Expert:Dan Kadar, SBNation
Date of mock draft:April 16 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "Choosing between Nelson and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is a tough ask for Colts General Manager Chris Ballard. Guards Jack Mewhort and Matt Slauson are only on one-year deals, and Nelson is simply better than the both of them. Adding Nelson could go a long way in keeping Andrew Luck upright, and making the Colts relevant again."——————————Expert:Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Date of mock draft:April 16 (link) [NOTE: Trapasso has the Colts trading the No. 6-overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals for their pick at No. 15; he also has the Buffalo bills trading with the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 4)
Selection:Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio
Analysis: "Chris Ballard has prepared his franchise to build for the future with two trade backs in the first round. In the deal with the Cardinals, the Colts get picks No. 47 (Round 2) and No. 182 (Round 6). Davenport is a highly athletic defensive end with a rather impressive arsenal of pass-rushing moves." ——————————Expert:Charlie Campbell, WalterFootball.com
Date of mock draft:April 16 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "The Colts successfully traded down with the Jets, picking up an impressive amount of value. I had Indianapolis taking Chubb back at No. 3, and that choice still makes sense at No. 6 since Saquon Barkley went off the board already. The Colts need an edge defender who can be the building block for their defense and a potential franchise defensive player. Chubb could fit that for Indianapolis. Chubb totaled 73 tackles with 25 for a loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes batted in 2017. He was awesome against Florida State, making some huge plays to lead N.C. State to a road upset with two sacks, a forced fumble and seven tackles. Chubb dominated the competition in 2017, playing like a top-10 pick. The 6-foot-4, 269-pound Chubb has scheme flexibility and was a tough defender for the Wolfpack. He has good quickness for a big defensive end and has shown the ability to get off blocks with his strength and hand usage. Chubb has developed some variety in pass-rushing moves and looks like an asset as a future three-down starter in the NFL. In 2016, he totaled 58 tackles with 22 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one pass batted. As a sophomore in 2015, Chubb collected 5.5 sacks." ——————————Expert:Josh Norris, Rotoworld
Date of mock draft:April 13 (link) [NOTE: Norris has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 4-overall pick from the Cleveland Browns)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis:"The ideal outcome for the Colts. It is clear Chris Ballard wants to build a young core, and there's a chance he can do that in this draft alone. Chubb is a building block piece on the defensive side of the ball."
——————————Expert:R.J. White, CBS SportsDate of mock draft:April 12 (link)
**
Selection: **Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State
Analysis:"The Colts will likely be hoping to take Chubb with this pick, and if he's gone they'll hope one of the top-four QBs is on the board to increase their asking price in a trade down. Considering his is a worst-case scenario for the team, landing Barkley has to feel pretty good. It'd be interesting to see if the Colts pull off a trade down anyway with a team like the Bucs or Raiders who might want a shot at a special RB talent."
——————————Expert:Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:April 12 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis:"The rugged interior blocker would help the Colts keep Andrew Luck upright in the pocket."——————————Expert:Bryan Fischer, Athlon Sports & Life
Date of mock draft:April 12 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "The Colts could go any number of ways with this pick given how inactive they've been in free agency but will have no qualms landing one of the best interior offensive linemen to come out of college in a maybe a decade. Keeping Andrew Luck in the starting lineup is still a top priority for the franchise and this pick goes a long ways in doing that."——————————Expert:Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com
Date of mock draft:April 11 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "The Colts are the winners of this draft. They'll likely be in a position to select either Bradley Chubb or Quenton Nelson at No. 6 overall, and they'll get one of them after picking up three second-round picks in the trade with the Jets. Crazy. Indianapolis has some nice edge rushers in Jabaal Sheard and John Simon, but neither is the elite talent Chubb happens to be. Chubb steadily moved up my mock drafts during the season. At 6-4, 275, Chubb has a great blend of size and speed, and he's been dominant this season. There's some talk that Chubb is viewed as the top defensive prospect in NFL circles."——————————Expert: Todd McShay, ESPN
Date of mock draft: April 10 (link; requires ESPN Insider access)
Selection: Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "GM Chris Ballard has done a great job of acquiring picks (trading down from No. 3 to 6), and could do it again with a QB-needy team. If the Colts stand pat, priority No. 1 is keeping Andrew Luck upright and Nelson is the perfect player to do that. He's rock solid as a prospect (No. 2 in our rankings)."——————————Expert: Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Date of mock draft: April 10 (link; requires ESPN Insider access)
Selection: Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "I really like this Colts class. They added the Jets' two second-round picks, and they have to get starters there. Their roster is depleted from several poor drafts, but GM Chris Ballard has a chance to get back in shape. You should know all about Chubb at this point -- he's the best pass-rusher in this class." ——————————Expert:Luke Easterling, Draftwire/USA Today
Date of mock draft:April 9 (link) [NOTE: Easterling has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 2 pick from the New York Giants]
Selection:Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State
Analysis: "With the top prospects at their biggest positions of need off the board (Chubb, Nelson), the Colts still get fantastic value here, replacing future Hall of Famer Frank Gore with arguably the best overall player in this year's draft. Barkley is a rare talent and a three-down weapon Andrew Luck will love when he returns to full strength."——————————Expert:Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:April 5 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "When Andrew Luck returns, the Colts will need to protect him. Nelson can do that, as well as plow open lanes for whichever running back they take later in the draft to replace Frank Gore."——————————Expert:Steve Palazzolo, Pro Football Focus
Date of mock draft:April 3 (link)
Selection:Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
Analysis: "The Colts need help all over the defense, and they start their franchise-altering draft with one of the best ball hawks in the class. Jackson had a breakout 2017 campaign that saw him lead the nation in both interceptions (eight) and pass breakups (17), all while allowing a passer rating of 31.3, fifth-best in the country. Jackson has the skills to excel in any scheme and he's the first piece in what could be a defensive overhaul for the Colts."——————————Expert:Charley Casserly, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:April 3 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "Nelson is the best offensive lineman to enter the draft since 2000."——————————Expert:Peter Schrager, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:March 29 (link) [NOTE: Schrager has the Colts trading the No. 6-overall pick to the Buffalo Bills, moving Indy to No. 12]
Selection:Harold Landry, defensive end, Boston College
Analysis: "*PROJECTED TRADE WITH BILLS. Landry battled injury and had a down year in 2017, but would he not be a dazzling fit in Matt Eberflus' scheme? Landry set the BC single-season sack record with 16.5 in 2016 and is rapidly rising up draft boards."*
——————————Expert:Dion Caputi, National Football Post
Date of mock draft:March 28 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "How smart does Chris Ballard look if this materializes? The Colts collectively accumulated 25.0 sacks in 2017 – good for second-worst in the NFL. Chubb is the defined No. 1 edge player in the class and has amassed 44 TFL and 20.0 sacks over the past (two) seasons."——————————Expert:Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:March 27 (link) [NOTE: Zierlein has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 5 pick from the Denver Broncos]
Selection:Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker, Virginia Tech
Analysis:"The Colts are still in position to grab guys like Roquan Smith or Quenton Nelson, but I'll give them Edmunds, the freakish LB with the sky-high ceiling."
——————————Expert:Matt Miller, Bleacher Report
Date of mock draft:March 26 (link) [NOTE: Miller has the Colts trading the No. 6-overall pick to the Buffalo Bills for their picks at No. 12, 22 and 96]
Selection:Marcus Davenport, defensive end, Texas-San Antonio
Analysis:"After trading back, again, the Indianapolis Colts will gain pick Nos. 12, 22 and 96 in this hypothetical deal with the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the No. 6 spot. By trading back, general manager Chris Ballard gets more draft capital to continue a massive roster overhaul. At No. 12, Ballard and Co. still get a top-notch player who fills a huge need. Marcus Davenport is raw, coming from tiny Texas-San Antonio. But he showed during the season, at the Senior Bowl and the combine that he's the type of athletic rarity who can make the needed improvements to make an early NFL impact."
——————————Expert:Charles Davis, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:March 22 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis:"This selection fills a screaming need for the Colts, but a huge internal debate must be had: Do they pick Chubb or Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson to protect Andrew Luck?!"
——————————Expert:Eric Galko, Sporting News
Date of mock draft:March 21 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "The Colts would not have moved back to No. 6 overall without knowing who they might be able to select. Chubb is exactly what the Colts need from a skill-set and personality perspective."
——————————Expert:Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated/MMQB
Date of mock draft:March 21 (link) [NOTE: Breer has the Bills acquiring the No. 2-overall pick from the New York Giants, and the Denver Broncos acquiring the No. 4 pick from the Cleveland Browns]
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis:"This would be a great scenario for GM Chris Ballard—all those picks intact, and Chubb and Quenton Nelson still on the board. The tiebreaker between the two? Position value."
