No first-round pick? Colts still had one of the most valuable 2026 NFL Draft results
How many 2026 Indianapolis Colts draft picks can you identify? Without a first-round pick, they weren’t in position to grab a big name.
That doesn’t mean the Colts had a bad draft.
A couple of analysts at Sharp Football Analysis believe they drafted well, getting some players who could start this season.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis
Sharp assigns draft capital to each pick using a consensus of mock drafts and big boards, comparing the total draft capital used to draft a player at a particular point in the draft relative to what was expected.
He calls the resulting metric DCOE (Draft Capital Over Expectation), which measures the expected capital used on a prospect vs. the actual capital used.
The Colts had the third most valuable draft class, behind the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, according to Sharp. Here are their best picks:
- LB C.J. Allen: Expected at 35, taken at 53
- S A.J. Haulcy: Expected at 56, taken at 78
- G Jalen Farmer: Expected at 106, taken at 113
- Edge Caden Curry: Expected at 161, taken at 213
- RB Seth McGowan: Expected at 182, taken at 236
From Sharp: “The Colts had a couple of reaches (LB Bryce Boettcher, Edge George Gumbs Jr.), but they had a sound draft by DCOE standards, and their best in several years (No. 28 in DCOE in 2024, No. 17 in 2025).”
Indianapolis Colts draft grade by Sharp Football Analysis
The Colts get an A-, tied for fourth best, by Ryan McCrystal of Sharp Football Analysis.
McCrystal acknowledges grading draft classes immediately has limited credibility, but: “What is valuable is the collective perception of these draft classes, because these grades will inform our perception of what happened when we eventually look back on the draft years later.”
- Instant impact: A.J. Haulcy, S
- Best value: Jalen Farmer, OG
- Riskiest pick: None
McCrystal’s analysis: “The Colts didn’t take any big swings but probably came away with three quality starters in Haulcy, Farmer, and C.J. Allen. Even fourth-round pick Bryce Boettcher has starter potential, though the presence of Allen obviously limits his access to the field.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts had one of the most valuable 2026 NFL Draft results by Sharp analysis
