Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - SLIPPERS: Potential STUDS Who Could Fall to Indianapolis Colts in NFL Draft

Starting point is 00:00:00 We have talked to death about the Colts most likely options in the second round, but what about the players who might just slip out of the first round and become available to the Colts at 47? We're going to highlight six of those players who might be surprising picks by the Colts on Friday night. 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, welcome to Locked-on Colts on the Locked-on Podcast Network.

Starting point is 00:00:39 I am your host, Jake Arthur, the Indianapolis Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports. And we're bringing to this little mini episode today, just kind of discussing some of the players who I have seen commonly mocked in the first round or at least like the top 35, top 40 picks, really throughout the process, just guys who are kind of out of reach for the Colts. but either just from my, you know, my understanding or recent reports or just gut feelings I'm getting, these six guys, there's a possibility that they could slip down to be available to the Colts at 47 and really make things kind of interesting for the Colts. Now, there's a bigger group of just these six. Like you could throw in Tennessee Corner Drummond McCoy is a guy who there's a lot of talk about him slipping because of kind of the mystery around his knee injury, Miami Edge, Akeem Mesidor as well.

Starting point is 00:01:36 But I'm going to discount those guys today. We're going to focus on six other guys, starting out here with Georgia linebacker, C.J. Allen. So the reason he has commonly been mocked, you know, top 40 or so, he's just a good, classic, safe Mike linebacker. He calls the defense. He's solid against the run. He's, you know, athletic enough in coverage to get to where he's. he needs to go. Good football IQ, good instincts. So in general, he's just like a solid linebacker

Starting point is 00:02:07 to have. But when I've seen him, I just was a little bit underwhelmed. I wanted to see more because I knew how highly ranked he was. And I just wanted to see more of a guy that went and made things happen like we've talked about with Anthony Hill and Jacob Rodriguez. He's just a little bit more of a passive linebacker to me. Now, why would teams maybe allow him to slip down a little bit? Number one, it's a bit of a rich linebacker market. We have talked ad nauseum about all the linebackers that should be available in this draft. But if you're just looking at like specifics and teams that might nitpick him, Alan is a bit stocky. He lacks length. His arms are just about 31 inches long, and he is only himself a little bit over six foot. But he's about 230 pounds.

Starting point is 00:02:57 He's built thickly. He's just not tall or long. And he's really not, he's not like a splashy playmaker either. He's very experienced player at Georgia. He's played in 41 games, but he has just one interception and two force fumbles. So when I watch him to me, I think that really makes sense because, again, he's not aggressive. He's not a guy that goes and makes things happen. I think he lets things come to him a little bit much.

Starting point is 00:03:24 And so if he's available to the Colts at 47, I do think he would be in consideration, along with, you know, if Jacob Rodriguez is there, if Anthony Hill is there, Jake Golda, I do think he would be in consideration, but I don't expect him to be among the top of their list. So he is the guy who could become available to them. I just don't know how good of a fit he is. You know, if you're flipping over this linebacker crew and you're getting rid of Zaire Franklin, I think you want to kind of shoot for the stars a little bit.

Starting point is 00:03:53 And I was looking up, you know, what some other guys had to say about Alan, because he's one where a lot of people are higher on him than I am, so I just want to see what they're saying, like, what are they seeing in him? And Lent Zero Line from NFL.com actually gave his pro-combo of CJ Allen to Zeyer Franklin. So trading Zyre Franklin away and drafting the next, Zaira Franklin, doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Moving on next to Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. Now, I love this guy.

Starting point is 00:04:22 There's really not much not to like, but we'll start with the positives first before we get to why he'll potentially be available. So again, you're looking in a nose tackle who's 6 foot 6, 327 pounds with 35 inch arms. Terrific frame. And for that frame, you're not getting a guy who's just like a stagnant mountain or a big tree stump, basically. This guy can move plenty. He's got some quick twitch agility to him. I think he's got really good hands.

Starting point is 00:04:53 I saw him in person at the Senior Bowl. and I thought he did really well there. But the big butt with him is injuries. So he missed basically all of the 2025 season because of a foot injury. And then while working out at the combine, which by the way, again, at those measurements he had moved really well at the combine, another foot, I think it was a foot fracture, was found. Now, I don't think it's expected to really influence his rookie year all that much.

Starting point is 00:05:24 However, for me, foot injuries for a guy that big, I think, are a pretty big red flag. And I think some teams might red flag him as well for that. So Caleb Banks should as a player be in the first round, by all means. But again, as a big guy with now a history of two foot injuries in less than a year, I think that's definitely noteworthy. And it could give teams some pause. And this next guy here, we're going to talk about Texas A&M edge rusher, Cassius Howell. So this guy has pretty much been a first round lock or like top 35 block the entire process.

Starting point is 00:06:02 But it's going to be kind of pick your flavor among edge rushers. It is a kind of a crowded group of edge rushers in the top 50ish or so. And there's there's reason for some teams maybe to not like him as much. He's got very short arms other than Caden Curry from Ohio State, easily the shortest arms in this draft. It's Ruben Bain that gets talked about a lot, but it's like, Shane, Curry, and Cassius Howell all have very short arms, which is always pretty concerning for edge rushers. That's a big, that's one of the positions I think gets looked at the most for what's your arm length. So that's something that's going to work against him. And he doesn't

Starting point is 00:06:41 really have elite size or athletic traits to counter it. I think he's about 6-1 or so and about 250 pounds, if I'm not mistaken. And his athletic is. is good. It's fine, but it's not great. Now, the Colts might be interested in him, but I don't really think he fits what Louana Rumo would want. Lou Aniruma wants a guy with size, power, and length, and Cassius Howell is more of like the bendy fastball that Chris Ballard mentioned the other day. But even still, I think Chris Ballard would want a fastball type of edge rusher like this, who's a little longer, maybe, you know, 32, 33-inch arms. just more, better physical attributes to speak of rather than a guy who is an exception coming

Starting point is 00:07:31 off the edge because you see it on tape. If Hal gets absorbed into a blocker, a lot of the times the party's over for him. So I do think there's legit concern there. But as a player, if you want to take a gamble on a guy who will learn to consistently play with a low pad level and get below the blocker's belly and everything and continue to be able to be a really explosive bendy guy, then I can see why you might want them. But coming up, guys, we're not done. We have three more names to discuss.

Starting point is 00:08:03 This could get really interesting for the Colts Friday night. You know, again, we've talked about the guys we expect to be there, but I am becoming more and more convinced that the quality of players who might slip to them there at 47. You know that feeling around dinner time when you're starving, maybe a little hangary, and somehow there is just nothing in your fridge. That's why Home Chef is the easiest way to have real balanced meals ready to go without distress. Home Chef makes cooking meals simple.

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Starting point is 00:10:35 It is the day of guys. Not necessarily for the Colts, but it's here. And every pick is tradable as a tradable moment on call sheet. Will David Bailey or Orville Reese be the number two pick? that one just comically continues to go back and forth. They're trading at 50-50 right now, meaning you'll double your money if one of them wins. What about linebackers in the first round?

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Starting point is 00:11:09 you can buy in and out of your position. Trade the draft pick, the game, and more on Colchie. For a limited time, download the call she app and use code locked on to get $10 when you trade 10. K-A-L-S-H-I, Call-S-H-I, Call-She, trade on anything. All right, welcome back, everybody. We are talking about potential fallers in the draft, guys coming out of the first round who might be available to the Colts at 47. And this one, I'm going to rank this as my number two possibility. This is a guy that a lot of us circled for the Colts in the very beginning of the process.

Starting point is 00:11:45 It's Toledo Safety, Emmanuel McNeil Warren. Now, I scouted titans and safeties for the indie draft guide link in the bio if you haven't bought your, purchased your copy yet. And Emmanuel McNeworn, terrific player. I do think he would be a first round pick most years, but this is a year where you're getting two unbelievable guys ahead of you. Caleb Downs and Dylan Phenomen are two of the best safeties I have ever scouted going into the draft. And the NFL just does not, like, prop up and value safeties that much. To have three

Starting point is 00:12:20 safeties go in the first round, I think would be really, really rare. It just doesn't happen. Even the best safeties, we just poke so many holes in Caleb Downs right now. Everyone keeps finding new ways to doubt Caleb Downs or, like, rank someone else ahead of them. Caleb Downs has been considered arguably the top defensive player in college football for like two or three years now. Stop overthinking this thing. You know what I mean? But that's what happens with safeties. And Emmanuel McNeill Warren is not Caleb Downs.

Starting point is 00:12:50 But, you know, he is just a really tough player, great athlete, moves around great. Again, very physical, wants to set a tone, will fly downhill and knock you out. But he's got the range if he's playing the back half of the defense as well. And he's a big time playmaker. He has five interceptions, nine forced fumbles, and 11 tackles for loss in his career. Very good, both against the run. in the past. So that's a guy who if the Colts are available at 47

Starting point is 00:13:18 or if he's available to them at 47, I consider him to be in very, very strong consideration, even above a linebacker, even above an edge. Because Emmanuel McNeil Warren is a rightful first round prospect. I just don't know

Starting point is 00:13:32 how far down the board he's going to get shuffled, just again, because of the NFL, not just really wanting to take a bunch of safeties. Coming up next, this, This one's my favorite one. If this happens, run it, run the card to the podium. Clemson edge rusher, T.J. Parker.

Starting point is 00:13:51 Now, we discussed for the same reasons of Cassius Howell. It is a bit of a crowded edge group at the top, among the top 50 or so. And some teams might want a Cassius Howl type. You know, Akeem Mesidor might still work his way in there. You see Malachi Lawrence might go in the first round. There's been a lot of talk about Zion Young. Gabe Ocus. So, like, a lot of these guys were seeing their stock really fluctuate,

Starting point is 00:14:18 and that could put a guy like T.J. Parker available to the Colts set 47, where we thought it might be young or Ocas or Lawrence. Maybe it's Parker gets shuffled down a little bit. And that, I think, might be the best case scenario for the Colts. Ultra, ultra productive in college, 41 and a half tackles for loss, 21 and a half sacks, and six force fumbles. Now, everyone for Clemson, the program and individuals, has had it down here going from 24 to 25. And Parker's production, he was considered like an early

Starting point is 00:14:50 first round lock coming into the 2025 season. But his production really got like cut in half from 24 and it still was productive. He still put up decent numbers. It just wasn't up to expectations of what people thought he should do. So there's going to be questions about a dip in productivity. but still like this guy he's got the size, the length, the athleticism. He's nearly 6'4, 263 pounds, 33-inch arms. He's got power, mobility, polish, production. There are really no questions for me about T.J. Parker. I do understand he took a dip in production from 24 to 25,

Starting point is 00:15:31 but we've seen enough tape of this guy over a few years now to see he is a good, good player. and if the Colts drafted him, I think he is immediately your starting edge opposite Alatu, and there are very few edge rushers who will be within their range that you can say that about. Parker, no doubt about it, I think, would be your new base starting end replacing Quiti Pay. Otherwise, you're going to have to rely on Jalen to him a low-ow

Starting point is 00:15:58 and anyone else that they bring in to compete. But to me, Parker is one of very few options who would absolutely be a new starter on the defensive line for the Colts. The last one we're going to wrap up here is one of Parker's teammates. It is defensive tackle Peter Woods, again from Clemson, 6'2-298 pounds, 31-inch arm. So he has been most people's, I think, top defensive tackle in this one. Some people are Caden McDonald fans.

Starting point is 00:16:26 Some people are Peter Woods fans. He's, I mean, he's got good athletic traits, but his size is not elite. Again, 6-2-298. You maybe want him to be more of a nose tackle, but he's got kind of heavy re-tech size, but not great length with the 31-inch arms. You do see him get kind of absorbed into blockers in the interior, the guys with longer arms than him. You know, again, he's got power. He's got agility and some long speed when necessary. But he hasn't really put it all together yet.

Starting point is 00:16:59 He is more of a traits-based prospect, I think. and those traits are almost solely athletic rather than, you know, physical measurements. So I could see why he would go in the first round. I think he's a very impressive player. You see him move around really well for an interior defensive tackle. Pretty decent production, 12 tackles for loss in five sacks over the last couple years. But he is like completely an upside player. He's not really polished, but he does have some pretty solid athletic in,

Starting point is 00:17:32 physical traits, I think, or not, again, not physical with the measurements, but just what he's able to do. Again, speed, quickness, he's got some power. He just hasn't really put it all together yet. And then that could be to the Colts benefit, again, because you may be looking at a guy who's like a really good run stuff or like Cady McDonald, and that pushes Woods down the board again. Maybe there are teams that love Caleb Banks, like we talked about, that size is undeniable. maybe there's Kristen Miller teams ahead of them too. Miller kind of comparable to Banks, which pushes Woods down the list a little bit.

Starting point is 00:18:09 But even with the Colts, he projects a little more to a three tech, and they have a lot going on at three tech already. I think you really need something to replace Grover Stewart at the one tech, at the nose tackle eventually. Someone to certainly rotate in behind him and then take over when it's time for Grover to move on. So those are six guys.

Starting point is 00:18:29 I'm going to kind of keep my eye on as the first round develops. And if we're sitting here Friday morning and those guys are available, there's a pretty good chance at least one of the six is still there at 47 when the Colts are up to bat. So thanks for chiming in today, everybody. We are going to be back later. Zach and I will to kind of polish off the first round. Again, the Colts don't have a pick and I don't anticipate they'll trade into it. But we're going to talk about how the first round transponders.

Starting point is 00:18:57 hired and kind of what the table looks like for the Colts heading into Friday, heading into day two when they're fine. I'm going to be making picks. So make sure you subscribe to the show right now if you don't already and follow at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur, NFL, and at Zach Hicks 2 on all the social media. Don't forget to check out the Everydayer Club for ad-free audio episodes of our show and access to a group chat with Zach me and other listeners. Tap the link in our show notes or just go to Lockdowncultz.

Starting point is 00:19:25 at supercast.com. And with that, we will see you later tonight after the first round has wrapped.

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - SLIPPERS: Potential STUDS Who Could Fall to Indianapolis Colts in NFL Draft

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