It’s a big week in draft season. The NFL Combine starts this week and this is shaping up to be a good one. Prospect rankings have shifted constantly over the course of the year. Almost every top 5 QB has had their fair share of time as QB on most big boards. This is a very deep WR and that also happens to be one of the Colts’ biggest needs. The Combine is looming, Draft rankings could potentially be solidified for most teams. We haven’t done a mock for Indy since the draft pool has been set. So before the Combine gets underway and we see the rise and fall of college stars based on their athletic ability, let’s get through another 7-round mock draft for the Colts.
Mock Draft done with The Draft Network Mock Draft Machine
Round 2 Pick 47 – Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT Ohio State
A common theme in the second round for most other mocks has been either wide receiver or offensive tackle. Here, we go with the latter. This tackle class is rather deep in my opinion and it would be very hard to go wrong with any of them. The Colts spent the better part of the year with Eric Fisher at left tackle and he wasn’t exactly fantastic. They NEED to get better on the blindside to protect their future QB (whether Wentz, a trade piece, or even a rookie – but that’s a conversation for another time).
So with the first pick the Colts have, we have them going tackle and he is one of the best in the class. A 3-year starter, Nicholas Petit-Frere has had plenty of experience at both tackle spots in his career at Ohio State. He has nearly no flaws in both technical skills and athletic ability. Strong hands, smooth footwork, and a nearly immovable anchor in his feet, the tackle has been stout for the Buckeyes and could be just as good in Indy.
Round 3 Pick 82 – Jalen Tolbert, WR South Alabama
Something that not only myself, but almost every other mock has gone with is a deep threat wide receiver. A severe lack of weapons has been the issue for the Colts ever since TY Hilton’s decline (and even somewhat during his great seasons, he’s been the only option). Jalen Tolbert has been fantastic for South Alabama. Back to back 1,000-yard seasons with 8 touchdowns, including nearly 1500-yards in 2021 (6th in DI), Tolbert was putting up numbers. Add to that his 18 yards per reception last year (17 YPR in 2020, 19.3 YPR in 2019), he has shown and proved he is one of the most elite deep threats in this class. He has top-tier speed, has great separation, and is taller than you would expect from a receiver with his skill set. His ability to get behind the defense will be a massive help for any QB the Colts have next season that want to air it out.
Round 4 Pick 120 – Romeo Doubs, WR Nevada
A player most have been high on for a couple years now. Similarly to Jalen Tolbert, Romeo Doubs is another receiver with great height and excellent deep threat skills. There isn’t much to say about him that hasn’t already been said about Tolbert. He had a much better QB during his time at Nevada (Carson Strong, projected first/early second round pick). Strong helped him to be top 25 in DI in yards, receptions, and touchdowns in 2021. In addition to being an elite deep threat that is great in space, Doubs also adds his ability to go up and catch a 50/50 ball if needed. He is an all-around player and could be an absolute steal at this point in the draft. Don’t be surprised if his combine shoots him up draft boards.
Round 5 Pick 158 – Joshua Williams, CB Fayetteville State
Josh Williams has been a prospect that has been slowly climbing draft boards. A DII corner, his great play at Fayetteville State was enough to earn him a Senior Bowl invite. His lack of competition is obviously a clear issue, but the technical skills are very much present. Great in both man and zone coverage. Very aggressive tackler that rarely whiffs. And at nearly 6-foot-3, he still has great speed to match. A very Chris Ballard-style cornerback. I feel as if his Combine will help his draft stock a lot, so a Round 5 selection may be late for him, but as of now this would be a steal.
Round 5 Pick 177 – Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee
One of my favorite Day 3 projections in this class, I’ve taken him in mocks before and while I try to mix it up for the sake of explaining all possible options, I will likely continue to try to take him. Every time I see him play, I fall in love more and more. If you want to see my breakdown on him, head over to the last mock I took him in, that I’ll link HERE. I don’t think he’ll ever be a great starter, but I do fully believe he can be key depth behind Julian Blackmon once he returns from injury.
Note: Despite also being R. Blankenship, Reed surprisingly has no relation to Colts’ kicker Rodrigo.
Round 7 Pick 216 – Micheal Clemons, EDGE Texas A&M
Indy seems to always have a need for an edge rusher. In fact, we recently discussed that earlier this week in my Free Agent Target series, that I can link HERE if you want to check that out. Now Micheal Clemons isn’t exactly a starting-caliber pass rusher, but similar to Reed Blankenship he can be excellent depth. At 6-foot-5, 270-pounds, Micheal Clemons seems to also fit that Ballard-mold for pass rushers. In a sense that I could also see him rushing from the inside in certain packages like a Dayo Odeyingbo or Tyquan Lewis. Explosive burst, strong hands, and good arm length, Clemons has the tools to be a good pass rusher. He needs to work a bit on recognizing blocks, but he can absolutely be developed.
Round 7 Pick 236 – Tyler Vrabel, OT Boston College
That last name may sound familiar to you and it is indeed the son of Titans’ head coach, Mike Vrabel. I could not resist after I saw him still on the board. Taking the son of a rival head coach would be so redeeming after their sweep of the Colts’ last season. Vrabel isn’t particularly a bad prospect either. He is physical and aggressive, and has experience at both left and right tackle. His skill set may be better suited as a swing tackle or even kicked inside to guard, but the Colts need depth at offensive line and grabbing him in the 7th would be the way to go for that.
Round 7 Pick 237 – Kolby Harvell-Peel, S Oklahoma State
Another prospect I’ve taken in a previous mock and another prospect I like a lot if I’m willing to take him twice. If you want the full breakdown on him, check out my Mock 2.0 HERE. Similar to Reed Blankenship, Harvell-Peel may be stuck at one safety spot (strong safety in this case), but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t excel there. He was a standout at Oklahoma State and earned himself a Senior Bowl invite (Ballard loves his Senior Bowl players almost as much as he loves his small school guys). He has some things he could work on, but the intangibles seem to be there.
