Grading the Colts Day 3 Draft Picks

Round 4, Pick 135: Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon

*Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 176th*

*Grade:* C

Bryce Boettcher was not one of the players I was expecting at this range. I liked him as a Round 5-6 Graded WILL LB, but the market for coverage WILL LBs was drying up quick. The only player I had over him in that role available at the time was Kyle Louis, but it appears the NFL (or at least the team that drafted him) projected him to be a Box Safety rather than a Linebacker. With Louis technically in a different position (that the Colts already addressed with the AJ Haulcy pick in Round 3) the Boettcher pick makes sense with how the board turned out.

Indianapolis Colts Continue Bolstering Linebacker Corps with Oregon's Bryce Boettcher #Colts#NFLDraft#Oregonpic.twitter.com/xFrZCSTwGj

— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) April 25, 2026 Boettcher is a good coverage LB scoring in the 92nd percentile in PFF coverage grade and allowing just 204 yards in coverage along with getting a pick and a trio of pass deflections. He is a high energy player who can help shore up the middle of the field coverage while providing some blitz value and run sideline to sideline to defend the run game. He might not be the best athlete or the most effective block shedder but he gets to his spots quickly with effort and instincts. dialed a duck 📞@bryce\_boettcher | @oregonfootball | #NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/RBUk4WCAbI

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 25, 2026 For the Colts, Boettcher should compete for starting snaps at WILL with Akeem Davis-Gaither. He looks to be a strong fit alongside CJ Allen long term with his energy and coverage skills.

Round 5, Pick 156: George Gumbs Jr., DE, Florida

*Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 204th*

*Grade:* D+

Another board reach, but I can’t say that George Gumbs isn’t an intruiging prospect. A new convert to the DE position, as recently as 2022 Gumbs was on Offense as a Tight End/Wide Receiver. However since 2023 he has been a Defensive End and has quickly developed a good variety of effective counters to win his rushes. He is a high end athlete with athletic testing scores comparable to Myles Garrett (albeit with 30 less lbs. on his frame, thus lowering the RAS score), and the tape backs up his exciting combination of burst, bend, and agility.

Colts 5th round pick George Gumbs Jr. put on a show at the scouting combine

4.66 40 yard dash 41" vertical jump 10'1" broad jump 7 second 3-cone pic.twitter.com/oykfmEqhX2

— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) April 25, 2026 His issues lie in his struggles to win off of his initial move despite his quick first step. He is still learning at the position and has issues in edge setting at his size in the run game. He struggles to anchor effectively and can get swallowed up by blockers. "thanks for believing in me" 🥹@GeorgeGumbs | @GatorsFB | #NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/kWNSYiuBDN

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 25, 2026 Still he is an interesting finesse designated pass rusher project for the Colts to try to develop. He was able to get a 12% Pressure Rate in his two years at Florida despite his newness to not just the position but defense as a whole. However if the Colts wanted a DE, Joshua Jacobs was available with a grade 3 rounds higher than Gumbs Jr. on my board

Round 6, Pick 214: Caden Curry, DE, Ohio State

*Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 199th*

*Grade: B*

George Gumbs Jr. might be freak athlete prototype for his position, but Caden Curry is the high production and polish prospect with more underwhelming physical tools. In fact he ranked highest in the Big10 in PFF grade and had a 15.3% pressure rate with 11 sacks in 2025.

Ohio State's Caden Curry Willing to Play in Any Spot to Get into NFL pic.twitter.com/nuy5mgxNRW

— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) April 8, 2026 Curry wins with a strong array of pass rush techniques, constant high effort, a strong anchor, and surprising flexibility for his size. He is a good not great level athlete testing wise, but he maximized his production in a variety of ways and roles for the star studded Buckeyes Defense in 2025. Curry has shown to be a strong run defender and can drop back into coverage effectively while having the size to move around the line at times. Such versatility made him a valuable piece of the puzzle at Columbus. Ohio State’s Caden Curry never quits … effort + physicality through the roof. Has some John Simon to his game.

Curry had the fourth-most pressures in the Big Ten this past season (46). pic.twitter.com/REXjh8fw20

— Bobby Football (@Rob\_\_Paul) April 20, 2026 The biggest concern with Curry is that he is a historic outlier in arm length at Defensive End. Many draft prognostications had Rueben Bain falling out of the top 5 (and he went 15th) solely because of his 1st percentile arm length at 30.875” and had Cashius Howell falling for his 30.25” arms. Caden Curry is an even bigger outlier at 30.125” arms, which is 0th percentile and the shortest in the class. Unlike the prior two he doesn’t have the same level of freaky athleticism to balance out this concern, hence why he is a Day 3 prospect. Still the local Hoosier from Center Grove is set to get an opportunity for his favorite team and was drafted right around where he was graded, so it’s hard to hate this double dip at a premium need position with this level of productivity.

Round 7, Pick 237: Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky

*Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 201st*

*Grade: B+*

McGowan brings a very appealing skillset for the Colts as a backup to Jonathan Taylor. His powerful frame with 4.49 speed and slashing playstyle with solid vision gives him the ability to carry a solid workload in the event of Taylor needing a breather or being out for an extended period of time, and his strong anchor holds up very well in pass protection on 3rd downs. He keeps his head on a swivel for blitzers or rushers, and cleans up well to keep his QB from getting hit. Overall he is a power rusher who has impressive top speed for his size and can generate solid Yards After Contact from running through tacklers.

My #Colts fit and player comp for RB Seth McGowan in the 2026 Indy Draft Guide 👀 pic.twitter.com/mqyFqeDekW

— Noah Compton (@nerlens\_) April 25, 2026 McGowan is an older prospect at 24 and played at 6 colleges in his 6 seasons after high school. This is in large part due to an early arrest in his career that Ballard addressed in his opening press conference, where he said he was a second chance guy and was willing to extend that opportunity to McGowan. He spent time at Texas College and Butler Community College from 2021-2023 before rejoining FBS with New Mexico State. He reunites with his Kentucky teammate Jalen Farmer on the Colts. New #Colts RB Seth McGowan was charged with robbery, conspiracy and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in 2021. He pled guilty to larceny of a person at nighttime and spent three months in jail.

GM Chris Ballard: “Look, I’m a second chance guy. …” pic.twitter.com/bLyIg5PG1m

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) April 26, 2026 On the field Farmer is not the most elusive runner and has more build up acceleration. He has a strong top speed and can maintain it well linearly, but isn’t especially quick or shifty. Best used on inside runs or wide zones so he can get a head of steam going downhill or to the corner. For a Colts team in need of depth behind Taylor, McGowan is a good value pick who should compete with DJ Giddens as the top backup Running Back.

Round 7, Pick 254: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

*Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 93rd*

*Grade: A+*

Perhaps one of the best value picks in the entire draft of any team. Deion Burks was a top 100 player on my board and in checking the big boards of my fellow media colleagues via MockDraftDatabase, he was inside the top 100 of every big board of the pre-draft cycle since the 2025 season ended.

Top WR fits for the Colts in Round 7

Tyren Montgomery for a possession WR w/ contested catch skills

Deion Burks for a smaller speedster and strong route runner.

Jeff Caldwell for a RAS freak vertical threat to take some of the deep ball burden from Alec as he expands his role. pic.twitter.com/A0ATran3WN

— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) April 25, 2026 He was my 3rd highest graded WR heading into Day 3 behind only UCONN’s Skyler Bell and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt, but was the 19th and last wideout taken on Day 3 (WR36 taken overall). To get such a widely well regarded player at the very end of the draft is a steal tantamount to a theft of the Mona Lisa. Stop sleeping on Deion Burks😴 pic.twitter.com/tQqirpDThA

— NFL Stock Exchange (@NFLSEshow) April 22, 2026 Deion Burks is one of the fastest players in the draft class with a 4.3 timed speed at the Combine. He has strong acceleration and deceleration, with quick and sharp cuts in his routes. Burks can operate at all 3 levels of the field as his speed offers him the opportunity to stack corners vertically (albeit some technical refinement is needed to get that separation earlier by selling his drive phase better to get corners to think the route is going to be underneath or intermediate instead) and tear past man or find the soft spots quickly in zone coverages underneath for big Yards After the Catch opportunities. DEION BURKS 💨

84 YARD TD FOR THE BOILERMAKERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bcjDD4qPfU

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023 His hands developed over time in college with some early career struggles (11 drops for over 15% drop rate from 2022-2023, 19% contested catch rate in that span as well), but in the last 2 years Burks has seen a big improvement in his ball skills (4 drops for 4.2% and over 56% contested catch rate since 2024). He might not have the biggest catch radius as a 5’10 wideout with below 30” arms, but he has gradually learned how to maximize it with his explosive leaping ability, improved focus, and smooth hands with stronger grip strength. There is a tangible growth in his upper body strength over the last few years, and he was able to put up 26 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench. This definitely showed his toughness and physicality at the catch point to fight through contact over the last 2 years. There are dozens of us

and I are fans of Deion Burks, even if we know the gaps in the profile, and that we might be on a lonely island with this one. pic.twitter.com/n6mJTO02yx

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon\_BYB) April 21, 2026 Despite his size, this former Boilermaker and Sooner was an outside WR on most of his snaps, preferring to be a Z. He can still operate in the slot effectively and has some ability as a gadgety jet sweeper as well in that alignment, but his best seasons of 2023 and 2025 he was 91.8% and 77.9% of his snaps were out wide. Burks has a strong release package that helps him get early separation in his routes and avoid the press, helping him succeed against bigger corners outside. Is Deion Burks being slept on? 💤 pic.twitter.com/pswnt3pPdo

— Reception Perception (@RecepPerception) April 22, 2026 So why did Burks fall all the way to the end of Round 7? Burks didn’t have the best production in College, failing to get over 630 yards in any season. He doesn’t always play to his timed speed on tape either as he a bit more nuance to win his routes vertically and coming back to the QB on hitches, curls, and comebacks. His rough ball skills in his Purdue days could hurt his stock a bit as well, but the improvement at Oklahoma should have assuaged those concerns. He also isn’t the best blocking wideout on the outside either and teams could question if he should slide to slot at the next level with his size. All of these are certainly weaknesses in his profile, but moreso kept him out of the top 2 rounds on most big boards rather than outside the top 250 picks altogether. Indianapolis Colts Get Potential STEAL of Draft in Oklahoma's Deion Burks #Colts#NFLDraft#Oklahomapic.twitter.com/d7ydD8WbqM

— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) April 26, 2026 The biggest reason might be health. Burks suffered a severe thigh contusion and concussion that ended his 2024 season early, and had a scary 2022 head/neck injury at the Citrus Bowl that ended his time at Purdue and required hospitalization (although he was discharged quickly thereafter). Perhaps his medical checks at the Combine flagged something, potentially creating a long term concern with Burks health wise. This is only speculation for his sudden fall and unconfirmed, but it would explain things. As of right now Burks is healthy after playing all 13 games in 2025 and was able to test at the Combine and fully participate at his Pro Day, so unless there is information not available to the public he should be fully good to go for his rookie season. Top 3 Draft Capital Over Expected Fallers:

1. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee (EDP: 22, Pick: 101, Las Vegas Raiders)
2. Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma (EDP: 89, Pick: 254, Indianapolis Colts)
3. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU (EDP: 90, Pick 249, Kansas City Chiefs) pic.twitter.com/li0tZLdtVg

— Grinding the Mocks (@GrindingMocks) April 26, 2026 With a bit of coaching he could become even faster on the field and his abilities to separate on the outside and have strong Yards After the Catch production should make him a viable Z option for the Colts. Burks enters into a competition for starting snaps with longtime Colts veteran special teams star and backup wideout Ashton Dulin and newly signed former IU Wide Receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhene. Despite his Round 7 draft status, I would expect Burks to be a favorite to win the job, although the Colts run heavy offense and his blocking limitations could make him rotate snaps with his competitors.

Day 3 Grade: A-

US standard Grading Scale Wise, the Day 3 draft’s average grades would be a B. So why is the end of draft grade so much higher? Deion Burks is why. The sheer amount of value of getting Burks at the very end of the draft when he was a perfectly viable player to be a plus value taken all the way at the start of Round 4 caused me to seriously reassess this class’s grade. Had Burks been taken at pick 113 close to where he was graded at (albeit ahead of a pair of other WRs still available) no one would have been too shocked value wise. Slotting him at that pick and moving every other player taken down a full Colts pick later would make this haul an A draft for Day 3. While that wasn’t what happened in real life, when looking at the totality of the Colts draft haul it was warranted to bump the grade up a bit. The Colts were able to get:

• 3 players who could potentially start (or be highly valuable depth/high volume rotational pieces) in Jalen Farmer, Bryce Boettcher, and Deion Burks.
• 2 other picks were a pair of pass rushers who while not the top ones available or Best Player Available at their draft spots (i.e. Joshua Josephs) still represent high end athleticism and potential (George Gumbs Jr.) paired with elite production (Caden Curry) as two dart throws in Day 3 to help out one of the Colts most premium needs at Defensive End.
• And the final remaining pick is a 9.34 RAS athlete with a strong combo of strength and top speed paired with great pass pro reps for immediate third down rotational impact to compete for the top backup RB spot behind Jonathan Taylor. All while being a big board value. The only things I can really harp on overall is the lack of outside pass rush help before Round 5, no nickel cornerback taken with Kenny Moore II on the trade block, and the lack of Defensive Tackle picks with DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart on the last years of their deals and both well over 30. These lower the grade a bit. But at minimum there are still plenty of veteran Defensive Ends available in Free Agency that were highly effective in 2025 that the Colts could pursue post-Draft. Should they sign one, the pass rush will be far less of a concern. The Colts did at least acquire a trio of veteran Defensive Tackles (Colby Wooden, Jerry Tillery, and Derrick Nnadi) to add to the depth alongside incumbent Adetomiwa Adebawore showing promising flashes, also reducing that need’s priority. Nickel corner is still an unknown, though the Colts could have hope for 2025 3rd round pick Justin Walley to slide inside despite his lack of experience there. Overall getting potentially three starters in six Day 3 picks is a tremendous haul, and could have a big impact on the Colts’ blocking power, receiving speed, and middle of the field coverage ability; all of which are things that the Colts lacked at these respective spots in 2025. Simply put: A Day 3 that helps solves a team’s problems is a damn good Day 3.