2026 NFL Draft: Best available players for Colts in second, third rounds

The Colts crossed 32 names off their draft board on Thursday night, from the expected (like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders) to the unexpected (Ty Simpson going No. 13 to the Los Angeles Rams).

And while the picture hasn't yet come into focus of who will be available when the Colts go on the clock with the 15th pick in the second round of the NFL Draft, general manager Chris Ballard will walk into the draft room at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Friday with a better idea of who he might be calling later that night.

So let's look at a group of players who could hear their names called during the second and third rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday.

Using The Athletic's consensus board of the top 100 prospects in this year's NFL Draft, we're left with plenty of good players still available on Day 2. For what it's worth, the lowest-ranked player on this list drafted in the first round was Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, who went No. 26 overall to the Houston Texans.

Note, though, this list is not comprehensive; just because a player isn't on it doesn't mean he's not worthy of being selected on Friday.

Last year, the Colts took Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley – who wasn't on this top 100 big board – in the third round, and all signs were pointing toward him being a impactful player in 2025 before he sustained a season-ending knee injury during training camp.

Still, consider this as a good way to get familiar with some of the names you'll hear called in the second and third round on Friday:

For deeper insight into the Colts' 2026 NFL Draft, visit NFL IQ, built on Amazon Quick, for player evaluations and scheme fits for whoever winds up as the newest member of the Colts.