2026 Draft thread

[Colts And Orioles]

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No 1st-Round Pick ??? The Colts Still Had One of the Most Valuable 2026 NFL Draft Results

(By Scott Horner)

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...s/90376179007/



******** ))) Analysts from Sharp-Football-Analysis rated the Indianapolis Colts' 2026 draft class highly.

******** ))) Ryan McCrystal of Sharp-Football-Analysis gave the Colts' draft an A- grade.

******** ))) Several draftees, including A.J. Haulcy and Jalen Farmer, are seen as potential immediate starters or best value picks.


How many 2026 Indianapolis Colts draft picks can you identify ??? Without a 1st-round pick, they weren't in position to grab a big name.

That doesn't mean that the Colts had a bad draft.

A couple of analysts at Sharp-Football-Analysis believe they drafted well, getting some players who could start this season.


Warren Sharp of Sharp- Football-Analysis


Sharp assigns draft capital to each pick using a consensus of mock drafts and big boards, comparing the total draft capital used to draft a player at a particular point in the draft relative to what was expected.

He calls the resulting metric DCOE (Draft Capital Over Expectation), which measures the expected capital used on a prospect vs. the actual capital used.

The Colts had the third most valuable draft class, behind the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, according to Sharp. Here are their best picks:


******** llllll LB C.J. Allen: Expected at 35, taken at 53

******** llllll S A.J. Haulcy: Expected at 56, taken at 78

******** llllll G Jalen Farmer: Expected at 106, taken at 113

******** lllllt Edge Caden Curry: Expected at 161, taken at 213

******** llll.t RB Seth McGowan: Expected at 182, taken at 236



From Sharp: l "The Colts had a couple of reaches (LB Bryce Boettcher, Edge George Gumbs Jr.), but they had a sound draft by DCOE standards, and their best in several years (No. 28 in DCOE in 2024, No. 17 in 2025.")



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Indianapolis Colts Draft Grade (By Sharp-Football-Analysis)



The Colts get an A-, tied for 5rth best, by Ryan McCrystal of Sharp-Football-Analysis.


McCrystal acknowledges grading draft classes immediately has limited credibility, but ...... "What is valuable is the collective perception of these draft classes, because these grades will inform our perception of what happened when we eventually look back on the draft years later."


******** llllll Instant impact: A.J. Haulcy, S

******** llllll Best value: Jalen Farmer, OG

******** lllll. Riskiest pick: None.


McCrystal's analysis: ) "The Colts didn’t take any big swings, but they probably came away with 3 quality starters in Haulcy, Farmer, and C.J. Allen. Even 4th-round pick Bryce Boettcher has starter potential, though the presence of Allen obviously limits his access to the field."

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