The NFL Draft is nearly a week away and the Indianapolis Colts front is evaluating the team’s biggest needs.
The Colts possess seven draft picks, but none come in the first round after trading for Deforest Buckner.
During free agency, the Colts added Xavier Rhodes and Phillip Rivers to one-year deals, but there are still holes to fill.
Here are the three biggest draft needs and solutions for the Colts in no particular order.
Need: A Long Term Solution At QB
As of now, the Colts do not have a quarterback after the 2020 season.
Rivers is on a one-year deal, while Jacoby Brissett is entering the final year of a two-year extension he signed in 2019.
Rivers is 38, while Brissett is taking a backseat at the age of 29.
Neither appears to be the long-term solution at quarterback, so the Colts could look to draft someone at either No. 34, No. 44, or No. 75 overall.
Solution: Jacob Eason (Washington)
In ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has the Colts taking Eason in the second round.
Eason finished 2019 with 3,132 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The numbers may not be glamorous, but Eason is a pro-style quarterback that would fit into the current offensive schema.
One NFL draft analyst also sees professional abilities from Eason.
• Jake Fromm, QB, #UGA: One of the most decorated players in program history.
While there are other potential home runs in this class, for teams looking to simply get on base, the former Bulldog QB could be an option later on
Scouting Report: https://t.co/C0G5iYjIvb
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) January 27, 2020
Need: A Vertical Threat At Tight End
Losing Eric Ebron was huge given his athletic ability in the passing game.
Head coach Frank Reich loves to use vertical threats at tight end in the offense.
The team has Jack Doyle, but he is getting up there in age and took a backseat to Ebron the last couple of seasons.
The Colts have a few options the team could use on Day 3 of the draft.
Solution: Cole Kmet (Notre Dame)
Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Kmet has the body for a tight end in the NFL.
His stats at the combine were impressive.
Kmet ran a 4.70 in the 40-yard dash and boasted a 37” vertical and 123’ broad jump.
The Colts could use a tall and strong tight end and Kmet possesses those traits.
#Patriots Draft Target Thread: TE, JR – Notre Dame: Cole Kmet 6’4 240 lbs
Dual-sport athlete (baseball his freshman year) attractable target for NE fits the mold as an above-average blocker & big target through the seam. 43/515/6 in 10 games #NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/OaeRsXdSxW
— Ryan Spagnoli (@Ryan_Spags) February 10, 2020
Need: Offensive Line Depth
Not many teams get lucky like the Colts did last year.
In 2019, the team’s offensive lineman started every game for the first time since 2001, which included every starting lineman playing at least 91% of the team’s snaps.
The Colts resigned Anthony Castonzo to a two-year deal but lost Joe Haeg (Bucs) and Josh Andrews (Jets) in the offseason.
Don’t be surprised if the Colts take an offensive lineman in the middle rounds of the draft.
Solution: Trey Adams (Washington)
The Colts could double-down on Huskies players, but Adams is going to be a late-round steal.
Adams is 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds that was First-Team All-Pac 12 as a sophomore.
However, injuries in 2017 and partially of 2018, derailed his junior seasons.
In 2019, he was named Fourth-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac 12.
He will likely dip to the fifth-round, which would be perfect for the Colts to snag him.
Trey Adams – LT, Washington
• Extremely physical
• Good in both Pass Pro & Run Block
• VersatileHe’s most certainly someone we should be keeping eye on come day 2 of the draft. This is a guy I really like – see what you think to #72 in Pass Protection. #bengals pic.twitter.com/02DcU5vgVq
— Sam Ainger (@sam_ainger) January 10, 2020
NEXT: Eric Ebron: "Andrew Luck Made The Colts Relevant"