Chris Ballard had a tall task ahead of him in the 2026 NFL Draft, as the Indianapolis Colts did not have a first-round pick. That didn't matter, as Ballard crushed the draft anyway.
Matt Miller of ESPN broke down the 100 best picks of this year's draft based on the picks themselves, steals, and the fits for the player/team. The Colts had one player crack the top 20 of these rankings, as Miller put linebacker and second-round pick CJ Allen at 15th.
"Linebacker was one of Colts' biggest needs, and GM Chris Ballard added a downhill thumper with good coverage ability. Allen was once seen as a potential first-round talent, and Indianapolis hopes he'll become its next Shaquille Leonard-level linebacker."
Safety and third-round pick A.J. Haulcy appeared not long after, coming in at No. 20.
"At 6-foot, 215 pounds and built like a linebacker, Haulcy looks like a safety who should be in the box on 90% of his snaps, but he dropped into deep coverage and picked off passes in pressure situations for LSU. He can also play in the box and stack up against the run. He'll combine with Cam Bynum to form a reliable back-end duo with a ton of speed and big-play potential."
Colts didn’t need first round pick to impress in the draft
Not only did Allen and Haulcy crack the top 20 here, but Miller's rankings had three Colts other players make the cut. Jalen Farmer, Caden Curry, and Deion Burks also earned their spots on Miller's list, ranking 72nd, 86th, and 92nd respectively.
While none of these players have played a single snap in the NFL yet so we have no idea how they'll actually look as pros, it's always better for a team to receive good marks rather than bad marks. Ballard showed that, even without a first-rounder (which the Colts surrendered to the Jets in order to land Sauce Gardner last season), that he can still put together solid draft classes.
Let's hope these players with high marks rise to the occasion and help get this Colts team back into being a playoff team.