Analyzing Colts 2026 Draft Scenarios, Including Trades

INDIANAPOLIS – How long will the Colts have to wait to make a selection in the 2026 Draft?

Currently, the Colts will not be drafting until No. 47 overall, but no one should be surprised if they are listening to trade offers that would alter that spot.

Let’s examine potential Colts draft scenarios for 2026:

Scenario A

-No. 47: DE-R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma)

-No. 78: LB-Josiah Trotter (Missouri)

This scenario falls in the “most important needs” area for the Colts entering the draft.

In the offseason, the Colts have lost several starters at defensive end and linebacker.

With only two picks in the first 111 selections, the Colts don’t have a ton of wiggle room to take non positional needy chances in this draft.

A couple of SEC defenders comes here, with Thomas being slightly undersized but offering a nice burst off the edge. Trotter is the son of long-time NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, and is probably more of a run-first middle linebacker as the Colts try to replace a departing Zaire Franklin.

Scenario B

-No. 47: CB-D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana)

-No. 78: WR-De’Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss)

If you are making a Colts needs list entering this week, some would push for cornerback and/or wide receiver right up there with defensive end/linebacker.

The need at cornerback includes the assumption the Colts will be moving on from Kenny Moore II around the draft. Ponds was a special player during Indiana’s National Title season, and might fit best as an outside cornerback.

Stribling recorded at least 5 receiving touchdowns in his 4 healthy collegiate seasons. The debate over wide receiver attention is a fair one after trading away Michael Pittman Jr. and signing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Scenario C (trade up)

-No. 30 (from Miami): DE-Akheem Mesidor (Miami)

Hello, a different Chris Ballard.

This would be quite something, as the Colts give up No. 47 and No. 78 overall to get into the end of Round 1.

The thinking with the 25-year-old Mesidor is the Colts are getting as high of a floor pass rusher as any in this draft class.

Of course, this would mean the Colts pick once until the middle of Round 4. Does pass rusher and Meisdor mean that much though to the Colts?

Scenario D (trade back)

-No. 61 (from Rams): Wr-Malachi Fields (Notre Dame)

-No. 78: LB-Kyle Louis (Pittsburgh)

-No. 93 (from Rams): DE-Romello Height (Texas Tech)

Now, this is more what Chris Ballard dreams about.

The Colts head into the 2026 Draft, with no first-round pick, and no additional Day 2 pick (Rounds 2 and 3). That’s super rare for Ballard.

A trade like this would give the Colts three picks on Day 2, one at the end of Round 2, one in the middle of Round 3 and another at the end of Round 3.

With this haul, the Colts would be attempting to help patch up a trio of needs.

But not drafting until No. 61 overall, would be the first time the Colts have had to wait that long to make their initial selection in a draft since 1988.