Just In: Colts Have Secured ‘Game-Changer’ in New Mock

According to Bleacher Report, the Indianapolis Colts should move up in the 2024 NFL Draft to get a game-changing pass-catcher.

The Indianapolis Colts have officially entered the NFL Draft. With many positional needs on the roster, Indy has various options in the first round. Will they trade back for more picks? Could they make a move for a higher-level prospect?

Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently projected trade scenarios for each team. Here’s what he outlined for Indianapolis:

• Colts Get: 2024 First-Round Pick (No. 9)
• Bears Get: 2024 First-Round Pick (No. 15), 2024 Third-Round Pick (No. 82), 2025 Third-Round Pick

Indianapolis may very well put a wrench in the top 15 picks.

While GM Chris Ballard might remain at No. 15 overall and hope CB Quinyon Mitchell advances, moving up for a wideout could soon become a reality.

There is a drop-off in talent after Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze.

If wideout is Ballard’s top objective, sitting at No. 15 overall will deny him the opportunity to sign one of the aforementioned game-changing pass catchers.

Fowler’s deal with the Colts isn’t negative for Indianapolis at all. Given how severely Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs need help, why not go big and sign Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze? While Fowler mentions Marvin Harrison Jr., he won’t be available by the fifth or ninth spot.

There is a disagreement over how deep the 2024 wide receiver class is. Brian Thomas Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette, and Malachi Corley are not among the top ten, but they have the potential to be great players if they reach their maximum development. Fowler’s entry for Indianapolis, on the other hand, makes a compelling case.

Behind the top three draft receivers (Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze), the drop-off in ranking begins. That’s not to argue that players like Thomas, Mitchell, and Worthy can’t make significant contributions to an NFL club. However, they are tier two pass catchers, trailing Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze.

Regardless of the circumstances, a deal of this nature would greatly improve the Colts’ offense, quarterback Anthony Richardson, and receiver corps. Given that Michael Pittman Jr. (109 catches for 1,152 yards) and Josh Downs (68 catches for 771 yards) accounted for 177 of the team’s 355 catches (49.9%), Indianapolis could afford to make the trade and acquire Nabers or Odunze.

Anything can happen on draft day, particularly in the first round. Fowler’s trade proposal for the Colts is reasonable for a potentially dynamic receiver in an offense in desperate need of playmakers. The real question is whether Colts GM Chris Ballard and the war room will trade up, if at all, on day one. Let’s see what happens tonight.