wiry frame (6'0", 182 lbs), Miller doesn't have the ideal size or speed for an outside cornerback. But he could likely contribute in the slot right away, and he has a competitive fire that makes him an infectious defender. 

Round 5

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Round 5, Pick 155: Nick Kwiatkoski, LB, West Virginia

With Jerrell Freeman gone, the Colts have a big gap to fill at inside linebacker. Nate Irving and Sio Moore were both added in 2015, but played sparingly. They will likely be battling it out for Freeman's vacated spot as the token three-down linebacker, which isn't a particularly inspiring thought. 

At this point in the draft, Nick Kwiatkoski could be just the kind of player that Indianapolis needs. A former safety, Kwiatkoski has built himself up into a linebacker's body, albeit on the small side at 6'2", 243 pounds. But as a reliable tackler in the open field and with more than competent awareness in coverage, Kwiatkoski seems to at least have the profile to compete for Freeman's job. 

Even if he didn't beat out Irving and/or Moore, he would almost certainly be a special teams contributor with the mentality and demeanor to take on more as he acclimates to the NFL. 

Round 7

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Round 7, Pick 239: Devin Lucien, WR, Arizona State

The back half of the draft is difficult, as teams are searching for diamonds in a sea of special teams players. Yes, those special teams players contribute, but the real value in the later rounds is the players who contribute for years to come, even if they never become All-Pros. 

Devin Lucien of Arizona State is the perfect example. 

The Colts' receiver depth is lacking, to say the least, with T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett as the only significant players on the roster. The Colts need another possession receiver as the fourth guy, and Lucien could fill that role rather cheaply. 

Lucien has been getting praise from Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo, as he recently named him their top sleeper of the draft: 

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There are a number of receivers in this class who project as good NFL players, and that depth has pushed Lucien down draft boards, making him a potentially excellent value. He has strong hands, and plenty of experience adjusting to poorly-thrown passes at Arizona State, so he can make plays even when covered. He’s effective on the outside and on shorter routes, so look for Lucien to provide an effective option in the second or third tier of wide receiver prospects.

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It's rare that other high-profile analysts even have Lucien on their big boards, so where he ends up come draft day is a complete mystery. However, if he's there in the seventh round, the Colts may have found a new possession receiver.