Expert:Dan Kadar, SBNation
Date of mock draft:April 9 (link) [NOTE: Kadar has the Denver Broncos acquiring the No. 2-overall pick from the New York Giants, moving New York to No. 5, and the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 4 pick from the Cleveland Browns)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "If Nelson is gone, Chubb would be an easy pick for the Colts. Jabaal Sheard was the team leader in sacks last season with just 5.5, so it should go without saying the Colts need a player who can pressure the quarterback. Chubb can step directly into the starting lineup and make plays."——————————Expert:Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Date of mock draft:April 9 (link) [NOTE: Trapasso has the Colts trading the No. 6-overall pick to the Buffalo Bills for their pick at No. 12; he also has the Arizona Cardinals trading with the Denver Broncos to move up to No. 5)
Selection:Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio
Analysis: "Davenport's film and athletic profile are top-10 worthy, and the Colts love the idea of landing him after trading back. They get (picks) No. 56 overall (Round 2) and No. 121 (Round 4) from Buffalo in this swap.**"——————————
Expert: **Charlie Campbell, WalterFootball.com
Date of mock draft:April 9 (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: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: Todd McShay, ESPN
Date of mock draft: April 4 (link; requires ESPN Insider access) [NOTE: McShay has the Colts trading the No. 6-overall pick to the Miami Dolphins, moving them down to 11th overall; he also has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 2 pick from the New York Giants)
Selection: Derwin James, safety, Florida State
Analysis: "The Colts pick up more picks to move back and add a really solid, versatile playmaker to line up next to Malik Hooker in the secondary."——————————Expert: Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Date of mock draft: April 4 (link; requires ESPN Insider access)
Selection: Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis: "Easy choice here. Indy needs pass-rushers, and Chubb is the best in the class."——————————Expert:Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com
Date of mock draft:April 4 (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: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:Josh Norris, Rotoworld
Date of mock draft:March 30 (link) [NOTE: Norris has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 4-overall pick from the Cleveland Browns)
Selection:Derwin James, safety, Florida State
Analysis:"The Colts are in a great spot to trade out again if a quarterback does drop out of the top 5. If not, adding a top talent like James to pair with Malik Hooker would be exciting. James is a fantastic athlete, is aggressive when moving towards the line of scrimmage and has plenty of experience as a split safety as well."
——————————Expert:R.J. White, CBS SportsDate of mock draft:March 29 (link) [NOTE: White has the Buffalo Bills acquiring the No. 4 pick from the Cleveland Browns]
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis:"The Colts should be jumping for joy if they can get Chubb after trading back to No. 6. The NC State pass rusher is one of the two or three best players in the draft, and he happens to fill a big need for a Colts defense switching to a 4-3 under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. A front consisting of Chubb, Jabaal Sheard, Henry Anderson and Al Woods could be nasty."
——————————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: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:Dion Caputi, National Football Post
Date of mock draft:March 25 (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: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:Bryan Fischer, Athlon Sports & Life
Date of mock draft:March 21 (link)
Selection:Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame
Analysis: "The lack of splashy additions in free agency shows that general manager Chris Ballard is going to build this team slowly but surely. That starts up front and landing the best offensive lineman in the draft is a good start for a team that has not protected Andrew Luck at all since he arrived in town. Plus, a Notre Dame kid making the trip down to Indy doesn't hurt either."——————————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."——————————Expert:Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Date of mock draft:March 19 (link)
Selection:Bradley Chubb, defensive end, North Carolina State
Analysis:"The Colts desperately need a pass rusher to spark a defense that's struggled to generate pressure off the edges."
