Colts Uber High On Rookie Guard Jalen Farmer

On that uber secretive Colts draft board in 2026, Jalen Farmer was not a name they thought was equal to his selection, at No. 113 overall.

Kentucky v Ole Miss — Source: Justin Ford / Getty

Colts Uber High On Rookie Guard Jalen Farmer

INDIANAPOLIS – On that uber secretive Colts draft board in 2026, Jalen Farmer was not a name they thought was equal to his selection, at No. 113 overall.

Scouting intrigue on Farmer met the Colts coaching staff’s desire, too, which isn’t always the case when it comes to the draft process.

“He’s a big, powerful man, and he’s going to be a really good addition to our o-line, not only from a talent standpoint, but also from a cultural standpoint,” Chris Ballard said after the Colts took Farmer in Round 4 of the 2026 Draft.

In playing two years at Kentucky, Farmer was an All-SEC selection at right guard.

While the Colts think Farmer has some potential to bump out at right tackle, that thought is a tad premature.

Farmer will get his first NFL look at guard.

But is Farmer really competing for a starting job there?

Matt Goncalves, a 2024 third-round pick, is back as a returning starter.

And it sounds like the Colts are open to those two competing for the right guard spot, with a more natural tackle in Jalen Travis the likely guy filling the departing right tackle spot occupied by Braden Smith.

“Competition makes everybody better,” Ballard said

“(Farmer) will definitely be talented enough (to start). How fast he gets it and if he earns it, then he’ll play.”

The Colts know Farmer needs some development, mainly as a pass protector, but has all the physical tools they want.

If one were to rank the offensive guards in this year’s draft class, the Colts had Gardner ranked near the top of that entire list.

Even if Farmer isn’t some Day 1 starter this fall, that precious 6^th offensive lineman spot is much more often than not going to play a notable role.

“I feel really good about where we’re at right now as an offensive line,” Shane Steichen said after the Farmer selection. “Adding (Farmer to the fold, I think is a huge get. He’s physical. He did some really good things in Kentucky, so he’s going to come in and learn the offense and learn the system and we’ll go from there.”

Colts Uber High On Rookie Guard Jalen Farmer was originally published on 1075thefan.com