B-
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts let McAlister fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by Hutchens84 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 6 steals
· 0 reaches
When a board-topper like Eric McAlister slides to No. 214, you do not overthink it, and the Colts did not. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
With quarterback, interior defensive lineman and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on cornerback is the choice that costs them. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
They left with wide receiver solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off. Value over need was the throughline, for better and worse.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
Brandon Cisse at pick No. 47 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Taking Josiah Trotter in the 78th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A want over a need in Round 4, Pick 13: Treydan Stukes adds a cornerback while quarterback, interior defensive lineman and other spots keeps waiting.
They read the board right and Kaytron Allen was the payoff at the 156th pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Eric McAlister at the Round 6 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A slide stopped in slot 249, with John Michael Gyllenborg worth more than the price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
No edge and no loss on Logan Taylor in pick 254; it is a wash and a sensible one. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.