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The Indianapolis Colts' 2024 season ended in possibly the worst way imaginable, giving general manager Chris Ballard a lot of work to do in the offseason. That will begin with free agency but be headlined by the team's moves at the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Colts' 8-9 finish to the year gives them the No. 14 overall pick in April. That puts Ballard right in the middle of the first round, with multiple options. The team's recent inconsistency has created an unsettled fanbase desperate for a splash in the draft.
While the roster's biggest question continues to be quarterback, it would be surprising to see them move in that direction. In the middle of the season, the team benched second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson before giving the job back to him three games later. Richardson is far from safe, but they appear content with sticking with him for at least one more year.
Colts need to target Michigan TE Colston Loveland
If the Colts choose to improve their offense around Richardson, tight end will be their biggest priority. The team has worked with a revolving door of players at the position for years and has not had a stable starter in over half a decade.
There are not a lot of options at the position in the draft, but Michigan junior Colston Loveland has been the clear leader all season. With a 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame, Loveland was compared to Travis Kelce by head coach Sherrone Moore.
Playing in a run-heavy offense, Loveland has not had the numbers that jump out on paper. He posted a career-high 649 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2023 before being limited by injuries in 2024. However, he still hauled in a career-high five touchdowns in 10 games as a junior.
The Colts have Drew Ogletree under contract for one more season but are at risk of losing Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox in free agency. The timing would be perfect for adding a new tight end to their roster, one who would be the best receiving threat they have had at the position in nearly a decade.
Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell is best fit of 2025 NFL Draft
Under Shane Steichen, the Colts have had one of the league's top tacklers each year, yet they are also in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed. In 2024, it was linebacker Zaire Franklin who led the league with 173 total tackles.
While Franklin managed to make his first Pro Bowl in 2024, he did everything else to turn the fanbase against him. He thrived as a mid-field tackler but struggled as a run-stopper while doing everything he could on and off the field to turn the Indianapolis faithful against him. That is not to say that the Colts need to move on from Franklin, but it would be far from the most surprising offseason move.
Neither E.J. Speed nor Jaylon Carlies did enough around Franklin to cover the team's holes in the middle, making for an uninspiring position group. Speed is set to become a free agent in the offseason, creating at least one opening that Ballard has to consider filling in the draft.
If the Colts go for a linebacker, they should look no further than Jihaad Campbell. Some scouts view Georgia's Jalon Walker or Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman as the top prospect, but Campbell's all-around skill set makes him the best fit for the team.
Indianapolis will seek a new defensive coordinator in the summer after firing Gus Bradley. Whoever they bring in for the job could use Campbell in the middle.
Alabama G Tyler Booker would provide stability to Colts' O-Line
Few positions of the 2025 NFL Draft have a consensus top prospect but offensive guard is one of them. Alabama junior Tyler Booker has convinced scouts that he is the most NFL-ready player of the position for months.
Offensive line is not a group that the Colts particularly need, but their right side is significantly weaker than the left. While Ryan Kelly and Quenton Nelson continue to play at an All-Pro level, they have only stabliziled the left side of the line.
Right guard Mark Glowinski has been the biggest issue, earning a 53.4 player grade from PFF. Braden Smith thrived at right tackle but left the team near the end of the season, leaving his future up in the air. Without him, Matt Goncalves struggled in both pass protection and run blocking.
Even if Smith returns to the team in 2025, Glowinski has still been a significant problem. Drafting Booker would ease that pain. Giving Richardson a consistent and reliable unit up front is the only way to see what they truly have with as a passer.
Colts could bolster secondary with Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
The Colts entered 2024 hoping to finally have a true CB1 with JuJu Brents but saw the second-year player take the field just twice. Perhaps Brents makes the leap in year three, or perhaps Indianapolis seeks a new answer in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Michigan junior Will Johnson is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack but the Colts have a better chance of luring Tom Brady out of retirement than drafting him. That leaves Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison as the No. 2 prospect. Morrison is projected to go in the middle of the first round, right where Ballard will make his first pick.
Aside from Brents, the Colts still have Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack III under contract in 2025. That provides Steichen with a solid core to build on, particularly with Womack's progression throughout the year. Cornerback is not the team's biggest need, but with how unsatisfied the team was with its defense in 2024, it would be far from a shocking decision.
