Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts Draft DREAMS and DISASTERS; Best-Case Scenarios and Moves to Salvage Heartbreak
Episode Date: April 16, 2025The Indianapolis Colts have a few glaring needs in the 2025 NFL Draft that can be addressed early. What are the dream scenarios to address tight end, linebacker, and offensive line, and how can the Co...lts salvage missing out on prime opportunities? Jay Robins (@RobinsLucas) joins to discuss! The 2025 Indy Draft Guide is officially LIVE! 225+ in-depth scouting reports, plus how each player fits the Indianapolis Colts. Order Now: https://draftguide.gumroad.com/l/indy25 Become a Locked On Colts insider! Ask your burning questions and get prompt answers from someone who's around the team every day! Get special access from the locker room, practice field, and press box! JOIN HERE! Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/ Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram! Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Amazon Fire TV Stick 4kDid you know your Fire TV is also an Xbox? Turn any TV into your gaming and entertainment hub with Fire TV Stick 4K devices — no console required. Head to Amazon.com/firetvlockedon to get started. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and compatible controller required.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
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                                         We are talking dreams and disasters for the Indianapolis Colts in next week's draft.
                                         
                                         What are the dream scenarios for their biggest needs and how can they salvage things when disaster strikes?
                                         
                                         Let's get to it.
                                         
                                         You are locked on Colts your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.
                                         
                                         All right. Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily
                                         
                                         podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.
                                         
                                         My name is Jake Arthur of horseshoehuddle.com. I'm your resident credential media
                                         
                                         member for the site and I am joined by another awesome guest today. It is my guy Jay Robbins
                                         
    
                                         from Stampede Blue and Draft Nerds. Welcome back to the show, brother. Great to be back,
                                         
                                         Jake. I mean, we're right now into the stretch run of pre-draft content right here. We're
                                         
                                         almost there. The day is finally here.
                                         
                                         It's just now we're driving ourselves crazy
                                         
                                         with various different scenarios.
                                         
                                         All there is now is to just completely break us
                                         
                                         from what we're already confident in
                                         
                                         as new and incorrect information piles in.
                                         
    
                                         It's all just here to ruin our mock drafts
                                         
                                         and absolutely play with our head.
                                         
                                         But that's what we're here for today.
                                         
                                         So today what we're going to do, we're going to look at three big Colts needs
                                         
                                         tied in linebacker and offensive line.
                                         
                                         We're going to talk about different dreams
                                         
                                         slash best case scenarios for the Colts and how they can address those needs.
                                         
                                         We're also going to talk about the disaster scenarios
                                         
    
                                         and how it kind of all goes wrong and they're not really able to address them
                                         
                                         in an ideal fashion, but then how they can kind of play disaster cleanup and salvage things after that. So we're going to go ahead and start with tight in here.
                                         
                                         Obviously, I kind of can't wait until after the draft for us to be able to complain about
                                         
                                         tight in some more because they didn't really address it or it's it's finished. They got
                                         
                                         their guy and we don't have to talk about it anymore.
                                         
                                         I don't think I've ever talked about tight end in any stretch of time
                                         
                                         as much as I had these last few months, Jay.
                                         
                                         So obviously, dream scenario number one, Tyler Warren is there
                                         
    
                                         for the picking at number 14.
                                         
                                         They don't have to trade up to get him their guy
                                         
                                         who is the every down tight end can do it all
                                         
                                         plug-and-play right away he's there at 14 what do you think I mean that's the
                                         
                                         dream scenario that every Colts fan has been doing these online mocks past like
                                         
                                         several months they have been dreaming of Warren at 14 absolutely I agree 100
                                         
                                         percent the unfortunate reality though is sometimes dreams don't come true.
                                         
                                         Disney lied to us in that regard.
                                         
    
                                         But yeah, hopefully he's there.
                                         
                                         Like you said, absolutely would be a perfect fit for the Colts as a three down tight end.
                                         
                                         Give us enough oomph in our run game while also being this giant receiving target
                                         
                                         and very reliable with some good yards up your catch as well.
                                         
                                         I would be very interested in having Tyrone Warren on the Colts, but fingers crossed to see if that actually comes true on next week.
                                         
                                         Yes, obviously the thing that makes that most intriguing is there are some really interesting destinations in between, say that, you know, top six and
                                         
                                         14 where the Colts are, you know, the Jets at seven are interesting.
                                         
                                         Even the Bears, they could either move on from Colcomet or pair Tyler Warren
                                         
    
                                         with Colcomet. You know, the Saints, Dolphins, even the Raiders doing what
                                         
                                         they did last year. I could still see them doing that and pairing Brock
                                         
                                         Bowers with Tyler Warren. I mean why not honestly?
                                         
                                         But yeah, there's just so many interesting things that can happen and this not being the strongest quarterback draft in the world
                                         
                                         I mean that's gonna force non quarterbacks up the board a little bit
                                         
                                         So we'll see how that goes. My next one is that they do get Colston Loveland, but not at 14
                                         
                                         I'll say they're able to trade back a bit closer to like 20 and that
                                         
                                         he's there for, for them there.
                                         
    
                                         So not only do they get their stud pass catching tight end who capable blocker.
                                         
                                         He's not necessarily going to be the total well-rounded prospect that Tyler
                                         
                                         Warren is, but a capable guy that is going to be a starter, probably from day
                                         
                                         one for you and you get, I don't know, a third fourth round pick and in exchange for
                                         
                                         you get to add that. So I think that's another dream scenario
                                         
                                         when it comes to tight end.
                                         
                                         Absolutely Loveland. He brings probably the best receiving
                                         
                                         package that you can have in this draft class. Just he is a
                                         
    
                                         giant catch frame. He had a really underrated yards of the
                                         
                                         catch profile more so because he just did not have the quarterback
                                         
                                         play from to just turn and run off the ball just because he's
                                         
                                         having to make a lot of adjustments to the ball, which
                                         
                                         kind of limited his yards after catch. But man, huge frame with
                                         
                                         six foot six, 248 pounds, he could pack on some more muscle
                                         
                                         and develop into that inline blocker over time. But certainly
                                         
                                         not as clean of a fit as Warren. But if you still can
                                         
    
                                         trade back and get him that is a dream scenario. We'll see if
                                         
                                         like they get into like the early 20s and still get him. I
                                         
                                         know Denver Broncos at 20 would love to have Loveland. So we
                                         
                                         might have to explore options of even like trading just even less back
                                         
                                         to still be able to get Loveland. But we'll see. I mean, anything can happen in the draft.
                                         
                                         Yeah, I mean, some good news and bad news there for Loveland. Good news. I mean, you're going to
                                         
                                         the NFL and you're going to an NFL passing offense. bad news. I don't know that the quarterback situation is all that better right now.
                                         
                                         So you have time to maybe perhaps wait for the right quarterback situation a year or
                                         
    
                                         so.
                                         
                                         But who knows, maybe Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson lights it up.
                                         
                                         And good news for the Colts that they would have a tight end that scenario that
                                         
                                         can play through those kind of woes.
                                         
                                         But bad news for a loved one, is that the quarterback situation?
                                         
                                         We don't know if it's a whole lot better or not.
                                         
                                         So I think what the ultimate good news scenario would be here for
                                         
                                         the Colts at tight end is to get Mason Taylor at 45.
                                         
    
                                         Because that means for me, Mason Taylor, if you fast forward two, three years, I think
                                         
                                         we could be looking at someone who is just as impactful, if not more than Tyler Warren
                                         
                                         and Colston Loveland.
                                         
                                         So you're getting a somewhat comparable, you know, projection for a few years from now.
                                         
                                         I understand why Warren and Loveland are higher prospects now.
                                         
                                         I have them both above him as well. But let's just say that he hits his potential and is this awesome tight end in the
                                         
                                         NFL a couple years from now. Well, that means with the first round pick, you got a Jihad Campbell,
                                         
                                         like someone really good, like Jaylen Walker, like someone really good was there available to you,
                                         
    
                                         maybe even traded back a little bit and recouped a pick.
                                         
                                         So that means you filled your biggest need with a player
                                         
                                         who could be the best player from the class
                                         
                                         a few years down the road.
                                         
                                         And then you also were able to spend your first round pick
                                         
                                         on someone who hopefully, fingers crossed,
                                         
                                         was deserving of being that first rounder.
                                         
                                         Yeah, getting Taylor would be another dream scenario. I agree 100%. He has NFL
                                         
    
                                         Hall of Famer bloodlines twice in his gene for his uncle and his dad, both
                                         
                                         being Hall of Famer defenders as a pass record and a linebacker amongst
                                         
                                         Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. He doesn't live up to the lofty expectations of
                                         
                                         Hall of Fame bloodline
                                         
                                         He still it has a lot of upside. It's like he's one of the youngest players in this class. He's still only 20 years old
                                         
                                         It has a really interesting receiving background as well pretty much the same like
                                         
                                         Brain as a Loveland just like a little bit shorter, but like he's like six foot five two hundred forty five pounds, so
                                         
                                         He's got like a lot of power. I think in his blocking comparatively
                                         
    
                                         So he's a very interesting fit for the Colts and I agree
                                         
                                         You wait and develop him for maybe like a little bit and he could really turn into something special
                                         
                                         Yeah, that would be an ideal scenario if they don't get
                                         
                                         Tight end like early on in round one.
                                         
                                         He is a phenomenal fallback option.
                                         
                                         But of course, who knows if he's there.
                                         
                                         Exactly.
                                         
                                         So let's let's talk about that.
                                         
    
                                         Let's say that however the board shakes out Warren goes ahead of the Colts and they don't
                                         
                                         they're not convicted to get lovelin or they trade
                                         
                                         back and they miss out on him and then someone gets Taylor before the Colts are
                                         
                                         able to get to him.
                                         
                                         None of those top three are there.
                                         
                                         Let's say they're not able to get them and then they've got really higher ranked
                                         
                                         players that they like a lot more by the time you get to Elijah Royo, Terrence
                                         
                                         Ferguson, those guys and then they don't really settle on a tight end just to get one.
                                         
    
                                         And then here they are on like day three and they don't have that guy.
                                         
                                         So I think that's the disaster scenario is they're staring their biggest need
                                         
                                         right in the face and somehow strike out doing it.
                                         
                                         I mean, they may have to do some maneuvering across the board to make it happen,
                                         
                                         whether it's trade back in round one to get Taylor or even trade up in round two up into the top 40 or something to get
                                         
                                         him. But I can see that being the worst case scenario because you might come away with a nice
                                         
                                         tight end in day three somewhere, but it's not going to be the same plug and play. It's not going
                                         
                                         to fill the need to the extent that you need it to.
                                         
    
                                         So for that, how I think they could salvage it is there's a few guys on day
                                         
                                         three, whether it's like Gunner Helm, Mitchell Evans or Spencer or not,
                                         
                                         Spencer Halls, but the Haws from Georgia Tech on day three.
                                         
                                         And then God, I don't know after the draft,
                                         
                                         you see if there's any veterans that might be on the block.
                                         
                                         You're looking at Michael Mayer for a late round pick, maybe round six, round
                                         
                                         seven, and then you see if the Bears are willing to part with Cole, connect, or
                                         
                                         like the Ravens willing to part with Mark Andrews, uh, because Mo Ali Cox,
                                         
    
                                         and then whoever this day three rookie is not going to cut it.
                                         
                                         Yeah, I agree.
                                         
                                         100% worst case scenario.
                                         
                                         I even saw this worst case scenario play out in this scenario that I did called Epic mocks
                                         
                                         25 where we
                                         
                                         seven rounds 32 teams from like a bunch of different analysts around the NFL and
                                         
                                         unfortunately, we didn't get like any of those first three tight ends early on and
                                         
                                         Towards the end. I was like all right maybe we can trade
                                         
    
                                         for someone like a Michael Meyer for a day three pick like maybe it ended up
                                         
                                         being around six maybe we'd have to change up that compensation a little bit
                                         
                                         here there but shouldn't be too much considering his limited production in
                                         
                                         his first two years and him already being the backup behind Brock Bowers of
                                         
                                         all people but beyond, there are some
                                         
                                         interesting day three kind of sleeper tight ends. Certainly not the biggest or flashiest names. But
                                         
                                         you could see some developmental upside with some guys like Arunde Gadsden. Maybe Thomas Fidone out
                                         
                                         of Nebraska, Jalen Conyers out of Texas Tech, or Dipper you really surprised me with his testing at the combine. I was not expecting him to test that well
                                         
    
                                         He did very well and he had more of a blocking tight end
                                         
                                         Resume in college. So maybe there is some upside to him. But again
                                         
                                         Those are guys that worst-case scenario you made it get later on and then
                                         
                                         Try and see if you can
                                         
                                         get some trade negotiation with some of these other bets but yeah a Mo Ali Fox
                                         
                                         Ogletree and day three tight end certainly not a situation Colts fans want to see
                                         
                                         right right now I mentioned this today I wrote a piece for horseshoe huddle kind
                                         
                                         of looking at tight ends throughout each each seven rounds
                                         
    
                                         Jackson hauls reminds me a little bit of jacked oil man that that might be my guy
                                         
                                         So if they come away with him in day three certainly don't they don't want to rely on him right away to be jacked oil obviously
                                         
                                         But keep him around see how it goes see what he can do for you and maybe he turns out to be something
                                         
                                         Guys, so here in a moment. We're gonna do this same thing with linebacker. What is the dream scenario? What is the disaster?
                                         
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                                         All right, welcome back to Locked on Cults.
                                         
                                         We're talking dreams and nightmares today.
                                         
                                         And we're going to the linebackers now.
                                         
                                         Let me run through a few dreams for you.
                                         
    
                                         So this one, Jay, I don't hear enough people talking about it.
                                         
                                         And maybe it's because everyone views him as a top 10 lock.
                                         
                                         But Jalen Walker from Georgia, there's a lot of talk about Jahad Campbell, but it's like, Jaylen Walker is
                                         
                                         an even highly a higher rated kind of multifaceted linebacker that can give you plenty of juice as a
                                         
                                         pass rusher as well. I love Jaylen Walker. I don't I you know, for meihad Campbell Jalen Walker doesn't really matter I think Campbell
                                         
                                         probably does more for the Colts but if Jalen Walker is there 14 for you if you're able to trade
                                         
                                         back a little bit and get jihad Campbell kind of like we discussed with Colston Loveland with the
                                         
                                         labrum surgery I certainly think Campbell being available around that 20 ish range is a little more possible. I think Carson Schwestinger in the second round, either there at 45 because he
                                         
    
                                         hasn't gone in the top 40 or you know, the Colts love to trade back to that
                                         
                                         like 50 ish range if they trade back to there and he is there.
                                         
                                         Those are three things like that.
                                         
                                         You could not script a better acquisition for a tight end than
                                         
                                         in those three scenarios, or not tight in linebacker than those scenarios.
                                         
                                         Yeah, I agree.
                                         
                                         Jalen Walker, he'd be an interesting fit with the Colts.
                                         
                                         I think a lot of people are projecting to be more of an edge rusher than a linebacker.
                                         
    
                                         He's kind of like an inverse of Jihad Campbell and that kind of versatility.
                                         
                                         Exactly.
                                         
                                         Yeah.
                                         
                                         Where Walker just does not offer the same amount
                                         
                                         of coverage ability as Campbell,
                                         
                                         but he offers a lot of juice off the edge
                                         
                                         and has like a lot of really interesting pass rush variety
                                         
                                         that you can do.
                                         
    
                                         So also the Colts do have a need at edge rusher as well,
                                         
                                         long-term with only Leatu Latu being the only edge rusher
                                         
                                         under contract after this season
                                         
                                         Even if we view Jalen Walker as more an edge than a linebacker. He still would make sense for the Colts
                                         
                                         But yeah, I would think either one of those two would be great for the Colts to pick up in round one
                                         
                                         Whether it's at 14 or in the Campbell case a trade back to do that labrum injury which the
                                         
                                         timeline of his recovery he could come back around like early training camp or
                                         
                                         he could his availability for even the start of regular season in jeopardy we
                                         
    
                                         just don't have the information about like the timeline of his labrum tear so
                                         
                                         we just need more updates as they come in but But beyond that, Westinger as well, he had like one really strong year to end his college
                                         
                                         career. Did not have a lot of playing time before that. But man, he looks like a phenomenal three down linebacker who can
                                         
                                         be both a will or even a mic. I would be very interested to have his coverage instincts right next to Zaire Franklin. That
                                         
                                         would be a great fit at 45. Or if we trade back to the 50s,
                                         
                                         like you were saying.
                                         
                                         That's what I'm saying. Schwestinger is my guy for the value.
                                         
                                         That's almost like my top preference. So a disaster scenario,
                                         
    
                                         obviously the Colts Walker, you're not expecting him to be there regardless,
                                         
                                         but let's say Campbell goes before them at 14 or they trade back a little bit and he's not there anymore.
                                         
                                         Schwestinger goes before them at 45.
                                         
                                         Demetrius Knight is another guy who I think makes a lot of sense for the Colts,
                                         
                                         but I think the NFL likes him quite a bit as well.
                                         
                                         That's another guy who may not be there at 45 or if they trade back a little bit,
                                         
                                         may not be there at that point. So for me, that's where there's kind of a drop off.
                                         
                                         And let's say that they're bored at that point,
                                         
    
                                         as they're going through it,
                                         
                                         it kind of dictates that there's really only like
                                         
                                         special teamers and run stuffers left,
                                         
                                         which please God don't let your competition at linebacker
                                         
                                         be another like run stuffer, that's not what you need.
                                         
                                         So then it basically they're just staring at themselves
                                         
                                         day three. And then I think they're just staring at themselves day three.
                                         
                                         And then I think you can kind of salvage that
                                         
    
                                         with Jack Kaiser, our guy.
                                         
                                         I think there's a lot of potential there
                                         
                                         for him to be a big time special teams ace with them.
                                         
                                         The Colts are missing, Grant Stewart,
                                         
                                         they're missing, Trevor Denbow,
                                         
                                         Kane Medrano, Teddy Buchanan on day three.
                                         
                                         You could do something like that for the sake of competition,
                                         
                                         which essentially means Jalen Carlis is gonna be
                                         
    
                                         your starting will, which I'm fine with,
                                         
                                         as long as there's competition for it.
                                         
                                         And I think for all intents and purposes,
                                         
                                         that's what they want.
                                         
                                         But then there's a couple of free agents out there as well.
                                         
                                         I don't love the linebacker market right now, but Kaiser White from the Cardinals
                                         
                                         is an interesting name, as is Isaiah Simmons from from the Giants, from the Cardinals.
                                         
                                         You know, guys bounced around a little bit, kind of another one of those chess pieces.
                                         
    
                                         But we've heard a lot about Lou Anarumo's defense being multiple and him
                                         
                                         wanting to kind of put guys in different spots to succeed.
                                         
                                         So guys like White and Simmons make a lot of sense if the Colts are only really able to come away with
                                         
                                         mostly special teams types at Linebacker. Yeah, I agree. There's some interesting day three guys,
                                         
                                         like you mentioned, Teddy Buchanan. He's certainly on my list.
                                         
                                         Eugenia Sante out of Auburn is a nice and very athletic sleeper. You can see if he can develop his traits into being more small school guy like Sean Dolock.
                                         
                                         He'd be very interesting out of Buffalo as like another special teams kind of guy who had a lot of production for Buffalo.
                                         
                                         Maybe he can develop as one of these late round bloomers.
                                         
    
                                         There's a few other ones that you could say like maybe in the mid rounds like as fallback options like Chris Poupal
                                         
                                         Jr.
                                         
                                         Smile Monden.
                                         
                                         Basa, Barrett Carter both of those
                                         
                                         final three have a lot more like coverage ability that we put the goals would really value right next to Zaire Franklin.
                                         
                                         There's options, but like you were also saying, for agency, there is some
                                         
                                         available. It's not the best region market. You could even throw out like
                                         
                                         Eric Kendrick's. He's been kind of rumored to go to the Cowboys, but it's
                                         
    
                                         been like two weeks since like those rumors like emerge. I mean, at that
                                         
                                         point, so that might be a post draft signing that they do, but he has amazing coverage ability and it would be a great bet to learn from.
                                         
                                         You could say maybe Isaiah Simmons, absolutely very versatile, former like a strong safety linebacker hybrid that I think the Colts would be very interested in Luan Aromo kind of deploying.
                                         
                                         interested in Luan Aromo kind of deploying. Kaiser White, very good run stopper,
                                         
                                         and kind of like a downhill, reliable tackler.
                                         
                                         He had a really down year in coverage this past year,
                                         
                                         but previously every single year of his career
                                         
                                         gets right around average in coverage.
                                         
    
                                         So maybe you can kind of hope that he regresses back
                                         
                                         to the mean as he has like some Mike
                                         
                                         and Will versatility as well.
                                         
                                         So there's options, but of course,
                                         
                                         it's salvaging a bad scenario in that regard.
                                         
                                         So.
                                         
                                         Yeah, I definitely think linebacker
                                         
                                         is gonna be a focus for them
                                         
    
                                         because I put this out a couple of days ago,
                                         
                                         but in the two previous stints during Chris Ballard's tenure
                                         
                                         that the Colts have switched defensive coordinators,
                                         
                                         they have gone with at least four linebackers out of the draft and like immediately
                                         
                                         and undrafted for agency.
                                         
                                         So I feel like they're going to draft at least one.
                                         
                                         I mean, it might be on day three.
                                         
                                         I mean, Chris Ballard is a pretty good track record of finding very
                                         
    
                                         playable linebackers in the draft.
                                         
                                         Uh, but UDFAs as well, they've had some good ones.
                                         
                                         They haven't always been able to hang on to them.
                                         
                                         They've gotten kind of sniped by other teams
                                         
                                         a couple of times before.
                                         
                                         But I do think they're gonna come out of this draft
                                         
                                         with at least one guy and then the UDFA market's
                                         
                                         probably gonna bring them at least a couple as well,
                                         
    
                                         I would think.
                                         
                                         Yeah, it certainly is a spot where the Colts seem to have
                                         
                                         this habit of getting a lot of really competitive guys.
                                         
                                         You can really push for a spot,
                                         
                                         but of course sometimes they kind of cut some of them
                                         
                                         and hope they can retain them more on like
                                         
                                         the practice squad or certainly it doesn't always work out
                                         
                                         just because I think teams have caught on
                                         
    
                                         that the Colts have a really good eye for linebackers.
                                         
                                         So even if they don't make the team,
                                         
                                         odds are they're gonna land somewhere else.
                                         
                                         So it's happened before,
                                         
                                         hopefully we can add some depth just because
                                         
                                         right now it's really Zaire and a Luby behind him and then Jaylen Carly's as like the top
                                         
                                         three linebackers. And Carly's he showed flashes, but he dealt with two injuries and he was
                                         
                                         a rookie last year as a new strong safety to linebacker convert. A question at will and Mike linebacker as well, like for the future,
                                         
    
                                         more so than like the present.
                                         
                                         Yeah, again, I'm I'm cool with, you know, Carl, it's coming away as the starter.
                                         
                                         If that's how it works out, but you've got to get more competition in there,
                                         
                                         even just for the sake of, you know, you got to replace E.J.
                                         
                                         Speed, you got to replace Grant Stewart.
                                         
                                         And I mean, how satisfied are you with like Cam McGroen and Liam Anderson
                                         
                                         and Austin, a jock, a B and like your guys behind the Louie, you know?
                                         
                                         So there's a lot that the floor of that room,
                                         
    
                                         I think, could definitely get raised a little bit.
                                         
                                         So coming up, guys, we are going to talk about the offensive line.
                                         
                                         You know, the Colts need a little bit of offensive tackle and the interior as well.
                                         
                                         So we're going to talk high end, low end.
                                         
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                                         All right, Jay. So when it comes to offensive line,
                                         
    
                                         I'm going to go a little different with the dream scenario because
                                         
                                         I think the Colts are going to look to do it early, perhaps, like
                                         
                                         at least by round two or three.
                                         
                                         I don't know if that's what they want to do right away.
                                         
                                         Although I certainly think they could come out of the first round
                                         
                                         with an offensive lineman, but I really think they like day three of this draft.
                                         
                                         You know, really anywhere from rounds three on.
                                         
                                         But I'm going to say the dream scenario is that they've got a chunk of guys there like Marcus
                                         
    
                                         Bo, Wyatt Milam, Chase Lunt, Bryce Cable do and Slater all there around round four for them to pick from.
                                         
                                         We saw last year they went Gonsalves and Tanner Bortolini back to back right there in the middle.
                                         
                                         I think if they had a nice chunk of players like that as well, again, to provide competition in depth, tackle and in the interior.
                                         
                                         I really think that is the dream scenario for them.
                                         
                                         So there's a lot of guys to choose from.
                                         
                                         This is a kind of a weird draft where the offensive tackles, there's very few like pure
                                         
                                         offensive tackles.
                                         
                                         There's a bunch of reasons to move guys inside, whether it's their length or their athleticism,
                                         
    
                                         or just a lot of guys have a ton of versatility and have started in a million different spots
                                         
                                         throughout college.
                                         
                                         That's kind of, you know, when guys are playing five, six years nowadays, you kind of have
                                         
                                         more tape on them to see different spots that they can play. So for me, I think the dream
                                         
                                         scenario is that they have a bunch of really good players there at the start of day three.
                                         
                                         What scenarios kind of pop up for you?
                                         
                                         For me, I'd say like like towards like round three is really
                                         
                                         where you start to look at dream offensive linemen. I mean certainly you
                                         
    
                                         can make a case for like Donovan Jackson over at 45 if he's there with some guard
                                         
                                         tackle versatility he'd be very appealing and of course naturally the
                                         
                                         very high relative athletic score is always going to be appealing for the Colts
                                         
                                         But beyond that you can certainly talk yourself into some guys who work like these pure
                                         
                                         guards like Tate Rattlage or Luke Candra
                                         
                                         Connor Colby out of Iowa has a very fun athletic profile and really good zone tape that I've really enjoyed
                                         
                                         There's like Jaxon Slater as well.
                                         
                                         He's a very interesting sleeper.
                                         
    
                                         Then you also have like these very versatile guys
                                         
                                         like you were saying, Jonas Avanea, Wyatt Milam,
                                         
                                         Miles Frazier out of LSU, Marcus Mbeau out of Purdue,
                                         
                                         of course.
                                         
                                         Certainly guys who can fit multiple spots
                                         
                                         are gonna be very valuable for the Colts.
                                         
                                         They've always valued versatility, especially since you have
                                         
                                         this clear potential starting level hole at right guard where really only Mack
                                         
    
                                         and Kalvis is like your best option right now. And he's only had 44 college
                                         
                                         snaps at guard and they were all at left guard and he has one pro snap at right
                                         
                                         guard last year which it was a good snap. That one was left guard too. Oh, were all left guard and he has one pro snap at right guard last year,
                                         
                                         which it was a good snap that that one with left guard too.
                                         
                                         I was left because it was for Clinton came out of the game for one play.
                                         
                                         Then even more my point, it's a small sample size that you don't know if it fully will translate.
                                         
                                         He certainly has been a swing tackle.
                                         
                                         So I feel like that lessens the like concern of going from like left to right
                                         
    
                                         Yeah, because of like the differences of like slides and kicks back
                                         
                                         But still it's certainly a question going forward
                                         
                                         Uh, and you also do have the question long term about
                                         
                                         Brayden smith, of course
                                         
                                         We all saw the article out of indy star that was very revealing about his own personal mental health struggles.
                                         
                                         And it seems like he's in a much better place right now.
                                         
                                         But he's also on the last year of his deal.
                                         
                                         He's going to be 30.
                                         
    
                                         And he's already kind of mulled retirement prior to this.
                                         
                                         His future is certainly a question going forward.
                                         
                                         So maybe having competition with Don Kavis
                                         
                                         as the future right tackle is certainly an
                                         
                                         avenue that the Colts could explore as well. Yeah for sure. I do think they're pretty apprehensive
                                         
                                         to move Gonzalez right now just because he's the only reliable swing tackle they have right now.
                                         
                                         I don't think they really want to put Blake Freelon back there once again. So while I certainly think
                                         
                                         that they think he could play right guard, I don't think they
                                         
    
                                         would really want to rock the horse too much right now.
                                         
                                         So the disaster scenario for me is that they kind of envision my dream scenario where they're
                                         
                                         like, we can bypass this the first couple of days.
                                         
                                         We'll pick two or three guys on day three. There will be someone there that they like, but they get there to day three
                                         
                                         and the board just does not add up how they want it to.
                                         
                                         And then there they are like round six and seven
                                         
                                         and that's their pick of the litter
                                         
                                         that they're having to choose from.
                                         
    
                                         And then I trust that they're gonna get offensive limelight
                                         
                                         because I don't really think they can start the season
                                         
                                         right now how their depth stacks up.
                                         
                                         Like I think they need at least a couple more playable guys.
                                         
                                         And I think they have every intention of doing that.
                                         
                                         But there's always a group that they seemingly for
                                         
                                         whatever reason neglect having a little bit too much trust in.
                                         
                                         And I think the offensive line would be a little ball as you can do that.
                                         
    
                                         But I mean, who knows?
                                         
                                         But if you do that, I say, Caleb Etienne is a mountain of a person they could get
                                         
                                         on late day three.
                                         
                                         Christian Leftenhant as well, Gerard Christian Leftenhant out of Oregon State.
                                         
                                         Same thing, I think both those guys are like six, seven, six, eight.
                                         
                                         And when the Colts go for those project bottom of the roster offensive tackles,
                                         
                                         that's what they're looking for. They're looking for the power forwards and the centers. They've got project bottom of the roster, offensive tackles, that's what they're looking for.
                                         
                                         They're looking for like the power forwards and the centers.
                                         
    
                                         They've got two guys on the roster right now, Jack Wilson,
                                         
                                         and then another guy whose name escapes me,
                                         
                                         but they're like six, nine, six, 10.
                                         
                                         It makes no, Luke Tanuta, that's it.
                                         
                                         So they've got some absolute mountains there.
                                         
                                         And then if they wanna keep doing that,
                                         
                                         Caleb Etienne and Jirai Christian Lackinhan
                                         
                                         certainly fit that as well.
                                         
    
                                         Bless Harris and Joshua Carlin are a couple guys who have Carlin is mostly
                                         
                                         interior versatility, but bless Harris has played tackle and the interior as
                                         
                                         well. It's a couple guys they have been interested in on in round seven.
                                         
                                         So if they want to trade back and get like a bunch around six, seven picks,
                                         
                                         they have guys there that they do like.
                                         
                                         I would think it would be,
                                         
                                         they would be who've them so to speak to address offensive line much earlier
                                         
                                         than round six, seven. But after that,
                                         
    
                                         I think they would have no choice but to go and look at the free agent market.
                                         
                                         After the draft, you got like Dalton Reisner is out there,
                                         
                                         Will Hernandez, Max Sharp,
                                         
                                         Andre Diller, Jackson Barton.
                                         
                                         But it's like me naming off those names other than like Will Hernandez and Dalton Reisner is all the more reason why they need to address the offensive line pretty
                                         
                                         quickly throughout the draft, like by no later than the middle rounds, I think.
                                         
                                         Yeah, I agree.
                                         
                                         Like some other sleepers that I kind of throw out would maybe be like Nash Jones.
                                         
    
                                         He can be like a swing tackle on a left guard.
                                         
                                         Uh, Luke Newman, he's been on the left side as like a left tackle or transferred
                                         
                                         and to a much higher level of play.
                                         
                                         And last year for a Michigan state, he was left guard and he did very well for them.
                                         
                                         Like there was a really bad Michigan State Spartans offensive line.
                                         
                                         They use a real bright spot for them.
                                         
                                         So he has some potential for some depth.
                                         
                                         Joe Huber, if you want to go Wisconsin, very versatile.
                                         
    
                                         I know Ballard loves his fellow Badgers.
                                         
                                         So he would be an option as well.
                                         
                                         And another vet, like I know you mentioned will Hernandez is a potential
                                         
                                         starting right guard they could pursue.
                                         
                                         What about potentially going for a former division rivals right guard?
                                         
                                         Okay, well there's some options available.
                                         
                                         So he's age and injury issues, correct? That's his thing at this point.
                                         
                                         A little bit of age and injury. Like it's okay. He had some like availability concerns here.
                                         
    
                                         There. I don't think he's like actively dealing with something right now. Could be wrong. But he
                                         
                                         certainly is on the wrong side of 30 as well. So it'd be very much a stopgap kind of signing.
                                         
                                         You're looking for just a year anyways. You're not signing one after
                                         
                                         the draft for multiple years.
                                         
                                         Yeah, very rare.
                                         
                                         You get these big multiple years at most.
                                         
                                         It's most of these guys.
                                         
                                         What sounds like two year deals?
                                         
    
                                         I mean, I would be.
                                         
                                         Down for one of those good too as well.
                                         
                                         If you're really looking for a right
                                         
                                         guard starter and then maybe train a little bit
                                         
                                         of gun call base as a right guard if you do want to move him at some point but at least it would
                                         
                                         delay the need potentially if you want to keep in Galvez as your swing tackle and future right tackle
                                         
                                         and maybe just address it in a later offseason but it's an option it's just not great to have that be your have to default to if the draft doesn't go your way
                                         
                                         Yeah, so I'm looking at all these and I'm just I'm thinking back over this conversation and
                                         
    
                                         For the love of God, they got to address these three areas like the the alternatives if they don't
                                         
                                         Are not great because like if you go to the trade market,
                                         
                                         how many teams are already going to be wanting to trade for 2026 picks? They would have been
                                         
                                         like, why don't you hit me up over the weekend? So, you know, you're looking at Mark Andrews,
                                         
                                         Cole Comet, probably not. I mean, Michael Mayer, perhaps, like who knows how much the
                                         
                                         Raiders are really invested in him anymore. But the veterans, you're just renting these
                                         
                                         guys for a year for the most part. I mean, that might get you by the veterans, you're just renting these guys for a year for the most part.
                                         
                                         I mean, that might get you by, but like, you're just kicking the can down the road a little bit
                                         
    
                                         and then just, I don't know. But yeah, so tight end linebacker offensive line, I think that's
                                         
                                         ironclad defensive line is another one we could have had an entire segment on, but this is not
                                         
                                         an hour show. We're already going under or over. But is there any other
                                         
                                         positions where you look at it and you're like they've got to get out the draft with
                                         
                                         at least one one person here.
                                         
                                         I certainly think you've touched on it defensive line because there's a big question behind
                                         
                                         the force Buckner as like the backup three test to rotate in just because you have out
                                         
                                         of Tommy well out of worry who he's had some flashes to pass rusher,
                                         
    
                                         but certainly as needed to continue to develop as a run blocker and doesn't
                                         
                                         have quite that power set that you're looking for. Uh, Neville,
                                         
                                         Galmore they just signed, he's kind of bounced around a little bit,
                                         
                                         very athletic. So there is some upside,
                                         
                                         but he's had a lot of issues with like kind of his contact balance and kind of
                                         
                                         lowering his shoulder pads. So that's been an issue consistently for him.
                                         
                                         Beyond that, you really also don't even have a single nose tackle that you can really say confidently should back up
                                         
                                         Rover Stewart for the full season.
                                         
    
                                         So that's also a need.
                                         
                                         Ed Rusher, another one, like we were mentioning with lots of being the only one after this season
                                         
                                         certainly a underrated need there I
                                         
                                         Think you could also talk yourself into a third safety if the Colts really want to rotate three safeties with Luana Romo and
                                         
                                         Nick cross also on the last year of his deal
                                         
                                         Hey, there's maybe even a chance that if there's a truly
                                         
                                         your Fizz deal. There's maybe even a chance that if there's a truly phenomenal cornerback that you see early on that you absolutely fall in love with, you
                                         
                                         could upgrade from Womack and Jalen Jones opposite of Canterbury's Ward and
                                         
    
                                         just push those guys down to the depth to really cement the cornerback route
                                         
                                         for the Luan Aramo. Well, that settles that we're going to have to come back for another,
                                         
                                         another episode on defensive backs,
                                         
                                         defensive lineman and probably running back as well to be honest with you.
                                         
                                         But that is it for today guys. Thanks for making us your first listen of the day.
                                         
                                         Now for your next list and go and check out locked on NFL draft with Damien
                                         
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                                         And with that guys, we are a week away from this thing.
                                         
                                         Hang in there, we're gonna have
                                         
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                                         I know Jay Robbins is as well
                                         
                                         again from Stampede Blue and Draft Nerds. We thank you guys for joining us today and we will see you tomorrow.
                                         
