D-
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts answered their biggest question with Nussmeier. Grade: D-.
by KaepKillsTheColtsCurse ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Colts did exactly that with Garrett Nussmeier in No. 29. A weekend that fought the value and lost, hence the D-.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. The whole projection now runs through Garrett Nussmeier; hit there and everything else looks smarter. The running back hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
The McNeil-Warren pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, running back very much included.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 29th pick they get their guy under center for the next decade, a steep price for the projection. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Anthony Hill Jr. at Round 2, Pick 15 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They will replay Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at pick 78 for years; that is how good the value is. It adds depth where they could use a little.
De'Zhaun Stribling at slot 113 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jaeden Roberts. The roster fit checks out.
They paid a round early for Matt Gulbin in the Round 5 slot, more than the board wanted. A need, and now a little less of one.
Steal is underselling it; Jeff Caldwell at the 207th overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Nick Barrett. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Isaiah Jatta well ahead of where he belonged. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.