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2026 NFL Draft: Ranking the 100 Best Picks, Steals, Fits

(By Matt Miller)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/s...am-fits-trades



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No. 15: C. J. Allen, LB, Colts )) Pick 2-53


My Final Overall Ranking: No. 41


Linebacker was one of Colts' biggest needs, and GM Chris Ballard added a downhill thumper with good coverage ability. Allen was once seen as a potential first-round talent, and Indianapolis hopes he'll become its next Shaquille Leonard-level linebacker. To get a value of 12 picks only adds to the praise this selection should receive. Checking off a crucial need without a first-round pick, and doing so with a player many had in the top 32 when the season ended, is good drafting. Allen and fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher will be fun to watch develop, with Allen expected to crack the starting lineup early in the 2026 season.



No. 20: A. J. Haulcy, S, Colts )) Pick 3-78


My Final Overall Ranking: No. 60


All draft analysts have a player or two whose play they fall in love with. That was Haulcy for me. At 6-foot, 215 pounds and built like a linebacker, Haulcy looks like a safety who should be in the box on 90% of his snaps, but he dropped into deep coverage and picked off passes in pressure situations for LSU. He can also play in the box and stack up against the run. He'll combine with Cam Bynum to form a reliable back-end duo with a ton of speed and big-play potential.



No. 72: Jalen Farmer, G, Colts )) Pick 4-113


My Final Overall Ranking: No. 99


Farmer won't start immediately, but we love teams that draft for the future. And it has to be pointed out that Quenton Nelson has just one year left on his deal and is 30 years old. The hope is that Nelson will be back in Indianapolis long term and will remain one of the NFL's best guards, but Farmer could be the next man up at either guard spot given his college experience at right guard.



No. 86: Caden Curry, Edge, Colts )) Pick 6-214


My Final Overall Ranking: No. 133


During commercial breaks on Day 3, we often talked about when Curry would go. The Colts ended his slide toward the end of Round 6 to get one of the best value picks of the day. At 6-2, Curry lacks length but has power in his game and should provide a version of what the Colts got from Kwity Paye last season. Curry has to work to move up the edge rotation, but the Colts should be thrilled to get a player who had 11 sacks last season in a stifling, pro-style Ohio State defense led by former NFL coach Matt Patricia.



No. 92: Deion Burks, WR, Colts )) Pick 7-254


My Final Overall Ranking: No. 108


Burks' Day 3 fall was a massive surprise, as he sat atop my "best available" list for hours. He's undersized but has slot potential and should be able to help in the return game. Though Josh Downs is a rock-solid slot, the Colts need depth at receiver after trading Michael Pittman Jr. in the offseason and with Alec Pierce recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Burks' special teams ability gives him a legitimate shot to make an early impact despite his draft status.

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I sure hope this guy is right, especially about the first two. We need to hit on Allen and Haulcy if this defense is going to take a step

I think Curry is the one that may surprise people

As a believer in the football gods, they owe us a decent pass rusher after all we have been through as a team trying to draft one. Every once in a blue moon one of these middle round picks hit. If not that then I'll take blind luck but we need pass rush help.

Hopefully he will. Maybe Ballard did a George Costanza and started doing everything the opposite because Curry is a guy Ballard of old would NEVER have drafted.

Personally, I much prefer taking a chance on a guy like Curry who has actually been good at football than a guy like Turay who had all the measurables but was just bad at playing the game.

Mostly agree on your Curry and Turay take. Although I wouldn't mind us taking 6th round flyers on players like Turay. The big problem is that Ballard's dumbass threw away a 2nd rounder on him.

He also threw away a 2nd rounder on Ben "Velcro" Banogu.

It feels like Banogu is still on the team, just a healthy scratch.

Yep, and he also threw away 2nd rounders on Quincy Wilson and Juju Brents.

Although it should be noted that Banogu, Wilson, and Brents were all productive in college. Especially when compared to Turay.

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No 1st-Round Pick ??? The Colts Still Had One of the Most Valuable 2026 NFL Draft Results

(By Scott Horner)

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...s/90376179007/



******** ))) Analysts from Sharp-Football-Analysis rated the Indianapolis Colts' 2026 draft class highly.

******** ))) Ryan McCrystal of Sharp-Football-Analysis gave the Colts' draft an A- grade.

******** ))) Several draftees, including A.J. Haulcy and Jalen Farmer, are seen as potential immediate starters or best value picks.


How many 2026 Indianapolis Colts draft picks can you identify ??? Without a 1st-round pick, they weren't in position to grab a big name.

That doesn't mean that the Colts had a bad draft.

A couple of analysts at Sharp-Football-Analysis believe they drafted well, getting some players who could start this season.


Warren Sharp of Sharp- Football-Analysis


Sharp assigns draft capital to each pick using a consensus of mock drafts and big boards, comparing the total draft capital used to draft a player at a particular point in the draft relative to what was expected.

He calls the resulting metric DCOE (Draft Capital Over Expectation), which measures the expected capital used on a prospect vs. the actual capital used.

The Colts had the third most valuable draft class, behind the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, according to Sharp. Here are their best picks:


******** llllll LB C.J. Allen: Expected at 35, taken at 53

******** llllll S A.J. Haulcy: Expected at 56, taken at 78

******** llllll G Jalen Farmer: Expected at 106, taken at 113

******** lllllt Edge Caden Curry: Expected at 161, taken at 213

******** llll.t RB Seth McGowan: Expected at 182, taken at 236



From Sharp: l "The Colts had a couple of reaches (LB Bryce Boettcher, Edge George Gumbs Jr.), but they had a sound draft by DCOE standards, and their best in several years (No. 28 in DCOE in 2024, No. 17 in 2025.")



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Indianapolis Colts Draft Grade (By Sharp-Football-Analysis)



The Colts get an A-, tied for 5rth best, by Ryan McCrystal of Sharp-Football-Analysis.


McCrystal acknowledges grading draft classes immediately has limited credibility, but ...... "What is valuable is the collective perception of these draft classes, because these grades will inform our perception of what happened when we eventually look back on the draft years later."


******** llllll Instant impact: A.J. Haulcy, S

******** llllll Best value: Jalen Farmer, OG

******** lllll. Riskiest pick: None.


McCrystal's analysis: ) "The Colts didn’t take any big swings, but they probably came away with 3 quality starters in Haulcy, Farmer, and C.J. Allen. Even 4th-round pick Bryce Boettcher has starter potential, though the presence of Allen obviously limits his access to the field."

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