The Indianapolis Colts are a little over two months away from the 2025 NFL draft where they'll try to build the talent within their walls for the future of the franchise.
This is typically where general manager Chris Ballard tries to add players to make an impact for the team rather than overspend in free agency. However, to this point, it's been a strategy open to criticism.
Now that the 2024 draft class is no longer rookies, NFL.com compiled a ranking and grading of all 32 teams and their hauls from last year from Gennaro Filice.
Filice wasn't the biggest fan of Indy's 2024 performance, ranking them 20th out of 32 possible squads with a mediocre C+ grade. The Colts secured nine total players but only six saw action and made the 53-man roster.
Below is a brief list of the draft class from 2024 for the Colts:
-Laiatu Latu | DE (1st Rd. - 15th overall)
-AD Mitchell | WR (2nd Rd. - 52nd overall)
-Matt Goncalves | OT (3rd Rd. - 79th overall)
-Tanor Bortolini | C (4th Rd. - 117th overall)
-Anthony Gould | WR (5th Rd. - 142nd overall)
-Jaylon Carlies | LB (5th Rd. - 151st overall)
-Jaylin Simpson | S (5th Rd. - 164th overall)
-Micah Abraham | CB (6th Rd. - 201st overall)
-Jonah Laulu | DT (7th Rd. - 234th overall)
Jaylin Simpson, Micah Abraham, and Jonah Laulu didn't make the final cut, leaving Indy with six overall draftees to utilize. Respectable campaigns ensued from Laiatu Latu, Matt Goncalves, Tanor Bortolini, and Jaylon Carlies.
Anthony Gould was serviceable as a return specialist, but wideout AD Mitchell fell through the floor with his efficiency after having big expectations from the Colts.
Mitchell caught only 23 of 55 targets for 312 receiving yards and no scores. Mitchell may have finished with one of the worst performances from any rookie in 2024; luckily he can only go up from that type of season.
As for first-rounder Latu, he shined more in the second half of the season and finished with 4.0 sacks, 32 tackles, and an impressive three fumbles forced.
The Colts will need both of their first two draft picks from 2024 to ascend in 2025 to help them potentially snag a playoff spot, but far more from Mitchell since he's directly involved with quarterback Anthony Richardson and Shane Steichen's offense.
If Indianapolis can see Mitchell achieve more and play closer to what they drafted him to be in his sophomore NFL campaign, it might help the squad yield more than an underwhelming eight victories.
It's not easy to adjust to the speed of the NFL from college, but since Ballard predicates his entire approach on the draft and building within, it means far more that this 2024 class becomes successful as soon as possible.