Indianapolis Colts draft grades: What Mel Kiper Jr. thinks of the Colts' picks in 2025

Indianapolis Star

27-04-2025

The Indianapolis Colts came away from the 2025 NFL Draft with eight picks, one more than their original allotment. They made just one trade, moving down in the fourth round and gaining an extra pick in the sixth.
Every team loves their picks on draft weekend, though no one truly knows whether a team succeeded for three years. But that doesn't stop the flood of instant grades, and here's what national experts think of the Colts' haul.
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Indianapolis Colts 2025 NFL Draft picks
Round 1, 14th overall: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Round 2, 45th: J.T. Tuimoloau, edge, Ohio State
Round 3, 80th: Justin Walley, CB, Minnesota
Round 4, 127th: Jalen Travis, T, Iowa State
Round 5, 151st: D.J. Giddens, RB, Kansas State
Round 6, 189th: Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Round 6, 190th: Tim Smith, DT, Alabama
: Hunter Wohler, S, Wisconsin
Indianapolis Colts draft grades: What Mel Kiper Jr. thinks of the Colts' picks
Pro Football Focus: B+
Warren: Tyler Warren is everything NFL offenses look for at tight end: a do-it-all player with day-one impact in the run and pass games. The Penn State standout earned an impressive 93.4 PFF receiving grade this past season with incredible efficiency, having averaged 2.78 yards per route run (97th percentile). Anthony Richardson now has a full complement of playmakers to roll with into the 2025 campaign.
Tuimoloau: After losing Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency, the Colts had a void to fill off the edge. Tuimoloau profiles as a high-floor defender with strong leg drive and a fearless approach to playing the run. His 87.3 PFF run-defense grade will fit in well with a Colts defense that produced the third-highest team run-defense grade (75.8) in the NFL last season.
Walley: Walley brings good experience and profiles best as a zone-coverage cornerback. He forced 10 incompletions in 2024 and posted a 71.3 PFF coverage grade. He also allowed just one touchdown and a 57.8 passer rating when targeted.
Travis: Travis is a huge offensive tackle at 6-foot-8 and 339 pounds. He was the starting left tackle for Iowa State last season after transferring from Princeton. He was excellent in pass protection, never allowing three or more pressures, but he earned only a 58.5 run-blocking grade. He will compete for the backup spot behind established veterans Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith.
Giddens: Giddens was the No. 96-ranked player on the PFF Big Board. He posted a PFF rushing grade of 84.0 or higher in each of the past two seasons and a grade above 80.0 on both zone and gap runs in 2024. He will look to carve out a role behind Jonathan Taylor in the Colts' backfield.
Leonard: Leonard will need to improve his throw-to-throw consistency to develop into an NFL starter, but he does provide value as a dual threat and earned a 91.6 deep PFF passing grade in 2024.
Smith: Smith will provide depth and versatility for the Colts' defensive line. His lack of explosion suggests he won't be a plus pass rusher, as his pass-rush win rate was never above 8.0% in a season.
Wohler: Wohler boasted an elite 90.0 coverage grade over the past two seasons. He is a sound tackler, with three straight seasons of 77.0-plus PFF tackling grades. Wohler also logged 452 career special teams snaps.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A
Warren and Tuimoloau were two of my favorite picks early in the draft. Their combination of strength and playmaking ability will help the franchise on both sides of the ball. Walley should provide depth in the secondary.
Travis is a powerful blocker who could step up, with both starters (Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith) entering a contract year. Giddens was the reserve back they needed behind Jonathan Taylor. I projected Leonard as a Day 3 Colts pick because he's a gamer who looks to improve his consistency as a passer.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: C+
I wasn't as enamored with Tyler Warren as the masses, although I do acknowledge he could become the focal point of the offense in Indy like he was at Penn State.
Tuimoloau raises the floor of the defensive end position, and Travis has All-Pro upside at tackle. He's enormous, athletic and balanced. Giddens will be a fun complement to Jonathan Taylor because of his lateral cutting skill. Those were my favorite picks from the Colts.
Walley went early for my liking, and I didn't see an NFL future for Riley Leonard, although the quarterback spot is far from secured on this team. The middle of this class was better than the beginning and the end.
Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated: B
The Colts had to be thrilled in the first round when Warren fell to them at No. 14. Coming out of Penn State, he gives Indianapolis someone who caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards last season, and slots in as an immediate weapon alongside receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce. In the second round, Tuimoloau is a nice value as well, as some thought he was a first-round talent entering the 2024 campaign. He should get plenty of snaps opposite last year's first-rounder in Laiatu Latu.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B
The Colts have to figure out if Anthony Richardson (or even Daniel Jones) is their true franchise quarterback this season. But it's really hard to do that if the quarterback's supporting cast isn't up to snuff.
Step 1 is getting playmakers. Tight end Tyler Warren will move all over this offense and dominate no matter where offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter puts him. Penn State used him as a traditional in-line tight end, an H-back, a fullback, out of the slot and lined up out wide. The Colts' tight end room, led by Kylen Granson, managed 39 catches (last) for 467 yards (second to last) and two TDs (tied for second to last) in 2024. But drafting Warren should change everything there. He had 700 receiving yards after the catch last season.
Suddenly, Richardson has a reliable outlet who can haul in anything and stretch the seams, and Indy didn't have to move up to get my No. 7 prospect. It was really the best-case scenario for GM Chris Ballard on Thursday.
Step 2 is addressing the protection. Remember, the Colts lost Will Fries and Ryan Kelly in free agency. They were 25th in pass block win rate last season (56.4%), and Richardson was one of the worst QBs in the NFL when pressured (20.2 QBR, 24th in the league). I think they fell a little short here. They waited until Day 3 and reached a bit even at that point in the draft, taking offensive tackle Jalen Travis at No. 127. I would have loved guard Marcus Mbow in that spot.
Two more picks to call out. JT Tuimoloau had 12 sacks last season, and the Colts ranked 31st in the NFL with a 26.2% pressure rate in 2024. He has a lot of upside as a second-rounder. And running back DJ Giddens will be a good backup to Jonathan Taylor. Giddens broke 1,200 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons.