With the 15th overall pick in the 2024 Bleeding Green Nation community mock draft, Indianapolis Colts GM J. Wil selects ...

Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

TEAM OVERVIEW

The Colts are a team in the midst of a transition. First-year head coach Shane Steichen brought the team to the brink of the playoffs, a team that had managed just four wins in 2022. The same team that is amongst the youngest in the NFL – right around fourth or fifth, depending on how you measure. Even without their anointed rookie QB, the Colts made some noise in 2023 with journeyman Gardner Minshew. If Richardson is healthy next season, one might expect the Colts to take another step forward. The question that remains, other than those of health, is what kind of talent will the Colts add for another run at the playoffs in 2024?

To make and understand that assessment, let’s take a look at how the Colts performed in each facet of the game last year.

Offense

The Colts’ offense in 2023 could best be described as a mixed bag. They performed a bit better in the running game (10th in total yards and yards per attempt, 7th in rushing TDs), while they struggled more in the passing game (20th in total yards, 24th in passing TDs), perhaps unsurprisingly given their relative personnel. They weren’t terribly efficient, either: 15th in passing EPA and 20th in rushing EPA, including a poor ranking of 26th in 3rd down conversion percentage. The Colts did finish 11th in scoring, which perhaps belies their relative performance. Considering the ending record of 9-8 and point differential of -19, Indy measures as a mediocre or “less than” team in most categories.

Gardner Minshew played the majority of the snaps at QB after rookie Anthony Richardson was lost for the year because of a shoulder injury. Richardson showed some promise in limited time, including his ability to be a two-phase weapon in running and passing. Minshew, meanwhile, is not necessarily the guy you expect to lead your offense full-time, but he filled in adequately enough to float the Colts for the rest of the season. He has since signed with the Raiders, and the Colts brought in Joe Flacco to be the veteran contingency.

With the QB position settled, the Colts are mostly as composed at their other positions on offense. They have a developed but injury-rattled franchise running back in Jonathan Taylor. Zack Moss was their actual leading rusher last season (794 yards as compared to 741 for Taylor), but Moss has since departed for the Bengals. It’s unlikely the Colts will want to go into 2024 with Trey Sermon as their primary backup. Expect another addition or two to this group.

The wide receiver room is competent but could use reinforcements. Shane Steichen ran 11 personnel at the 3rd-highest rate in the league (77%). With Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce all recently drafted, the Colts don’t have much room for expansion here. Pittman went over 1,000 yards once again, and Downs showed promise as a route-runner from the Y spot (68 catches for 771 yards). Pierce didn’t show significant growth over the rookie season, but you may consider the QB in his assessment. However, if Indy was going to find an upgrade, it might be here outside opposite Pittman. Adding additional weapons for their young, developing quarterback isn’t the worst idea.

The offensive line is quite settled. They were one of the better units in the entire NFL, coming in 3rd in PFF’s rankings allowing only 15 sacks all season, a sack number that could be further mitigated by the threat of Richardson’s legs. The entire group returns in 2024, so long as they can maintain some semblance of health, the only spots to fill are for depth and insurance. Perhaps it’s never a bad notion to add to one’s tackle depth and look for smaller ways to improve.

The one spot on offense that can use clear upgrades is at the tight end position. The Colts have a current case of quantity over pure quality. Other than the forever prospect Mo Alie-Cox, who is now 30, Indy came into 2023 with two rookies (Andrew Ogletree by experience and Will Mallory) and third-year player Kylen Granson. Indianapolis has actually taken tight ends in each of the last three drafts, including two in 2022. Granson was the most productive in 2023 with 368 yards on 30 receptions, and he out-targeted any other TE by double (50 targets with Mallory next at 26).

Jelani Woods, one of the 2022 draftees, remains in the room, but he missed the entire season because of two bad hamstrings. It is to be determined whether he’s back to full health. Ogletree, meanwhile, has run into some legal troubles after not playing his true rookie season in 2022. How you grade the young tight ends probably determines how you view the Colts’ outlook on their 2024 offensive draft prospects.

Defense

Indy’s defense, much like their offense, was a matter of good-and-bad. Among the positives for Indianapolis was their Defensive line. They were the lone team in the NFL to have four players with at least seven sacks. Three of those four, excluding DeForest Buckner, had career highs in sack totals. It could be a case of good players elevating each other. The 51 total sacks for Indy was a franchise best, beating the 46 from 2005.

If we delve a little deeper, however, it might be a case of one-hit wonder. First, the Colts don’t blitz much under Gus Bradley, a Cover-3 guru. They were actually dead last in blitz rate (15.7%) relative to the rest of the league. Although that sack total was good for 5th best in the NFL, Indy’s pressure rate was closer to the bottom: 19.6%, good for 22nd best. Their hurry rate was also at the bottom of the barrel, a meager 4.5% or 29th in comparison.

Compare these figures to the Jets, another team that blitzes little (16.3% or 31st in the league) but managed to produce a lot more pressure at a more consistent rate. The Jets were second best in hurry percentage (10.1%) and 4th in total pressure (26.5%). The Jets somehow had less total team sacks with 48 in all, but comparing the numbers, it seems as though Indy’s figures aren’t necessarily sustainable. The Colts pass-rush win rate did improve dramatically over 2022, jumping from 33% and 31st in the league to 48% and 5th best overall, and that does help to explain some of their success. We will see if this is something they can maintain, but even with the solid raw performance, it sounds like this is one place they could use added help. They generated sacks from their base pressure which may not be a repeatable task.

Where the Colts weren’t as strong was in the secondary, by far the weakest aspect of their defense in totality. Not only does Indy lack talent across the board, but they also have a scheme that struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks. One of the biggest complaints about Bradley’s somewhat outdated Cover-3 system was the predictability. Overall, they finished with the 3rd-lowest disguise percentage, running no disguise on 82.4% of their defensive plays. As the season wore on, Bradley started using more expanded concepts, among them Match Quarters and Cover-7 to help disguise what they were doing defensively. This led to some success in containing the big plays that had been a thorn in their side, but it still wasn’t enough to compensate for a group that simply lacked talent.

Indianapolis finished 24th in total yards allowed. They had that same ranking versus the rush yet finished 16th in passing yards allowed. The defense was also 28th in scoring, allowing a healthy 24.4 points per game. Most of the other raw stats had Indy as a middling defensive team. Truth be told, it wasn’t all bad, and in some ways their rush defense looked worse on paper, perhaps at least partially because of the off-ball zone-heavy cover scheme, but they really need to sure up the back end of the defense to make gains in 2024.

The seasoned combo of Julian Blackmon and Kenny Moore provided most of their interceptions (4 and 3, respectively). Other than these two, the Colts don’t really have playmakers on the backend of the defense. The corner group is mostly young and still developing. Indy drafted three cornerbacks in 2023, two of which saw a significant number of snaps in their rookie years. Julius Brents was taken in the 2nd round and Jaylon Jones in the seventh. Their “passer ratings when targeted” left a bit to be desired, though, with middling figures of 99.1 and 99.8, respectively. Dallis Flowers was an original starter but ended up missing most of the year due to an Achilles injury. He’s an unproven player, otherwise.

The departure of Shaq Leonard opens the door at linebacker for a new signing to compete. Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed are competent starters and the former set a franchise record in tackles with 179 total. Outside of them, there isn’t much depth to the core group. Ronnie Harrison is your typical slash/bandit LB/S hybrid player and thus isn’t a pure fit. It seems likely the Colts will draft at least one linebacker in the upcoming draft.

With the youth movement in place, the only question that remains is whether Indy can find an obvious upgrade to the starting formula. A rookie is a risky proposition in this regard, but it’s always possible an enticing prospect is available in the middle of the first round.

Free Agency and Draft Needs

The Colts have been fairly quiet in free agency this offseason. Most of what they’ve accomplished involved re-signing their own players, and that’s the primary focus. As I already discussed, the biggest losses on offense were Minshew (QB) and Moss (RB), the leading passer and rusher, respectively. The former’s replacement has arrived, the aforementioned Joe Flacco, which solves the QB2 void, but as of yet there isn’t a replacement for Moss on the roster, and Taylor’s health is a big question mark going forward. The only other move the Colts have made at RB is to re-sign Trey Sermon, who had 160 rushing yards in limited playing time over six games. He went for 17 rushes and 88 yards against Pittsburgh in Week 14, but other than that, he didn’t have much to do, and it’s rather unlikely his role will increase dramatically next season.

Elsewhere on offense, Indy has lost a couple depth receivers. Isaiah McKenzie jumped over to the Giants after one season in Indianapolis. He had a few years of modest production in Buffalo but didn’t do much in 2023, having a mere 11 catches for 82 yards. It shouldn’t be overly difficult to replace those figures. In addition, K.J. Hamler was signed off of the Colts’ practice squad by Buffalo. After being drafted by Denver in the 2nd round in 2020, he didn’t see a main squad snap last season in Indy, so again, finding a replacement isn’t the most taxing burden. Number one receiver Michael Pittman, meanwhile, signed a three-year extension. As I mentioned previously, the Colts top three receivers are – debatably – set. They might seek to add depth. Finding an upgrade over Downs or Pierce with a draftee is less certain.

All of the starting offensive linemen and tight ends return for 2024. Even depth guys Jack Anderson (G) and Danny Pinter (C) re-signed on one-year deals. Pinter missed all of last season after suffering a broken ankle against Philly in the preseason. Like most teams, the Colts will probably look to add depth along the offensive line during the draft and beyond, but there isn’t an immediate need here. Tight end remains the bigger question given the youth they have at the position and the health uncertainty of Jelani Woods, though there’s also a question of whether Ogletree will be available. The charges against him were dismissed, but he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and the NFL is still reviewing the case.

On defense, the story is much the same. Most of the necessary talent was retained, but a few people in depth were either lost or not re-signed. Jacob Martin has moved to the Bears, though he was more of a Special Teams player and played only sporadically on defense, never more than 28% of the snaps in an individual game. He had a couple of sacks, otherwise the production wasn’t there. Al-Quadin Muhammad came back to the Colts in 2023, but he wasn’t able to break from the practice squad and was eventually suspended by the NFL for six games (performance enhancing drugs).

Julian Blackmon was re-signed eventually, filling a big hole the Colts had at safety for the little time while he was a free agent. In terms of actual production, the biggest loss in the secondary was Tony Brown moving to the, well, Browns. Like Martin, Brown was more of a Special Teams guy and only played significant defensive snaps in one game: 83% against New Orleans in Week 8, when Indy was handily torched. He had only one defensive snap prior to that game and none after. Worth noting: his one snap in Week 1 resulted in an interception.

The biggest loss on defense in totality was almost certainly Shaq Leonard. He didn’t look himself and infamously came here to the Eagles, where things didn’t exactly pan out. He was a massive part of the Colts’ defense, however, before multiple injuries in 2022 seemingly derailed his career there. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the lone defensive signing from outside the organization was Raekwon Davis coming over from the Miami Dolphins on a two-year contract. He’ll help spell the other defensive linemen and perhaps give a boost to the run defense, among other things. Taven Bryan and Grover Stewart were both retained along the interior.

If the Colts do have any missing pieces on defense, it’s mostly in higher-end talent. They have lots of youth and bodies across the board, but they are lacking some key playmakers in the secondary and perhaps at linebacker. While the defensive line looks mostly set, there’s always room for adding more edge talent and maybe an interior piece if Bryan can’t take another step or to eventually replace Stewart, now 30 years old.

With that all established, it looks like the primary holes in the roster are as follows: defensive back, linebacker, running back, tight end, defensive tackle, and finally offensive line depth. Ancillary spots may still be open for a fourth wide receiver or another pass-rushing specialist. (DB, LB, RB, TE, WR, DT, OT)

Draft Strategy

Indy has a standard draft upcoming at the end of April, with the typical complement of seven (7) picks, one in each round. It sounds meager given the twelve picks they made last year, but it’s plenty for a team that’s already on the younger side. They still do have all but one of the picks they made last year, as well, with Darius Rush (5th Round, 138 overall) getting signed by Pittsburgh off of Kansas City’s practice squad. He was waived by Indianapolis in the summer. A few of those rookies were impactful, too, and the class would have been bolstered by Richardson’s play had he stayed healthy.

Given the larger group and competitions to consider, it’s quite possible the Colts trade away one or more of their picks for future considerations. General Manager Chris Ballard is overseeing his eighth (8th) draft with the Colts, and in the seven previous drafts, Ballard has made 18 total trades. Only four of those trades involved a move up in the draft, with the vast majority of moves (11) going down to get more picks. The remaining moves were straight-up players for picks.

The most notable trade in this set is probably the maneuver that landed them Jonathan Taylor (44th and 160th overall for 41st pick in 2020). In terms of backwards trades, Ballard has been known to drop down to grab a pick for the future. In 2019, for example, the Colts moved down from 26th overall to 46th and added a 2nd-round pick for the next year. They used that second rounder in 2020 to grab Michael Pittman.

I think odds favor the Colts not using all of their picks this year. Ballard has a clear preference in trading down, but with the team mostly full of young and developing talent, it’s possible he decides to get aggressive for one or two players he really likes that have a higher ceiling potential. More likely, perhaps, is that the Colts trade away one or more of their picks from this draft and gain assets for the future, 2025 and beyond.

Trade Up: 30% Chance – Trade Down: 50% Chance – Stay Put: 20% Chance

THE PICK

With the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Quinyon Mitchell, Cornerback, Toledo.

Truth be told, I wavered a good bit on this pick for the Colts because I felt they could have gone in a lot of different directions, and none would have been wrong. I’ll discuss some of the other guys I considered later, but perhaps what tilted the balance in favor of Mitchell was a combination of positional importance and pure talent. He’s likely the best combo zone cover corner in the draft and has the ball skills to match. He also has the potential to improve his fledgling press-man proficiency (20 bench reps).

Granted, the Colts have a lot of bodies available at corner right now, including two guys they drafted last year in Brents and Jones. However, I don’t think having a lot of quantity should dissuade a team from drafting high-end talent. If nothing else it fosters competition and can squeeze some more development out of your personnel. Other than Brents, none of the other concerned parties are of high pedigree, and even in the unfortunate event of a trade, you might very well get back more than you lose. Playing a base nickel and having to deal with injuries, as Brents had multiple last season, opens the door for more opportunities, as well. To that end, Indy’s defense struggled when Brents went down, so it’s not a bad idea to have another outside corner in your back pocket, much less one as good as Mitchell.

The Player

Quinyon Mitchell was not a highly recruited guy out of high school. Rated three-stars by 24/7 and two-stars by Rivals, he received just one Power-Five offer: Illinois. Ultimately, he chose Toledo, and in truly rarified air in the era of NIL, he stayed there for four years, starting basically every game since his redshirt freshman season.

Aside from the raw ability, which we’ll get to, what makes Mitchell stand out is superb athleticism.

Mitchell’s relative athletic score ranks first amongst the 2024 NFL draft class of cornerbacks. Maybe he won’t be the biggest or most agile in the class, but combining the elements of his size, speed, and strength creates the most versatile corner in the draft. As you can see, he has well above average strength and enough top-end speed to keep up with even the fastest wide receivers on the field. This is especially appealing to NFL defenses that continue to want a limit on big plays over the top. Force the offense to make more plays and create more opportunities for mistakes.

Side note: check out the Top-10 comparisons to Mitchell and you’ll see Bradley Roby and Darius Slay. A prognostication?

Despite his 6’0” frame, one of the conundrums in making this pick for Indy is whether he’s truly “big enough” to fit the prototype of a Gus Bradley Cover-3 corner. He’s smaller than the three corners Indy drafted last season, all of them being 6’2” with larger wingspans, excepting Jones who has slightly shorter arms but was also a 7th-round pick. If they like him as a player, I think the concern over a couple inches is considered over-analysis and shouldn’t be enough to drop him down the board or take him off, altogether.

Now let us get down to brass tacks: how does Mitchell look in a real game setting? Here are some examples:

First, let me apologize for the standard highlight video, but I didn’t really have time to cut my own highlights this time around. The main takeaways from what Mitchell can do on the field include his stickiness to receivers, body control, and his constant ball awareness and combativeness. Consider that Mitchell had 35 defended passes over the last two years, 19 in 2022 and 18 in 2023. Naturally, he set the PBU career mark at Toledo with 46. For context, Sauce Gardner had 16 over a three-year career at Cincinnati – never more than six in a season – and Indy’s 2nd-round pick from last season, Julius Brents, had four (4) in his senior year. Mitchell “only” had six interceptions over those same seasons, and four of those picks came in a single game against Northern Illinois, so if there’s one oddity in his ability to be productive around the ball, it’s wondering why he didn’t have more interceptions. That said, Mitchell wasn’t tested all that much this past season. Teams weren’t quick to target him.

Over his career, Mitchell allowed a pedestrian 44.7% completion rate and a 42.5 passer rating. Of course, one of the knocks most will point out against Mitchell is that level of competition. Playing in the MAC isn’t an NFL-level stress test. However, what reaffirmed Mitchell’s draft stock was his play during Senior Bowl week against the better wide receivers in the country.

This is a small snippet of some of the things Mitchell did at the Senior Bowl, but it allowed him to compete more consistently against the top competition. He was PFN’s Defensive Player of the Week, and despite not playing much press in college, he got some more press-man reps at the Senior Bowl and didn’t look lost, by any means. Perhaps the most relevant actual game against said top competition came in 2022 when Toledo faced Ohio State.

I might save you some time and comment that this tape doesn’t show a whole lot, but it’s still worth some mention. To reiterate, this was Toledo’s third game from 2022, so the tape is a tad dated, and it shows both good and bad from Mitchell. He’ll get lost in coverage on occasion, maybe a bit too hesitant, and he’ll also overestimate his ability to recover at times. He maintains that impressive long speed and physicality when he’s on an island. The physical way he plays is good, but he also can get a little too grabby. Take note, however, that there were no penalties called against him in 2023. He can improve that ability to strike and mirror rather than latch down the field. He also adds a level of ball skills that isn’t apparent in the other young corners on Indy’s roster, who combined for one total interception.

I think Mitchell is instinctive enough to play just about any technique, but he’ll certainly be a more polished zone-cover corner straight out of college, and that’s where the fit with Indianapolis makes a lot of sense.

As I’ve already discussed, the Colts truly relied on Cover-3 under Gus Bradley. You can see from the below graphic that it was by far their most favored defensive backfield alignment/strategy.

Bradley started to alternate a bit of Match Quarters into his scheme after the defense was burned badly by the Saints in Week Eight. There’s a much more in-depth article about it here if you’re interested, but I won’t delve into the minutiae too much here. The good news for Mitchell is that Toledo’s 4-2-5 defensive scheme was led heavily by Quarters coverage (MOFO – middle of the field open – on 61.5% of snaps), and he was often forced into the MEG role (man everywhere, but typically off-man).

Granted, Bradley didn’t rely on these concepts as much as Toledo, but he did start to shuffle them into his defense after his original scheme was getting picked apart. Regardless, after Quarters, Toledo’s second-most used defensive scheme was Cover-3 at 22.3% of the time, so Mitchell will have plenty of familiarity with Bradley’s favorite system.

With a natural affinity and experience in this off-man, zone-cover blend, I think Mitchell makes a lot of sense as a schematic fit with Indianapolis, who ran zone at the highest rate in the league, almost 90% of the time. He won’t be tasked with something out of his comfort zone immediately, although if Bradley continues to blend more match concepts into his defense, and gets a player of Mitchell’s ability, chances are Mitchell will get opportunities to expand upon his knowledge and skill base. Considering the entirety of his resume, I think Mitchell will take that opportunity and run with it.

Alternative Prospects

A team’s draft board doesn’t always go to plan. In the event a contingency is needed, I’d be remiss to not discuss a few alternative players the Colts may target, either because Mitchell is not on the board, or because they favor a different player and/or position, or perhaps they trade the 15th pick and move down for some extra selections.

1. Brock Bowers, Tight End, Georgia – Bowers was the top target for me, but it seems somewhat unlikely he’ll last to the 15th spot in the draft. He deserves a Top-10 selection as one of the best players, period. If something happens and he does remain, he’s a worthy consideration for Indianapolis in the first round. He’s got all the tools and would instantly fix any potential hang-ups at the tight end position. If Woods ends up being healthy and capable, too, then the Colts simply have too much of a good thing, and check what tight end talent was available in each conference championship game from last season. Is an elite tight end merely an advantage or a necessity for playoff success?
2. Brian Thomas Jr., Wide Receiver, LSU – Thomas would likely be available for the Colts’ pick at fifteen, and I think he’s a compelling target for Indianapolis. He’s a strong complement to Michael Pittman as the designated deep threat. He’s got that high-end speed (4.33) and a strong overall athletic score (RAS of 9.82). Some might consider him an upgrade over Alec Pierce in terms of ability, but Pierce himself is no athletic slouch (also a 9.82 RAS). The issue for me is one of positional priorities, and I value a #1 CB over a #2 WR, but it can’t hurt to give more weapons to your developing quarterback.
3. Jared Verse, Defensive End, FSU – Verse is a guy that would, perhaps immediately, bolster Indy’s pass rush that, at times, struggled to create consistent pressure. It’s a luxury to be able to rotate your ends and keep them fresh but in many ways a modern necessity of playing in the NFL. If Indianapolis feels the same about several prospects that remain on the board, they could certainly look to trade down a couple spots and take who’s left while adding picks. A win-win. However, obtaining pure pass rushing talent often requires a premium spot at the table. Verse creates enough of his own juice that he’d slot right into whatever the Colts’ defense requires, and with enough guys already in the fold, he wouldn’t have to carry the load on his own.
4. Cooper DeJean, Defensive Back, Iowa – Outside of Mitchell, there isn’t a cornerback in the first round that remotely profiles as a typical Ballard or Bradley type. Likewise, there isn’t a pure safety in this class with a high first grade. DeJean is the next closest, and with the Colts looking thinner at safety than cornerback right now, perhaps – if Mitchell isn’t available – the Colts look to DeJean as a potential fit anywhere in their defensive backfield. He could certainly play corner, as well, but his flexibility might entice someone like Indy to draft him high and then use him wherever they have a real need.
5. Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma – The absolute best and most polished tackle prospects in this draft are out of reach for the Colts at fifteen. That’s just reality. There are a few names they could consider in the middle of the first, but I think the question comes down to exactly what the Colts want out of a tackle. You could probably fill in a few names in this slot. Guyton is a plus athlete in space (9.73 RAS), while also leveraging decent pass protection and can flip to either tackle spot. He seems to fit better for what Indy wants or needs out of a tackle while also (potentially) being available.

Implications for the Eagles

Since this is an Eagles site after all, I’d like to continue a section I’ve done before that discusses any possible overlap or impact the Colts’ selection may have on the Eagles. The primary questions in that regard are as follows: (1) do the Colts and Eagles covet any of the same players, and (2) is there any chance the two teams could deal with each other during the draft?

As it pertains to question number one, the Colts and Eagles do have some familiarities. Of course, Shane Steichen was with the Eagles under Nick Sirianni for two years before being hired away as the new head coach in Indianapolis. For a brief time they ran similar offensive systems, but with Kellen Moore now in the fold in Philly, there will probably be less analogous schematics than there were before the new season. Still, the Eagles and Colts both run a lot of 11-personnel out of the shotgun. Bringing Moore into the fold won’t change that status quo too much. Some of the nuance is a bit different, but the general macro view isn’t significantly distinctive. It is expected that the deployment of Anthony Richardson would look a lot like how the Eagles used Jalen Hurts as they are similarly inclined.

On defense, things are a tad bit different. The Eagles have now brought in the true mastermind of the scheme they’ve wanted to run all along. Rather than attempt another clone of the Fangio system and its concepts, they’ve gone straight to the source. The Colts, meanwhile, have relied on Gus Bradley’s relatively ancient Cover-3 system, but there were some new wrinkles thrown in during the season. Still, they used Cover-3 and zone coverage at a higher clip than anyone else in the NFL. Man coverage was low priority. Like most of the league, though, the base nickel is now the starting point, whether you’re playing Cover-3 or Quarters (and any variation thereof).

The Eagles and Colts are similarly built at this point in time. Both squads have a formidable offensive line at full strength. Both teams are equipped with a stud running back to start, and the quarterbacks aren’t too different in play styles, at least from a bird’s eye view. The primary difference between the teams is in the receiving threats. The Eagles are well established at both wide receiver and tight end. They have All-Pro caliber players at these positions. The Colts are still building up to that and are decidedly weak at tight end – for now. In terms of offensive needs then, I don’t see a ton of overlap between the teams. The Eagles aren’t seeking out a high-end receiver talent right now, and while it’s debatable if the Colts should use their resources in this way, they could still be searching for a receiver opposite Pittman with a higher ceiling. Maybe Woods is the answer at tight end, but for now that is a speculative posture.

The teams do intersect in defensive weaknesses, and this is where the fight over draft prospects takes on a more relevant stance. My own selection in Mitchell is likely desired by both squads, as the Eagles and Colts have real needs in the defensive backfield. They also need improvements at the linebacker positions. Each team has a decent pass rush, though the Eagles’ line had better underlying numbers the last two years. Indy could use more effective pass rush consistency. It’s unlikely they can repeat their sack totals at such a high efficiency year-over-year. More edge and pass rush talent is an almost universal need in the NFL, anymore, so even if the teams feel “complete” here, it’s likely they’ll both pounce on prime talent if it comes available. The teams are more set along the inside of the defensive line, however. Maybe not to the point where they can avoid a Best Player Available evaluation and pass on a solid defensive tackle, but enough so that they aren’t clamoring for a roster player right now.

With that all considered, where I can see the teams most likely to compete is over an offensive tackle prospect or pretty much anywhere on defense, though a preference at corner, safety, linebacker, or defensive end. Ballard and Bradley certainly lean towards a type at corner – long, rangy, uber athletic – whereas the Eagles are less particular when it comes to cornerback size. Still, they’ll both be looking for (mostly) zone and off-man corner specialists and less emphasis on the need for a press-man prototype.

As for the second part of my original query, whether the two teams could trade with each other on Draft Day, I’d look to the history of trades between Howie and Ballard. In historical terms, there’s a decent sample size to consider. The most notable trade is perhaps the one from 2021 that sent Carson Wentz to the Colts for a first-round pick. The Eagles ended up trading that pick and moving up to grab Jordan Davis. The teams had a second trade that same draft in the sixth round. The third draft-related trade between Ballard and Roseman was in 2019 in a deal that sent Hassan Ridgeway to the Eagles. The fourth and final trade was one that netted the Eagles Dallas Goedert in 2018.

The Eagles might aggressively trade-up in this draft if a quality player falls, and it’s kind of been Howie’s modus operandi in recent years. With the Colts picking higher than the Eagles in every round, and with the Colts’ propensity to move down, it sounds like there is an opportunity for the teams to deal with each other again. The only thing stopping such a move would be whether the two teams covet the same player, which is quite possible given the previously discussed overlapping roster deficiencies.

2024 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Bears (Draftjunky): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2) Commanders (surefooted): Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
3) Patriots (niels.rosenquist): Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
4) Cardinals (eaglenomics): Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
5) Chargers (SeanEFootball): Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
6) Giants (89Tremaine) Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
7) Titans (Philly21): Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
8) Falcons (Eagles_Blitz80): Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
9) Bears (pheebthegoose): Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
10) Jets (GreenGrampa): Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
11) Vikings (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
12) Broncos (PBARB1978): Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
13) Raiders (iam4theBirdz): Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
14) Saints (Fly Like An Eagle): Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
15) Colts (J. Wil): Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
16) Seahawks (Phreezy E)
17) Jaguars (dredscottroberts)
18) Bengals (grantspectations)
19) Rams (Nolo0oo)
20) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen)
21) Dolphins (Neil Dutton)
22) Eagles (ablesser88)
23) Vikings (RabidPanda13)
24) Cowboys (Elliptical Man)
25) Packers (LeFire)
26) Buccaneers (FlJoe)
27) Cardinals (green1us)
28) Bills (Leo Bedio)
29) Lions (MrOilman)
30) Ravens (LancGuy)
31) 49ers (SakPrescott)
32) Chiefs (Hoosinole)

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Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2024 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Bears: QB Caleb Williams
2) Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels
3) Patriots: QB Drake Maye
4) Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
5) Chargers: WR Malik Nabers
6) Giants: WR Rome Odunze
7) Titans: OT Joe Alt
8) Falcons: EDGE Dallas Turner
9) Bears: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
10) Jets: TE Brock Bowers
11) Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy
12) Broncos: QB Bo Nix
13) Raiders: OT Taliese Fuaga
14) Saints: OT Troy Fautanu
15) Colts: