While it’s certainly too early to even begin thinking about who the Colts will select next April, it’s not too early to put together some prospect watch lists for the 2024 college football season.
Pro Football Focus recently went through all 11 positions and picked the top 10 draft prospects from each. Here is who they chose at wide receiver. For more details on each player, click here.
Luther Burden III, Missouri
On paper, wide receiver shouldn’t be a pressing need for the Colts next offseason. Michael Pittman is under contract through the 2026 season, while Josh Downs will be entering Year 3 of his four-year rookie deal and Adonai Mitchell Year 2. The Colts will also have Alec Pierce under contract for one more season as well.
However, there is also no such thing as having too much playmaking, especially as the Colts will want to continue building around Anthony Richardson–not to mention that teams are always looking to bolster the competition on the back-end of the roster.
“When you’ve got a young quarterback, you’ve got to protect him,” said GM Chris Ballard prior to this year’s draft. “You want to continue to add playmakers around him.”
PFF notes that while the 2025 receiver class won’t be as deep as this past year’s, it will still feature some “fantastic” pass-catching options. As we’ve seen on numerous occasions in recent years, with how much talent is at the receiver position at the college level, finding immediate impact help doesn’t necessarily require a team to spend a first or even a second-round pick.
Given who the Colts will have returning at receiver in 2025, adding to this unit won’t be a must by any means, and if they don’t add to it at all, they should still be in good shape.
With that said, I also wouldn’t be surprised if addressing this position group in the middle to latter portion of the draft ends up on Ballard’s radar.
Next year, the Colts are slated to have seven draft picks, one in each round. They are not projected to receive any compensatory selections.
