Colts Have One Massive Question Following NFL Draft

With the 2025 NFL Draft in the rear-view mirror, the Indianapolis Colts' class of prospects is officially finalized, with eight new young pieces coming into the fold, evenly split between four offensive and four defensive guys through their seven rounds of action.

All in all, the Colts managed to haul in some good value while also patching up some big needs on the roster. Of course, the biggest of those being tight end with the pickup of Tyler Warren in the middle of the first.

Yet, even with a productive draft in the books, ESPN's Stephen Holder outlined one glaring question the Colts' roster has following their assortment of offseason moves: Have they done enough at linebacker?

"Weakside starter E.J. Speed left for the Texans in free agency, leaving middle linebacker Zaire Franklin as the only player in the unit with more than two career starts," Holder wrote. "Still, the Colts waited until the seventh round to draft Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler, who is a safety the Colts intend to convert to linebacker. This is a vulnerable area for the Colts, who already had challenges in coverage down the middle of the field last season."

It's a fair question to ask for the Colts brass. Entering this offseason, Indianapolis already had a need drawn up at their linebacker position following a season led by Zaire Franklin, and a need for other playmakers alongside him in their core of linebackers.

Losing a name like E.J. Speed to the Houston Texans only emphasized that concern, but there weren't many movements made to the depth chart through free agency or the draft. Now, Franklin will look to lead once again, now next to 2024 fifth-round pick Jaylon Carlies and Segun Olubi, who enters his fourth year on this Colts defense.

Indianapolis did a great job this offseason of providing boosts within the secondary through the draft and free agency, thanks to earlier additions like veterans Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum, and newly-acquired prospect Justin Walley from Minnesota to avoid the same pitfalls the unit encountered last season.

But without any major upgrades in the second level of this defense, the linebacker core, and perhaps the collective unit, could be primed for another season of struggle.

The implementation of Lou Anarumo from the Cincinnati Bengals and various secondary pieces should help push the needle forward, but having holes within the middle of the field for both pass coverage and run defense could be what ultimately stops this unit from becoming ranked within the top half of the NFL.

It's been four years since the Colts have ranked within the top half of the NFL for scoring defense and yards allowed, and it was that year Indianapolis saw its last postseason appearance. Simply put, getting the offense right is important, but the other side could have just as much, if not more, urgency to iron out for that aspired success.

Keep an eye on if the Colts decide to bolster their linebacker core before the season finally kicks off come September. If not, it could be another interesting year for this Indianapolis defense.

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