RANKING: Which Colts Draft Picks Will Have Biggest Year 1 Impact?

One of the biggest missions for the Indianapolis Colts this year, entering the NFL Draft, was finding players who could make an immediate impact despite not having a first-round pick.

Not only were there holes on the Colts' roster that would provide opportunity for some rookies, but some of the players they selected have high enough potential to earn early roles regardless.

Today, ColtsRoundtable ranks all eight of the Colts' draft picks based on their potential Year 1 impact.

One of the biggest holes the Colts had entering the draft was MIKE linebacker, created when they traded Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers in March. After trading back in the second round from the 47th overall pick to the 53rd, the Colts filled the hole with one of their favorite players in the draft, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.

Allen is a cerebral player, known for his work ethic and leadership qualities off the field, and his football IQ, instincts, stoutness, and tenacity on it.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard typically likes to temper expectations with rookies, but he could hardly contain himself after picking Allen.

"We've liked CJ through the whole process," Ballard said. "He stands for all the right stuff. He's an athletic, fast MIKE. He'll be a green-dot guy for us from the get-go. I mean, he's a face of the program type of guy. He's a really special dude now."

Allen is already essentially penciled in as the team's starting MIKE. The question is whether he's someone they'll ever have to take off the field situationally. Regardless, Allen is set to replace Franklin's 1,123.8 snaps per season.

Former starting strong safety Nick Cross left the Colts in free agency, signing with his hometown Washington Commanders. Cross played the next most snaps on defense to Franklin in 2025, with his 1,111 being one fewer.

The Colts drafted A.J. Haulcy in the third round, a player whom they considered in Round 2 alongside Allen. Haulcy has rare playmaking ability and is a tough, instinctive player. If he wins Cross's old spot, it's a 1,000-plus-snap role.

"Yeah, I think we’ll see how it goes. I think that Cam (Bynum) has the ability to do a number of different things. Hopefully, A.J. does as well," Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo responded when asked about the flexibility the safety position has now between Cam Bynum and Haulcy. "We just got to kind of get around them, find out about them a little bit more. But excited to see what both those guys paired together will be able to do."

Haulcy is going to have a significant defensive role, whether he defeats Hunter Wohler for the starting spot or not. However, the best-case scenario for the Colts is that Haulcy wins the starting strong safety spot and Wohler is still used in a situational role alongside Bynum and Haulcy.

Long term, Boettcher should become a starting linebacker for the Colts alongside Allen. The question is whether it happens as a rookie or not, as veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither is currently projected to be Allen's running mate.

On special teams, Boettcher is likely to carve out a role as a core player, as he averaged 146 snaps per season at Oregon. Whether he starts or not on defense, the Colts will get him on the field. Boettcher is currently better in coverage than he is against the run, so he could be someone the Colts get on the field in nickel packages or other obvious passing downs.

No one is going to unseat Jonathan Taylor as the Colts' starting running back, but McGowan has just as good of a chance as incumbent DJ Giddens to be Taylor's backup. While Giddens has the leg up of being in an NFL system for a year already, McGowan is a more decisive, violent runner. Still, the difference will be which player stands out more in pass protection and can be more of a factor on special teams. Giddens was only active for nine games last year because he has no special teams background.

The Colts were caught off guard that they were able to get Burks near the end of the entire draft, as he fits what head coach Shane Steichen is looking for in a receiver despite being just 5'9", 180.

"Yeah, absolutely. When you watch him versus press, even for being a shorter guy, I mean, he can get off press coverage," Steichen said. "He's got a good, quick first step. Good release, good burst. And then the separation at the top of routes is really good as well."

Burks' impact has the greatest variance in outcomes among Colts rookies. He was drafted in the seventh round for a variety of minor reasons, but his on-field talent was widely considered top-100. He could either become the Colts' primary third receiver behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, or he could miss the roster altogether, being a seventh-round pick. The team has already said they'll give him a shot at becoming a return specialist as well.

Burks has the talent to be the Colts' WR3, but he's an undersized rookie who may take a little while to acclimate to the pro game. He should have at least a minimal role on offense.

"We think very highly of Farmer," Ballard said after the draft. "He's a big, powerful man, and he's going to be a really good addition to our o-line, not only from a talent standpoint, but also from a cultural standpoint. He fits what we look for, and we also think he's got some swing at tackle. So, it'll be nice to add him in the mix and watch him compete."

The plan is that Farmer factors into the Colts' future, no doubt, but is there the opportunity for him to have a sizable role as a rookie? Probably not unless an injury occurs to either guard Quenton Nelson or Matt Goncalves.

The Colts' starting offensive line is likely set, but Farmer could find himself providing backup in multiple spots, from guard to tackle. If the Colts wanted to get Farmer live reps, they could put him on the field goal team and make him the sixth offensive lineman when they go to jumbo sets.

Like Boettcher, Curry's special teams background is likely to give him a baseline role on the team. Curry averaged 152.0 special teams snaps per season at Ohio State, finally becoming a starting defensive end as a senior. His NFL career may follow a similar arc, as he carves out a role on special teams early while occasionally moving around the defensive line, until a more significant opportunity presents itself later on.

Gumbs is still a work in progress in his conversion from tight end/wide receiver to defensive end, as he made the switch in 2023 in his final season at Northern Illinois before transferring to Florida.

He played 74.4 special teams snaps per season in his college career, which could help him get on the field in some capacity, but rotation on the line may be a different story. Gumbs could see the field as a designated pass rusher, but also in the rare instance when the Colts go to a three-linebacker set and use a SAM 'backer.

This could be a redshirt/developmental season for Gumbs, but the Colts will attempt to get him on the field when they can.