ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gives Colts ‘B grade’ following 2024 NFL Draft

Todd! Todd! Todd! ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. didn’t understand why the Colts failed to significantly address cornerback—but still gave a solid B grade.

According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the longtime draft guru has given the Indianapolis Colts a ‘B grade’ following the 2024 NFL Draft—for a Horseshoe class that was highlighted by UCLA edge Laiatu Latu and Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell with its first two picks:

Indianapolis Colts: B

Top needs entering the draft: Cornerback, wide receiver, safety, edge defender

The Colts were one of the teams coming into Round 1 with a clearly defined biggest need. They really had to get a cornerback who could step in and start as a rookie for a defense that struggled to stop No. 1 wide receivers last season. While I thought they might also target a pass-catcher to give second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson more help, corner was the biggest hole for GM Chris Ballard & Co. So color me surprised when not only did Ballard pass on a corner in Round 1 — when he had his choice of the entire class — but he didn’t take one until Round 6.

Indianapolis instead went with edge rusher Laiatu Latu (15), who will help this team as a rookie. I love the player but don’t quite understand what Ballard sees in his defensive back room that I don’t. He could have gone with Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell and upgraded at corner.

Outside of that move? I like the majority of Ballard’s class. Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (52) could be a steal if he lives up to his potential. He was uncoverable at times at both Georgia and Texas. Matt Goncalves is a good offensive tackle with interesting tools. Tanor Bortolini (117) is a solid sixth offensive lineman option. Safety Jaylin Simpson (164) is a safety/nickel hybrid who tested extremely well at the combine. As ESPN’s Matt Miller said on the broadcast Saturday, Jonah Laulu (234) got rave reviews at his pro day and is a Round 7 flier worth taking.

I like the players in Ballard’s class, but I’m still curious about why he didn’t take a corner earlier. That’s a miss … unless there’s some sort of trade for a veteran coming down in the weeks after the draft.

Obviously, it appears that Kiper Jr. downgraded the Colts from a potential A grade here to a B because of their inability to significantly address the cornerback position early on.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard did state in his pre-draft conference that he did not believe that his secondary was “too young,” and may be bullish on the group with another year of development from 2nd-year corners JuJu Brents and Jaylin Jones and the return of Dallis Flowers from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered last year. It’s possible that the Colts could still look to add a veteran cornerback to further complement their corner room.

The Colts draft class has a lot of talent and potential, namely atop with both Latu and Mitchell, but each comes with his own risk. Lau has overcome significant spinal issues from two years ago, when he was medically advised to retire from football. While he’s been durable and highly productive the past two seasons at UCLA, those medical issues could potentially limit or shorten his playing career going forward. Still, he has the pass rushing polish to be an immediate contributor from ‘Day 1’ for the Colts, even if it’s rotationally.

Meanwhile, Mitchell has the talent to be a top 5 wideout in this year’s class—with his great speed, body control, and fluid explosion in and out of breaks. However, whether unfounded or not (please don’t mention this to Chris Ballard again!), there’s been some reported maturity concerns.

At the end of the day though, it makes more sense for the Colts to ‘swing for the fences’ here, rather than play it safe and end up with a draft class that has immediate playability but a limited ceiling. It’s not as though these are all developmental projects either, as Latu can be a ‘plug-and-play’ edge right away—as can the two offensive linemen the Colts drafted in the mid-rounds, Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini for spot-starts.