Kevin Bowen’s 2026 Colts Mock Draft

INDIANAPOLIS – There’s nothing quite like draft intrigue.

Even without a first-round pick, the Colts still have plenty on the line when it comes to the 2026 Draft.

It is time, here is my 2026 Colts Mock Draft:

Round 2-47: LB-Jake Golday (Cincinnati)

-In the 2026 draft class, you will see a variety of linebackers pegged in this middle of Round 2 area. An eye-popping athlete, Golday can move at 6-4 and 239 pounds. And we know that’s enticing to the traits-y Chris Ballard. Golday finished his college career at Cincinnati, as a 1^st team All-Big 12 selection. He played at Central Arkansas from 2021-23. One additional Ballard note, Golday was all over the field in a 4^th quarter, one-score road win over Kansas this season. And Kansas is where one of Ballard’s sons (Cole) plays. Under Ballard, I know the Colts have drafted linebacker well, across all 7 rounds. But I think they need to look early for a LB in 2026.

Round 3-78 DE-Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State)

-Known more for his pass rushing ability, versus run-stopping prowess, Dennis-Sutton was a decorated high school recruit before attending Penn State. Dennis-Sutton was one of the Big 10’s most consistent pass rushers in ’25, finishing his career with back-to-back 8.5 sack seasons. At 6-5 and 256 pounds, Dennis-Sutton walks into the NFL with a nice defensive end physique to work with. For me, it’s paramount the Colts come out of Friday night (Round 2 and 3) with some investment at defensive end.

Round 4-113: WR-Ja’Kobi Lane (USC)

-Lane was a big play receiver for the Trojans, relying on that 6-4 frame for plenty of plays down the field. He also was a key red-zone threat for USC. Unlike the departing USC receiver for the Colts (Michael Pittman Jr.), doing the dirty work is not much of Lane’s game. While there are some questions about the pro mindset of Lane, his 12 touchdowns during his ’24 campaign is a very impressive number, especially playing the schedule of USC.

Round 5-156: CB-Will Lee III (Texas A&M)

-Should the cornerback selection be more in the nickel/slot role for the Colts, given the Kenny Moore II trade request? But given Charvarius Ward’s seemingly looming retirement, I can’t forget about outside cornerback either. And that’s where Lee II fits. He’s 6-1 and 189 pounds and started for two years on a good Texas A&M defense. There are definitely things to clean up with Lee but he frequently got his hands on passes and was pretty durable in starting 3 straight years (Kansas State for 1 year).

Round 6-214: RB-Eli Heidenreich (Navy)

-Remember, the Colts have just 3 running backs on their entire roster (right now at 77 players). So they need some bodies there. Now, with Heidenreich, I’m getting a little choosy in the type of running back. Heidenreich’s strength is his versatility and particularly as a receiver. He caught 90 balls for Navy (which is saying something) in the last two seasons. It’s been too long since the Colts have had a true third-down option to ease everything thrown at Jonathan Taylor.

Round 7-249: OT-Aamil Wagner (Notre Dame)

-You’ll get high character and a nice offensive tackle frame to work with from Wagner. A two-year starter at Notre Dame, didn’t miss a single start in those seasons in South Bend. Wagner was exclusively a right tackle at ND, but the hope here is he can challenge for the depth questions that the Colts do have up front heading into the ’26 campaign.

Round 7-254: QB-Joe Fagano (Connecticut)

-Probably the most intriguing part to Fagano’s lone season as a full-time starter at UConn was the fact that he threw 1 interception in 285 pass attempts. When you get to this late in the draft, you are simply trying to get first priority over an undrafted free agent. Unlike with Riley Leonard last year, the 25-year-old Fagano is probably more in the higher floor/lower ceiling dart throw on Day 3. Fagano played at Maine for 4 seasons prior to transferring to UConn.