In a way-too-early look ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, Pro Football Network has put together a three-round mock, which for the Indianapolis Colts included a first-round trade.
To state the obvious, predicting how the draft will unfold 10 months from now is an impossible task. The draft order is still TBD, team needs will change between now and then, and prospects will move up and down draft boards.
So, more so, when looking at mock drafts this far out, use them as a guide for which draft prospects you should have your eyes on as the upcoming college football season unfolds.
The draft order was determined by Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, which left the Colts with the ninth overall pick in Round 1. With that selection, they took Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendzoa.
“Fernando Mendoza ranked 32nd in time to throw at 2.59 seconds last year. That matches what you see on film — he diagnoses well and reacts quickly when pressure comes,” wrote PFN. “He likes to extend plays, which leads to sacks, and it shows in a rough 25% pressure-to-sack rate.
“Still, Mendoza is an accurate passer (28th in adjusted completion percentage) and has room to grow with Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers. If Shane Steichen somehow sticks around, this could be a perfect pairing.”
The uncertainty at the quarterback position extends well beyond the 2025 season and who the starter will be come Week 1. And if the Colts are actually picking in the top 10, there is likely a reset incoming, with changes at GM, head coach, and finding a new quarterback.
Following this pick, the Colts made a bold move, trading back into the first round to take Florida center Jake Slaughter at pick No. 28 in a trade with San Francisco.
“Slaughter gave up just three sacks and 18 pressures on 730 pass-blocking snaps over the past two seasons,” wrote PFN. “San Francisco moved back because no clear replacement for Trent Williams was available here. With more picks now, they’ll try to find one later.”
Tanor Bortolini and Danny Pinter are competing for the starting center job this season. While there may be ups and downs from Bortolini in his first season as a starter–assuming he wins that job–I have a difficult time right now envisioning that the Colts would feel the need to trade away draft capital to move back into the first round to find his replacement, given what we saw from Bortolini as a rookie.
Trading up for Slaughter included the Colts parting with their second-round pick, so their next selection came in Round 3 at 73rd overall, where they took Penn State running back Kaytron Allen.
Allen rushed for 902 yards in 2023 and 1,108 yards in 2024. Over his career, he’s averaging over 5.0 yards per rush attempt and has 52 receptions in the passing game during his three seasons of play.
Next offseason, Jonathan Taylor will be entering the final year of his current deal and DJ Giddens will be in Year 2. Khalil Herbert, who was signed this offseason, will be a free agent.
Perhaps the Colts could add to the running back position early on to bolster their depth and perhaps even to begin preparing for Taylor’s potential departure in 2027. However, given where we stand right now, I’d rather see a top 100 pick go to a different position with the combination Taylor and Giddens still on the roster.