Colts Round 7 Recap: Oklahoma Wide Receiver Deion Burks
Colts Round 7, Pick 254 Recap: Oklahoma Wide Receiver Deion Burks
INDIANAPOLIS – As was the theme with this 2026 Draft, the Colts added more SEC flavor, with a Purdue twist, to end their 8-man class.
With the 254th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Colts took Oklahoma Deion Burks in Round Seven.
Here are 3 takeaways on Burks:
Speedy Wideout
Yes, this is the Colts only wide receiver pick in the 2026 draft class, but don’t think of Burks as a guy replacing Michael Pittman Jr. At 5-9 and 180 pounds, Burks is known for his speed, and not the size that MPJ brought to the receiver position. Burks did have 57 catches for 620 yards last year at Oklahoma, with the potency of the Sooners offense not being too much. Many draft pundits, including the Colts brass, thought Burks would go earlier than one of the final picks of the entire draft.
Purdue Connection
Burks actually began his college career at Purdue, playing there for 3 years. He then transferred to Oklahoma, saying he wanted an uptick in overall competition around him. Size wise, Burks is similarly built to Anthony Gould, but doesn’t have a ton of return history on his resume. One would think either Burks or Gould would make the Colts roster, with the special teams presence often a deciding factor for back end of the roster wideouts. The Colts are going to explore some return reps with Burks.
Wide Receiver On Day 3
Chris Ballard was a big fan of the wide receiver class in 2026, at all three levels of the draft. And the Colts tapped into that on Day 3 with their last pick of the draft. Remember Michael Pittman Jr. missed just 3 games in his final 5 years with the Colts, so replacing his availability and production will be spread throughout that position room. Guys like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell will likely compete to earn some depth reps behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.
