As a lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft, we’ve broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Indianapolis Colts.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2024 NFL Draft Hub.
Who Did the Indianapolis Colts Select in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Indianapolis Colts selected Laiatu Latu (EDGE, UCLA) with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Colts also drafted:
- Adonai Mitchell (WR, Texas)
- Matt Goncalves (OT, Pitt)
- Tanor Bortolini (C, Wisconsin)
- Anthony Gould (WR, Oregon State)
- Jaylon Carlies (S, Missouri)
- Jaylin Simpson (S, Auburn)
- Micah Abraham (CB, Marshall)
- Jonah Laulu (DT, Oklahoma)
Indianapolis Colts Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2024
- Cornerback
- Safety
- Wide Receiver
What Picks Do the Indianapolis Colts Have in 2024?
The Indianapolis Colts have 7 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (15)
- Round 2 (46)
- Round 3 (82)
- Round 4 (117)
- Round 5 (151)
- Round 6 (191)
- Round 7 (234)
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don’t miss out on Warren Sharp’s 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
Pre order the 2024 Football Preview now!
Indianapolis Colts Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Colts Sharp Draft Value Rank: 19 of 32 teams
- Colts AV Model Draft Value Rank: 18 of 32 teams
- Colts OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 23 of 32 teams
Indianapolis Colts Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Colts’ draft value is 7% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 18 other teams have more draft value entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts Draft Prediction:
Brendan Donahue has the Colts selecting Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia) with the 15th overall pick in his most recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Mock draft expert Ryan McCrystal believes the Colts could target a cornerback like Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo) with their top pick at No. 15 overall in the first round.
Indianapolis Colts Strength of Schedule, 2024
The Indianapolis Colts have the seventh-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
Indianapolis Colts Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Indianapolis Colts, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Colts:
- Anthony Richardson
- Joe Flacco
- Sam Ehlinger
We only got to see Anthony Richardson play in four games for the Colts last season, two of which he was forced to leave early.
Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2 that forced him to miss Week 3 and then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Losing nearly a complete season and suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder was a big blow for a passer who needed development.
On his small sample on the field, Richardson provided plenty of upside but also showcased why losing a season’s worth of passing reps was a big deal.
Richardson completed 7.7% fewer of his passes than expected, which was the lowest in the league at the time of his injury.
His 59.5% completion rate before injury was 32nd out of 33 quarterbacks at the time.
He was 21st in the league over that small sample in yards per pass attempt (6.9 Y/A).
That said, we also did get to see the electricity that Richardson provides as an athlete.
Despite being on the tail end of the league in accuracy while on the field, Richardson still ranked 11th in EPA per dropback (0.06).
The Colts averaged 5.4 yards per play on offense with Richardson on the field compared to 5.2 yards per play without him.
As a runner, Richardson rushed for 136 yards and four touchdowns.
When he did complete passes, they were chunk gains.
Richardson was averaging 11.5 yards per completed pass, which was eighth in the league before his injury.
After losing Gardner Minshew in free agency this spring, the Colts added veteran Joe Flacco as insurance and leadership behind Richardson’s continued development.
Flacco went 4-1 as a starter for the Browns, throwing 13 touchdown passes.
Minshew threw 15 touchdown passes over 13 starts with the Colts.
Running Back Depth Chart, Colts:
- Jonathan Taylor
- Trey Sermon
- Tyler Goodson
- Evan Hull
After destroying box scores in the 2021 season, the past two years for Jonathan Taylor have been marred by injuries and a contractual dispute.
In that 2021 season, Taylor turned 372 touches into 2,171 total yards and 20 touchdowns.
Over the past two seasons, he has 408 touches for 1,898 total yards and 12 touchdowns.
After missing six games in 2022 dealing with ongoing ankle issues, Taylor did not play in the first four games of 2023 due to a holdout looking for a trade or a new contract.
It took another three weeks for Taylor to play more than 50% of the team snaps.
He then suffered a torn ligament in his thumb in Week 12 which forced him to miss the following three weeks.
On the bright side, Taylor showed a bounce back in multiple areas compared to his 2022 season which was limited by that ankle issue.
Out of 49 running backs with 100 or more runs last season, Taylor ranked:
- 10th in the rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards (13.6%)
- 11th in success rate (40.8%)
- 11th in the rate of runs to result in a first down or touchdown (24.9%)
- 13th in yards after contact per carry (3.12)
He also capped the season with 188 yards rushing on 30 carries in the season finale with a playoff spot on the line.
Taylor will look to start the 2024 season off with a clean slate, inked through 2026.
Losing Zack Moss during free agency, the Colts do not have much-proven production behind Taylor.
This is a spot where a veteran back could land given the time Taylor has missed the past two seasons.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Colts:
- Michael Pittman
- Alec Pierce
- Josh Downs
- Ashton Dulin
- Juwann Winfree
- Tyrie Cleveland
- DJ Montgomery
- Ethan Fernea
- Terrell Bynum
- Zavier Scott
Michael Pittman received a three-year extension worth up to $70 million this offseason.
Pittman has caught more passes than the season prior in all four of his seasons to kick off his career.
He ended last season securing 109 receptions for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns.
Pittman accounted for 28.6% of the Indianapolis targets, which ranked ninth among wide receivers last season.
He averaged a career-high 2.04 yards per route run.
The only nits to pick with Pittman is that he has been used almost exclusively near the line of scrimmage, but he has been used in a fashion similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown. He just plays in a worse offense.
Michael Pittman vs. Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2023:
| Player | TGT/RT% | aDOT | YAC% | Short Tgt% | Inter% | Deep% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittman | 27.7% | 7.9 | 44.5% | 57.1% | 17.9% | 9.0% |
| St. Brown | 28.5% | 7.8 | 44.1% | 57.3% | 17.1% | 9.1% |
Behind Pittman, only Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are under contract beyond the 2024 season.
Both Downs and Pierce complement each other, but neither profile as an option that should prevent the Colts from continuing to look at upgrades in the position.
Pierce took a step back in his second season, catching only 32-of-65 targets for 514 yards and two touchdowns.
Pierce was targeted on just 10.8% of his routes. No player in the NFL ran as many routes as Pierce did last season and had a lower target rate.
Through two seasons in the NFL, Pierce has not had the opportunity to be more than an all-or-nothing downfield target.
Downs stepped in and was immediately second on the team in targets (98), receptions (68), and receiving yards (771), adding two touchdowns.
Out of 27 rookie wideouts to run 100 or more routes in 2023, Downs was eighth with 1.60 yards per route run and ninth in target rate per route run (20.3%).
One thing that did aid Downs was that Gardner Minshew targeted him on 21.0% of his routes run while Anthony Richardson only targeted him on 16.7%.
It was a much smaller sample, but it is something to keep an eye on if Richardson cannot support multiple pass catchers.
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don’t miss out on Warren Sharp’s 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.