Colts draft grades: Indianapolis gets mixed reviews, to say the least
From A to C, see how national media outlets graded the Colts draft
The Indianapolis Colts ' 2026 NFL Draft class got mixed reviews to say the least as some rankings and grades have them at the top and others in the mid-20s. Here's a selection of the analysis from the national media. ESPN : B+ The Colts didn't pick in Round 1, a product of their deadline deal with the Jets to land Sauce Gardner in November.
They were 7-2 at that point with Daniel Jones playing great ball, but after an overtime win the following week in Berlin, they became the first NFL team to ever be six games over . 500 and still finish with a losing record (per ESPN Research). Jones tore an Achilles in Week 14, and 44-year-old Phillip Rivers, signed out of retirement, was unsurprisingly unable to right the ship.
The CJ Allen pick is going to be huge for the defense. He was a steal at No. 53 -- I had him 28th on the board.
He has three-down attributes that allow him to impact the game in coverage, as a run stopper and as a blitzer. Just look at his stat line from 2025: 97 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine run stops, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, 3. 5 sacks.
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