The Indianapolis Colts are now only hours away from being on the clock in the first round of the NFL draft as teams narrow down who they want to bring in to improve their roster.
The Colts have serious positional needs at linebacker, interior offensive line, and tight end heading into the draft. Fortunately for general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, talent at those spots runs deep this year.
As of today, the Colts possess the 14th overall pick. Names like Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, and Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell have often been mocked to Indianapolis over the past few months.
A final mock draft from ESPN analyst Peter Schrager has the Colts taking one of those players, but with a twist. Schrager thinks the Colts could trade up with the Chicago Bears for the 10th overall pick and in turn take Loveland.
“My first trade is a fun one. The Colts give up Nos. 14 and 80 to move up four spots in a deal with the Bears,” Schrager wrote. “Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard needs to do something to help his offense, no matter if Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones is the starting quarterback. So who does he pick? Ballard & Co. get a 6-foot-6 tight end who has many teams enchanted ahead of Round 1. This pick would be about instant offense for a team that needs it.”
In this theoretical, the Colts give up their third-round pick to move up four spots. If Ballard is serious about improving his tight end unit, this move is totally plausible, despite it not sounding like a staple Ballard move.
Schrager has the New York Jets taking Warren, leaving the Colts to make a last-ditch effort to grab Loveland before he’s off the board. The New Orleans Saints have been rumored to be interested in a tight end with the 9th overall pick, making it hard to know if any top-tier tight end would fall out of the top 10.
Indianapolis cannot enter the 2025 season with a similar tight end group to years prior. The last time any Colts tight end passed the 500-yard mark was in 2018, when Eric Ebron caught passes from Andrew Luck. Last year, no Colts tight end reached 200 yards. The team’s leading tight end last season was Kylen Granson, who recorded 182 yards and is no longer on the team.
Indianapolis has the opportunity to take a physical threat in Loveland, a tight end who has been highly regarded thanks to his receiver-like movements despite a 6-foot-65, 245-pound frame. Loveland caught 56 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns in his junior season as a Wolverine.
The 2025 NFL draft will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 24.
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