ESPN Reveals Colts' Biggest 2025 NFL Draft Need

The upcoming 2025 NFL draft will be an interesting one for the Indianapolis Colts. They're a roster with pressing needs on both sides of the football as they rank near the bottom of the league in total yards and scoring on offense and defense. They're fortunate to be in the playoff hunt a 6-7, but this group is likely still a few pieces away from serious contention.

Yet, when looking ahead to this offseason's draft, ESPN and Stephen Holder singled out one specific area of the Colts roster that needs to be addressed, labeling their biggest need as a plan for a future on the defensive end beyond their current key pieces.

"The Colts are quickly getting older on defense, with interior linemen DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart turning 31 and 32, respectively, by Week 1 in 2025," Holder said. "They also have key free agents in edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo and outside linebacker E.J. Speed. Now is probably the time to get ahead of things and address some of these positions before their needs become even more pressing."

There could be a wide range of areas to tackle in the draft rather than the front seven, whether that be in the secondary or at the tight end position, but ESPN sees a bit more concern in a group that has both age and contract concerns heading into this offseason.

The Colts' front seven is also a group that could benefit from some reinforcements this spring based on how they've defended both in the air and on the ground throughout 13 weeks of this season.

Indianapolis ranks 26th in the NFL for total passing yards allowed, and 31st in rushing. It's been far from pretty defensively for the Colts this year, and it'd be hard to see things improving if Dayo Odeyingbo or E.J. Speed leave in the open market. Even if both pending free agents remain on the roster, the need for young talent in this group has been made apparent.

Therefore, positions like linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle could be atop the priority list in the first round for Indianapolis during the coming months. Keep a look out for guys like Alabama's Deontae Lawson, Georgia's Jalon Walker, and Oregon's Derrick Harmon to be frequently paired with the Colts in mocks leading up to late April, as each could patch a notable concern for the future of this defense.