General manager Chris Ballard didn't have a first-round draft pick this year with the Indianapolis Colts, and maybe because of that, he was forced to focus on filling needs. Overall, he appeared to have a solid draft, but one late-round choice, Ohio State's Caden Curry, could be the biggest find of all.
Indy enters next season with one proven high-end edge rusher, Laiatu Latu, and one free agent veteran acquisition, Arden Key, who could turn out to be solid. But they need help. That might come from ascending second-season pro Jaylahn Tuimoloau, or perhaps Curry exceeds his rookie expectations.
That chance exists because Curry exceeded what many thought he could do for the Buckeyes. After toiling for OSU until his final season, he exploded in production. He finished with 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss and was named Second-Team All-Big 10.
Caden Curry could flip the Indianapolis Colts' depth chart on its head
Plus, how special would it be for the guy who grew up in Greenwood, Indiana, to make good with his favorite and local team? He is a storyline just waiting to take off. The issue is that the Colts likely need him sooner rather than later.
He isn't tall for an NFL player at his position, as Curry is 6'2 3/4" and weighs 257 pounds. He isn't overly fast, either. The trick is that no one is going to be more motivated to do well with Indy because Curry has much to prove, even as far as earning a roster spot.
Curry said after being drafted, "All the way from being a little kid going to the Combine and just being able to watch all these great players before me. I was the Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis fan growing up, two defensive ends that got me to want to play this position...I just can’t wait to do it in the city that I grew up in and just to be able to do it for all the people around me that always believed in me."
Let's assume Curry making the team happens. He has the drive, and he showed at Ohio State that he can exceed expectations. How much of an opportunity does Curry have to get on the field? The answer appears to be a pretty good chance.
Latu is going to be a starter on one side, and Key will probably start on the other. Every NFL team needs a good rotation of edge rushers, however. After Key and Latu is an unproven or provably inefficient bunch. Free agent addition Micheal Clemons hasn't accomplished much in his career, for instance, and even his signing is questionable.
Tuimoloau did nothing as a rookie, and that he greatly improves in his second season is more of a hope than a given. He was a second-round pick in 2025, though the team believes he has upside.
Caden Curry will have to battle for reps with fellow 2026 pick George Gumbs Jr., but Gumbs was only a fifth-round choice himself, and with Curry being a sixth-rounder, the expectations aren't vastly different from one to the other.
In other words, Curry can absolutely flip the depth chart with great play in training camp and the preseason. He could move up to the next guy up after Key and Latu. How excellent would it be if he made the difference between wins and losses for the Indianapolis Colts next season?