The Indianapolis Colts are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with more holes than picks and zero margin for error at the top of the board. When the draft kicks off in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23, Hoosiers watching at home will be waiting a long time to hear Indianapolis on the clock, unless they trade up of course. The Colts do not own a first-round pick, and their opening selection will not come until No. 47 on Day 2.
For a franchise fresh off an 8-9 season and a brutal late-season collapse, this draft matters. Chris Ballard is trying to rebuild depth on a roster that lost key starters to injury and free agency, and he is doing it with just seven selections and no ticket to the first round of the next two drafts. Here is what Colts fans across Indiana need to know before the picks start rolling in.
Why the Colts are sitting out Round 1
The Colts mortgaged their first-round future at the November 2025 trade deadline. In a blockbuster deal, Indianapolis sent its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to the New York Jets in exchange for two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
At the time, the Colts were 7-1 and looked like one of the best teams in the league. The thinking was simple. Pair Gardner with a hot offense led by Daniel Jones and make a Super Bowl push. Then almost everything went wrong. Jones tore his right Achilles in a Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the defense kept leaking, and Indianapolis finished the year losing seven straight and eight of its final nine games.
Gardner, dealing with a left calf strain, appeared in just four games after the trade. The franchise is still betting he will be a cornerstone in 2026 and beyond. The cost of that bet is the reason the Colts have to wait until pick 47 to make their first move.
The Colts' 2026 NFL Draft picks
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Indianapolis is scheduled to make seven of the draft's 257 selections. Here is the full slate:
Round 2: No. 47 overall
Round 3: No. 78