Day two of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Indianapolis Colts selected wide receiver Adonai Mitchell with the 52nd pick in the draft. The Colts then turned around and selected offensive lineman Matt Goncalves with the 79th pick a round later.
With the need at edge rusher filled in round one of the draft, and the needs at wide receiver and offensive line filled on day two, the Colts can turn their attention to day three of the draft. The Colts are in a prime position at pick 117 to have a talented player fall into their lap, which could give the team options for what they want to do in terms of a trade up (or a trade down).
The positions of need we’ll look at today are mainly at cornerback, offensive line, running back, linebacker, and safety.
Cornerback
The most glaring hole on the Colts’ roster at the moment is at the cornerback position. Dallis Flowers and JuJu Brents are the expected starters going into next season, at the moment, so the team could use another body on the outside in the draft. Luckily for the Colts, some talented players did slide down the board on day two of the draft. Physically imposing players such as Khyree Jackson, Cam Hart, and T.J Tampa make a ton of sense for the team early on day three this Saturday.
Best Available:
T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
Khyree Jackson, Oregon
Decamerion Richardson, Mississippi State
Cam Hart, Notre Dame
Chigozie Anusiem, Colorado State
Willie Drew, Virginia State
Offensive Line
Despite selecting Goncalves on day two, one of the Colts’ more underrated needs in this draft is interior offensive line. With both Will Fries and Ryan Kelly set to become free agents in 2025, the Colts would be wise to continue to bolster their interior depth on day three of the draft. The center class stands out here, as players such as Hunter Nourzad, Tanor Bortolini, and Beau Limmer are all still available going into day three.
Best Available:
Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
Hunter Nourzad, Penn State
Tylan Grable, UCF
Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
Safety
The Colts other big position of need in this draft is at safety. Zero safeties were selected in the first round this year, and this draft hardly saw any movement on day two of the draft as well. Talented players such as Jaden Hicks and Malik Mustapha fell to day three, while a player like Trey Taylor could start making some sense at this phase of the draft.
Best Available:
Jaden Hicks, Washington State
Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
Trey Taylor, Air Force
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech
Tyler Owens, Texas Tech
Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
Linebacker
The Colts’ starting MIKE backer is locked up for the long term in Zaire Franklin. His running mate E.J. Speed is entering into a contract year, however. The Colts could look to find his replacement here on day three of the draft with a few top options still available. Cedric Gray and Edefuan Ulofoshio stand out the most as options, while Albany’s Brian Abraham could be a sneaky play for the team late.
Best Available:
Cedric Gray, North Carolina
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Jordan Magee, Temple
Brian Abraham, Albany
Daniel Abraham, Villanova
Running Back
The Colts are in prime position to leave this draft with a viable backup running back option behind Jonathan Taylor. Some talented players like Jaylen Wright slipped to day three, while hometown heroes like Tyrone Tracy and Isaac Guerendo make all the sense in the world for the team at this phase of the draft.
Best Available:
Isaac Guerendo, Louisville
Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue
Kimani Vidal, Troy
Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State
