Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) stands on the field during pregame warmups against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Travis Register-Imagn Images

Colts' Rookie Class Ranks Toward Bottom in Yearly Review

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Sean Ackerman | Last updated Jan 14, 2026 2:32 PM ET

Less than a year ago, the Indianapolis Colts were analyzing the 2025 NFL draft class after another disappointing season. The Colts will get that same opportunity in 2026, but first, it's important to review how last year's draft went.

The Colts held the 14th overall pick, which they used to select Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, who was a much-needed addition to Shane Steichen's offense. Warren led all tight ends in receiving yards for a good chunk of the year, but Daniel Jones' injury caused a severe fall-off in production.

Picking Warren was the best selection the Colts made, but it was also the most obvious. ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz took the time to rank all 32 rookie classes, and the Colts wound up at 24th, primarily because of Warren.

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"How much do you value one player on a list like this?" Schatz wrote. "The Colts got a fantastic showing from first-round tight end Tyler Warren, who had 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored a touchdown on the ground. But after Warren, there's a significant falloff in production from the Colts rookies, most of whom played limited seasons."

Schatz is right. Second-round pick JT Tuimoloau played in 13 games, but he was only on the field for less than 20% of the Colts' defensive snaps. Tuimoloau finished with 17 total tackles and zero sacks in his first professional season.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard has used a ton of draft capital on defensive line picks that haven't panned out. Granted, Tuimoloau still has plenty of time to develop, but getting zero sacks out of a second-round pick is less than ideal.

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Moving down the list, third-round corner Justin Walley and seventh-round safety Hunter Wohler both missed their rookie season due to injury.

Fourth-round tackle Jalen Travis started four games in place of the injured Braden Smith, giving the rookie some needed experience before he takes that next step in becoming a full-time starter.

Fifth-rounder DJ Giddens was meant to help share the load with Jonathan Taylor, but the Colts hardly used the rookie, opting to play veteran Ameer Abdullah instead.

At the bottom of the list are Riley Leonard and Tim Smith, with the latter never touching the field. Leonard looked decent in his one start, so the Colts may have their backup quarterback of the future.

Circling back to Walley, the Colts believe that he could be something special. Chris Ballard and Lou Anarumo both mentioned him at the end of the season, with Anarumo saying that Walley may have had the best training camp of any corner he's seen.

It's impossible to have a full understanding of how this draft class will turn out, but for now, only one pick has been transformed into a key player. Without a first-round pick this year, the Colts will need Ballard to find some late-round steals to help take the Colts over the hump in 2026.

This article first appeared on Indianapolis Colts on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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