Indianapolis, IN
Early 2026 Mock Draft Predicts Colts Fix Defensive Issues
The Indianapolis Colts will walk into high-level hostile territory tomorrow afternoon when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
If Indianapolis can win and move to 9-2, while sending the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs to 5-6, it will give them a massive momentum boost as they embark on the rest of their tough schedule.
Recently, the Colts added superstar Sauce Gardner to Lou Anarumo’s defense, removing their first-rounders for 2026 and 2027. However, in Pro Football Network’s early mock draft from James Fragoza, Indy still feels defense is a need to add to.
Here are the picks in Fragoza’s mock for the Colts.
Round 2 – Pick 60 | Safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
“From effort to instincts to feel in zone, Dillon Thieneman is a defensive coordinator’s dream in the deep third. He may not have the jaw-dropping athletic abilities of others in the defensive backfield, but he’s nearly always in the correct position.”
Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman is a perfect fit for Lou Anarumo’s defense, if the veteran coordinator remains with Indianapolis in 2026.
Thieneman started his college career with the Purdue Boilermakers, putting up 210 tackles, six picks, nine pass breakups, and two fumbles forced during his 24 games with Purdue.
However, after joining the Ducks, he’s continued his defensive efficiency. This year, Thieneman has put up 49 tackles, a pick, and four pass breakups.
Thieneman has also displayed fantastic Pro Football Focus grades of 84.1 overall, 78.7 tackles, 89.2 coverage. and 10 stops (constitutes a ‘failure’ for the offense.)
If the Colts decide to select Thieneman, he adds much-needed coverage ability to the safety room with Nick Cross and Cam Bynum. Given that Indy also has seventh-rounder Hunter Wohler, adding Thieneman gives them a complete safety room.
Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest – OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter
Round 3 – Pick 92 | Linebacker Whit Weeks, LSU
“Although Whit Weeks isn’t as hyped as Harold Perkins Jr., he’s delivered big-time results as LSU’s rangy linebacker, racking up 125 tackles last year and staying productive despite a late-season leg injury this season.
His speed and instincts pop off the tape, and he’s tough enough to stack blocks and cover ground.”
The Colts have starting linebackers Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt, but neither excels in pass coverage. The Colts do have Jaylon Carlies, but he’s hardly played and remains injured.
Enter LSU linebacker, Whit Weeks.
Weeks has covered pass-catchers well this year in his six games, as well as stacked 29 tackles, 2.5 tackles or loss, and 1.0 sacks. Even with his ankle injury, Weeks is a solid add to any defense.
Last year with the Tigers, Whit led the NCAA in solo tackles with 61, but also looked fantastic in stopping ball carriers in the backfield with 10.0 tackles for loss.
This would be an excellent addition to Indy’s defense and gives more depth to a linebacker position that desperately needs more help in pass coverage. Keep an eye on for the Colts to be interested in a player like Weeks.
Recommended Articles
INDIANAPOLIS (Gray News) – A woman died after falling about 50 feet from an outer curb at the Indianapolis International Airport, police confirmed.
Indianapolis Airport Police said the fall happened around 12:16 p.m. Saturday.
A security camera captured the woman falling from the outer curb of Upper Terminal Drive to a grassy area below. The fall was about 50 feet.
Several emergency departments responded, but after half an hour, she was pronounced dead by a doctor via telephone.
By Monday afternoon, police were still investigating. The woman’s identity has not yet been released.
Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Indianapolis Colts’ 2026 NFL Draft class got mixed reviews to say the least as some rankings and grades have them at the top and others in the mid-20s. Here’s a selection of the analysis from the national media.
The Colts didn’t pick in Round 1, a product of their deadline deal with the Jets to land Sauce Gardner in November. They were 7-2 at that point with Daniel Jones playing great ball, but after an overtime win the following week in Berlin, they became the first NFL team to ever be six games over .500 and still finish with a losing record (per ESPN Research). Jones tore an Achilles in Week 14, and 44-year-old Phillip Rivers, signed out of retirement, was unsurprisingly unable to right the ship.
Advertisement
The CJ Allen pick is going to be huge for the defense. He was a steal at No. 53 — I had him 28th on the board. He has three-down attributes that allow him to impact the game in coverage, as a run stopper and as a blitzer. Just look at his stat line from 2025: 97 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine run stops, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks. Paired with free agent signing Akeem Davis-Gaither and Day 3 pick Bryce Boettcher, the linebacker unit should take a step forward.
Despite tying for 14th with 39 sacks, this team was 30th in pass rush win rate (29.1%) last season. George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry chip in with Laiatu Latu (who is looking like a promising young pro after 8.5 sacks in 2025) to get after more AFC South quarterbacks, but Indy could have used a little more here. A.J. Haulcy enters as a potential Nick Cross replacement next to Cam Bynum, with eight interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. And Jalen Farmer was a strong value in Round 4, as I ranked the 6-foot-5, 312-pound guard at No. 81 overall. He didn’t allow any sacks last season.
Without the first-round pick, the Colts did pretty well here overall, getting a borderline first-round talent on Day 2.
The Indianapolis Colts gave up their first-round pick as a part of the Sauce Gardner trade. Given the lack of elite cornerback prospects in this year’s draft — after Mansoor Delane, who was taken sixth overall — the Colts will probably stand by their position.
Advertisement
Gardner will only turn 26 in August, and he may prove to be more valuable than prospects who would have been available with Indy’s 16th pick, like Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and USC receiver Makai Lemon.
GM Chris Ballard picked up a little extra capital by trading down in Round 2 — flipping the 47th and 249th picks for the 53rd, 135th, and 237th selections — before grabbing Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.
Allen was considered one of the top off-ball linebackers in the 2026 class and should immediately boost Indy’s second-level defense. With their second pick on Day 2, the Colts added safety A.J. Haulcy, another talented defender who should make an early impact.
Haulcy was the 53rd-ranked prospect on the B/R board.
Advertisement
Linebacker Bryce Boettcher could also push for early playing time. He and Allen have the potential to reshape Indy’s linebacker group, and Jalen Farmer will provide valuable depth along the interior O-line.
GM Chris Ballard could have afforded to address the team’s need at edge-rusher earlier in the draft, but he largely did a good job of adding defensive help without a Day 1 selection.
The Colts addressed their defensive needs on Days 2 and 3 after watching from the sidelines on Thursday. That has to feel good for Lou Anarumo after his group put up some real stinkers in the second half of last season.
Advertisement
Inside linebacker help was a necessity for Indianapolis, and it found some in the second and fourth rounds. If not for positional value, Allen would have been a first-round pick. For him to still be on the board at 53 was a win. Allen is a hard hitter who will help establish a tough culture on the defensive unit. And if recent history tells us anything, it’s that there is nothing wrong with taking a linebacker out of Georgia.
Bryce Boettcher is just as exciting. He has two-sport experience after playing both baseball and football at Oregon and boasts a motor that separates him from most prospects in this class.
Second-round LB CJ Allen (53rd overall pick) and third-round S A.J. Haulcy (78th) seem like sweet value picks given where these talented defenders were selected – and both could start as rookies. They’re also the secondary story of this draft. In a win-now move made at least year’s trade deadline, Indy surrendered this year’s first-rounder (and next year’s even more valuable one) to the Jets for CB Sauce Gardner, who – through no fault of his own really – wasn’t able to help the cratering Colts win now in 2025. But if Gardner, who hasn’t been the same player the past few years that he was earlier in his career, doesn’t revert to All-Pro form – maybe even Deion Sanders form – history is not going to look kindly upon GM Chris Ballard’s very expensive gambit.
Advertisement
Analysis: The Colts, without a first-rounder, still made this draft solid with the combination of Allen and Haulcy early to fill defensive needs. With no glaring holes, GM Chris Ballard did the best he could to bolster depth with Curry being the best later pick.
Allen: Allen is a physical, reliable middle linebacker with strong run-defense ability. His length limitations are notable, but he flashes enough in coverage to project as a starter.
Haulcy: Haulcy is a true deep safety with strong range, ball skills and an aggressive playmaking mentality. He projects as a starter in systems that keep him in a traditional backend role.
Advertisement
Farmer: Farmer put together a solid but unspectacular 2025 season, earning a 69.8 PFF overall grade that ranked 93rd among guards. His best work came in pass protection, where his 72.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 256th, while his 67.4 run-blocking grade ranked 113th. Across 818 snaps, he allowed 14 pressures, including three sacks and no quarterback hits, and committed one penalty.
Boettcher: Boettcher is a high-energy, multi-sport athlete who plays with physicality despite a smaller frame. He could carve out a role in an attacking defensive scheme.
Gumbs: Gumbs brings intriguing size and length (6-foot-4, 245 pounds, 33 5/8-inch arms) alongside developing production, and entered draft weekend at No. 211 on the PFF Big Board. He logged 345 snaps in 2025 and earned a 66.0 defensive grade, with solid marks in run defense (69.2) and pass rush (68.2). His 13 total pressures and 12 run stops point to flashes of impact, though five missed tackles and inconsistent efficiency highlight a still-developing profile.
Curry: Curry generated 46 pressures and 12 sacks along Ohio State’s defensive front while also excelling against the run, earning an 86.7 PFF run-defense grade. However, his lack of ideal size and length could limit his defensive role, making his extensive and productive special teams experience a key path to a roster spot.
Advertisement
McGowan: McGowan has the build and athleticism to be a starting-caliber back at the NFL level. His explosiveness in short areas and long speed, paired with quick processing and play speed, make him a difference-maker between the tackles in power-run concepts.
Llewellyn: Llewellyn brings effort and a variety of pass-rush moves but is an average athlete who must improve strength to earn consistent snaps.
Burks: Burks’ size and production do not clearly point to a future NFL contributor, but his athleticism and strength make him difficult to dismiss. He offers intriguing upside as an explosive slot receiver, though he may not fit every scheme.
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 draft grades: Colts get high marks from some, very low from others
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – People can weigh in on regulations guiding the future of data center development in Indianapolis.
The Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) will hold two virtual meetings this week on a proposed ordinance to create zoning regulations for data centers. The city doesn’t currently have zoning rules specific to data centers.
The virtual meetings are Tuesday, April 28, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 30, from noon to 1 p.m.
Attendees need to RSVP to join the info sessions. A meeting link will be provided after registering.
Public comments can also be submitted through an online survey.
The city says four separate requests were made to build data centers in Indianapolis over the last year. These developments have drawn intense public pushback, with concerns surrounding the environmental impacts of data centers and their strain on water and power supply.
After the Indianapolis City-County Council approved rezoning for the $500 million Metrobloks data center in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, someone shot into the home of Democratic Councilman Ron Gibson. A note reading “No data centers” was left under his doormat.
A lawsuit seeks to block a $4 billion data center project on the southwest side of Indianapolis.
“The fact of the matter is data centers are coming whether we want them to or not,” Gibson told News 8. “So, how do we make sure they’re more responsible, how do we make sure they invest in our community, and how do we make sure that investment is what we want?”
Council President Vop Osili, a Democrat currently running for mayor, says he doesn’t want any data centers built in residential neighborhoods. Republican Councilmember Michael Paul-Hart wrote in his weekly newsletter, “communities need stronger protections, better notice, and clearer standards if these projects are approved.”
A DMD spokesperson said the goal of the data center zoning ordinance is to create minimum requirements and add clarity to the development process.
Critics have said the proposed regulations are too relaxed.
Ben Inskeep, Program Director of consumer and environmental advocacy group Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) told News 8 “This ordinance fails to create basic protections for Hoosiers.” Inskeep said the ordinance could include stronger noise limits, requirements to use clean energy, and increased setbacks.
CAC is also calling for required annual reporting on water usage.
Democratic Councilmember Jesse Brown has publicly called for a six-month moratorium on data center developments in Marion County. According to CAC, a dozen Indiana counties have already put moratoriums in place.
The Metropolitan Development Commission will consider the new zoning ordinance on data centers during its next meeting on May 20. If approved, the ordinance could be introduced at an Indianapolis City-County Council meeting in June then be adopted as early as July.
-
Finance3 minutes agoFirst home buyer’s superannuation mistake exposes ‘widespread’ ATO problem
-
Fitness9 minutes agoHow Christine Lampard, 47, uses easy NEAT exercise to stay fit – ‘I don’t go to the gym’
-
Movie Reviews21 minutes agoMovie Review – Hokum (2026)
-
World33 minutes ago
‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault
-
News39 minutes agoKing Charles Will Speak of ‘Reconciliation and Renewal’ During Address to Congress
-
Politics45 minutes agoICE Warehouse Plan Faces Delay Over Lack of Environmental Reviews
-
Business51 minutes agoThe Rise of the High-Range, Less Expensive E.V.
-
Science57 minutes agoImmaculate Wilderness, Uncertain Future: Paddling the Boundary Waters