Mock Draft

11/13/24

8 min read

Indianapolis Colts 2025 7-Round NFL Mock Draft: Building Around Anthony Richardson

By Tyler Brooke

NFL Analyst
Bowling Green Falcons tight end Harold Fannin Jr. catches a pass during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium.
Bowling Green Falcons tight end Harold Fannin Jr (0) catches a pass during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Calling the 2024 season chaotic for the Indianapolis Colts would be an understatement.

Despite a 4-6 record, the vibes in Indianapolis are much worse than the record indicates through 10 weeks. The team has dealt with what feels like a season-long quarterback controversy, torn between letting second-year QB Anthony Richardson get more playing experience or sticking with veteran Joe Flacco to get into playoff contention.

Meanwhile, defensive captain Kenny Moore II publicly called out the team and questioned the effort of individual players.

These aren't the kinds of stories Colts fans were hoping for this season, especially in a wide-open AFC South. It's looking less likely that Indianapolis will sneak into the playoffs, but if they want to build around Richardson and become a playoff contender in the future, a strong 2025 draft class would help turn things around in a hurry.

Let's dive into a seven-round mock draft to try and fix the Colts.

Full draft order provided by Tankathon.

Colts 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, 12th Overall

Pick: Aireonte Ersery, OT, Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers logo

There's a good chance that the Colts will consider taking a top defensive back prospect like Malaki Starks or Benjamin Morrison in the first round come April. However, with this mock focusing on trying to build around Richardson, the Colts take a top tackle prospect instead by selecting Aireonte Ersery.

Ersery has a chance to be OT1 in the 2025 draft class. He has excellent size and length at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, but is also surprisingly light on his feet with solid technique in pass protection. He's a road grader in the run game, using his core strength and strong hands to latch onto defenders and steer them out of rushing lanes, opening the way for his running backs.

For someone who didn't start playing organized football until his sophomore year of high school, Ersery is just scratching the surface of his full potential. He's already a first-round prospect, but his upside is even higher than that of the other OL prospects competing for the OT1 spot.

Bernhard Raimann looks like the left tackle of the future, but Ersery could come in and take over the right tackle spot if the Colts are ready to move on from Braden Smith.

Round 2, 46th Overall

Pick: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green Bowling Green logo

Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox aren't bad players, but neither are impact starters at the tight end position. With Richardson's play style at quarterback, the Colts need an athletic TE who can play multiple roles to keep defenses on their toes, and that's exactly what Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr. brings.

Fannin is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2025 class. He's a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end who is lighting it up for the Falcons, catching 83 passes for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games.

The production is because of Fannin's excellent athletic ability and length, which allows him to snatch balls out of the air with a terrific catch radius. His movement skills and play strength make him matchup nightmare, regardless of the kind of player defenses want to put on him.

As a smaller prospect, Fannin won't succeed at the NFL level as a traditional in-line tight end, particularly as a blocker. However, as a power slot/TE capable of blocking on arc reads or second-level assignments, he could thrive in Shane Steichen's offense.

Harold Fannin's Full Scouting Report, Pro Comp

Round 3, 77th overall

Pick: Mansoor Delane, CB, Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hookies logo

JuJu Brents will return in 2025, and Jaylon Jones has done an admirable job trying to hold his own in his second NFL season. Still, the Colts severely lack depth in their secondary, and someone like Mansoor Delane could give the secondary an edge that it's been lacking outside of Kenny Moore in the slot.

Delane's entire play style is tenacious. He's long, wiry, and explosive, and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. He has good length and play speed to blanket receivers on deep shots, and doesn't panic while the ball is in the air. He also has good instincts on when to fall off of his assignment and break downhill on the ball, leading to big plays like the forced fumble in the clip above.

There are some questions about Delane's ability to stay in control with how high he plays on his toes, and he could benefit by adding some weight to his 187-pound frame. Still, there aren't many CB prospects in this class that are wired the way that Delane is with his tenacity.

Mansoor Delane's Full Scouting Report, Pro Comp

Round 4, 113th Overall

Pick: Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee Tennessee Volunteers logo

Jonathan Taylor isn't going anywhere, but when he's out, the Colts have almost no depth at the running back position. Tyler Goodson and Trey Sermon aren't getting the job done as backup RBs, but the Colts will have an opportunity to pick from a pretty wide selection of running backs in the 2025 draft.

Dylan Sampson would be the most exciting backup to Taylor, bringing a home-run threat to Indy's backfield. He's a shifty running back with excellent burst and top-end speed, allowing him to burn past defenders for explosive plays.

Sampson also has a solid frame for a home-run hitter at 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds. He wouldn't have to be a workhorse behind Taylor, but could bring an ideal change-of-pace play style to the Colts backfield to make their running game even more dangerous.

Round 5, 152nd Overall

Pick: Sebastian Castro, SAF, Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes logo

Kenny Moore can't be the only slot defensive back capable of seeing the field, especially with the need for more versatile defensive backs in today's NFL. Sebastian Castro is one of the most versatile defensive backs in college football, playing in the box and in the slot for the Hawkeyes, making him an ideal fit alongside Moore and the rest of Indy's secondary.

Castro loves to play against the run, playing with excellent intensity while throwing his 205-pound frame around the field. He has outstanding click-close ability, triggering downhill as an alley defender to prevent running backs from breaking away.

Castro still needs to improve his coverage. He lacks discipline and can get caught flat-footed against play-action fakes, and he struggles against more elusive receivers in coverage.

Still, Castro's versatility and competitive toughness would make him a nice addition to a young Colts secondary.

Round 6, 189th Overall

Pick: Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish

What if something happens to Richardson again in 2025? There's nothing wrong with having an experienced backup like Flacco, but he plays a completely different style than Richardson, forcing the offense to change its game plan and how it utilizes the run game.

Riley Leonard would be an ideal backup to a QB like Richardson. He's shown his warts as a passer at Duke and Notre Dame, but he's such an exciting athlete with good elusiveness and play speed as a runner. In four college seasons, he's already run for over 1,800 yards and 32 touchdowns.

There are enough physical tools and athletic ability for Leonard to have the upside of a starting-caliber quarterback. However, there are too many inconsistencies and a lack of top-end arm strength that he'd likely be best projected to be a long-term backup in the NFL for a team like the Colts, who already have another dual-threat QB.

Round 7, 227th OVerall

Pick: Barion Brown, WR, Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats logo

With Richardson's arm strength, it's not a bad idea to take a swing on a receiver in the later rounds with elite top-end play speed.

Barion Brown is an electric playmaker for the Kentucky Wildcats, both on offense and on special teams. He's returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in three college seasons, showing his vision and burst to leave kickoff coverage units in the dust.

There's a lot that Brown still needs to work on as a receiver, and his lighter frame can have him get thrown off of his route against more physical defensive backs.

At the very least, Brown could be a special teams weapon for the Colts and a depth piece at receiver who could push defenses vertically.

Tags: 2025 NFL Draft, Aireonte Ersery, Barion Brown See More

Tyler Brooke

NFL Analyst

Tyler is an experienced NFL writer who has been covering the NFL since 2012. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, FanDuel, SB Nation, and a number of other sites. Along with more than 12 years of experience covering the NFL, Tyler also co-authored "The Science of Football" and is an assistant football coach at Carmel High School in Indiana.

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