Draft Expert Has Colts Making Intriguing Pick in Unique Mock

The Indianapolis Colts have prominent needs to bolster their roster ahead of a huge 2025 campaign. While safety, cornerback, and tight end headline the most important positions to address, so is a relief running back to help Jonathan Taylor.

In an interesting mock draft take from Pro Football Focus, Nathan Jahnke highlights only skill positions for all 32 teams in the first round. Indy has their 14th overall selection going to Tennessee's dynamic weapon Dylan Sampson.

Jahnke breaks down why this makes sense for Shane Steichen's offense and getting Taylor help in the backfield.

The Colts need someone who can allow Taylor to take some plays off while leaving the Colts some insurance in case Taylor suffers another injury. Sampson is a smaller, well-rounded running back who gives Shane Steichen someone similar to his backs, as with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers.Nathan Jahnke | PFF

When the Colts had Zack Moss (Cincinnati Bengals), Taylor had a solid backup, and the offense had a change-of-pace running back to keep defenses guessing. While Indy utilized Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson in 2024, they didn't play up to par.

Sampson broke out in 2024 with the Volunteers, compiling 1,491 rushing yards on 258 carries for a robust 5.8 average and an impressive 22 rushing scores. While he didn't have much impact as a receiver, he still fits what Indy needs as a reliever to Taylor.

Plus, the Colts can either continue using Goodson as a receiving specialist or draft/sign another name to form more of a committee approach while Taylor still leads the charge.

Taylor's workload in 2024 was arguably the heaviest he's ever seen. Partially, this is due to Sermon and Goodson's lack of production to form a solid backfield around Taylor. The former league rushing champ averaged 21.6 carries per game (career-high) for 1,431 rushing yards (second-most in career) and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

In this scenario, the Colts take a running back in the first round, but it's not realistic. What is a highly likely reality is Indy will still take a running back in the 2025 NFL draft on day two or three of the event.

Steichen's offense needs more weapons, and the backfield is included. Adding another running back to help Taylor is a smart move, and it can help Anthony Richardson by implementing multiple-back sets for options, defensive manipulation, and opportunities to create big run plays.

The simplicity of it is that Taylor can't sustain 20+ carries on a weekly basis if the Colts want him to stick around for years ahead. It's fair to say Taylor is still in his prime, but to ensure that prime lasts, they need to give the former Wisconsin Badger help.

Look for Indianapolis to heed this and select a worthy running back to add some electricity to Steichen's ground game, potentially assisting Richardson as well.

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