Here are Colts' best available players, including Shedeur Sanders, for Day 3 of NFL draft
The Colts need a third quarterback and Shedeur Sanders is available
The Colts need a right guard and Purdue's Marcus Mbow is still on the board
There are still interesting option at running back as the Colts look to supplement Jonathan Taylor
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts are onto Day 3 of the NFL Draft with a couple of key spots to fill out on the roster, including a couple of starting roles.
After selecting Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the first round, the Colts went after a pair of needs with Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau in the second and Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley in the third.
But they still need starters at right guard and weak-side linebacker as well as depth at running back, tackle, quarterback and defensive line, among other spots.
Here are 10 available prospects who could fit what they're looking for:
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Colts have said they are open to drafting a quarterback, and they could use one to replace Sam Ehlinger after he departed to the Broncos.
And one quarterback just happens to have had a stunning draft fall. After being projected as a first-round pick in many places, Shedeur Sanders has somehow lasted all the way until Day 3. That could be due to concerns about the personality of Deion Sanders' son. It could be in his lack of dynamic mobility or arm strength.
But after completing 74% of his passes for 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, he certainly profiles for at least a backup opportunity. It might be too much drama to introduce to a quarterback situation as muddy as this one, but the value could be there to at least consider it.
Marcus Mbow, G, Purdue
The Colts need to find a starter at right guard to replace Will Fries, and it could be worth going after it early on Day 3.
Marcus Mbow will be one of the options on their radar. He fell to Day 3 because he doesn't profile the best at right tackle, where he started 12 games as an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten performer last season but where his 6-4, 303-pound frame is a stretch to make it at the next level. But move that frame inside to right guard, where he started 20 games across the 2022-2023 seasons, and he suddenly has a nice athletic profile that can fit the Colts' zone blocking concepts well.
Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
The Colts need a running back to play behind Jonathan Taylor, both to take some wear off of him as well as to handle the receiving and pass protection duties that Taylor doesn't fit so well.
At 6 feet and 217 pounds, Damien Martinez strikes comparisons to the way Zack Moss filled this role so effectively in 2023. He's run for 1,000 yards at two different schools, at Miami and Oregon State. He also uses that bullying size to be a high-end pass protector, and he has proven to be an effective receiver, especially on screen passes, when he can gain some steam in the open field.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Another running back with size and pass protection skills is Ollie Gordon, who also comes with a good amount of production. Gordon was one of the best running backs in the game in 2023, when he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting with 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. Oklahoma State's program cratered last season as defenses converged to stop him, and he fell to 880 yards but still had 13 rushing scores.
At 6-1 and 226 pounds, Gordon can bring a violent rushing style as well as the pass protection the Colts are looking for, and he's a viable enough receiver with 80 catches across three seasons.
Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
The Colts' biggest positional need left is at weak-side linebacker after allowing EJ Speed to walk in free agency following a year where coverage, blitzing and tackling eluded their linebacking corps.
Smael Mondon Jr. could be a start to improving some of those areas. At 6-2 and 224 pounds, he profiles as an athletic coverage linebacker but also brought physicality to one of the best defenses in the country at Georgia. He collected 57 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks and three pass-breakups in 10 games last season.
He did miss four contests with a leg injury and had surgery on a stress fracture in his foot this spring, so he will need to check out in medicals to become a pick with starter upside. But that's what he offers with measurables like a 4.58-second 40-yard dash and a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump.
Bryce Cabeldue, OG, Kansas
At this stage in the draft, the Colts might be best looking at tackle prospects who profile much stronger at the position they need to fill at right guard.
Bryce Cabeldue fits that description. At 6-4 and 306 pounds, he doesn't offer the length to hold up in pass protection on the edge, and it's something he'll have to work through in certain matchups on the inside. But he can be a mauling presence in the run game and could develop better technique in his hands in pass protection to be an adequate starter in time.
Jordan James, RB, Oregon
If the Colts want to look more at a scat back type, they could zero in on Jordan James. He was a key part of Oregon's 13-0 start and No. 1 ranking entering the College Football Playoff by contributing 1,267 rushing yards and 15 scores as a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
At 5-9 1/2 and 205 pounds, he plays fast but doesn't have the best vision yet. He plays bigger than his size indicates and could be a fit as a No. 3 running back.
Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Riley Leonard has started for two major programs at Duke and Notre Dame and just guided the Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He displays high-end leadership and strong accuracy after completing 66.7% of his passes last season. He's a mobile player with 906 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground last season.
Leonard can struggle with turnovers and doesn't have the downfield arm to compete to be a starter. But he could be a player the Colts develop into a No. 2 in a year's time.
Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech
The Colts found their edge rusher in Ohio State's JT Tuimoloau, but they could use some depth on the interior as well after moving on from Raekwon Davis and Taven Bryan.
Aeneas Peebles has a fun profile. He's undersized at 6-0 1/2 and 282 pounds, but he can fly with a 4.94-second 40-yard dash. He turned that athleticism into disruption last season by racking up 6.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks as a third-team All-American at Virginia Tech.
Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
The Colts like to find project offensive linemen late in the draft and could have a need to develop a future swing tackle if Matt Goncalves grows into a starter at right tackle in a year.
Carson Vinson has massive size at 6-7 and 314 pounds, and he boasts a top-10 athleticism score among tackle prospects on NFL.com. He logged 44 starts but at a lower level of competition in at the FCS level. He will need a full year in an NFL strength program before he can see the field, but the Colts could have a good environment for that if they want to spend a draft pick and try to move him to the practice squad.
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Los Angeles Times
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USA Today
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