Who will the Indianapolis Colts draft with their first pick?

Xavier Mckinney Alabama

Who will the Indianapolis Colts draft with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 34 overall, barring no trades? We breakdown which player it will be and check out our Mock Draft for round 2 on all our other picks for round 2.

Back in March, general manager Chris Ballard made a significant splash, dealing his first-rounder (#13 overall) to San Francisco for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The front office proceeded to sign Buckner to a lucrative five-year extension worth $84M. That deal makes the 26-year-old the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind Aaron Donald.

While the 13th pick was a significant haul for Buckner, it wasn’t incredibly surprising that Ballard pulled the trigger. The front office had obsessively been pursuing a star addition to their defensive front, and the 6-foot-7, 295-pound defensive tackle more than fits the bill.

After being selected in the First Round of the 2016 draft, Buckner spent the first four seasons of his career in San Francisco, including a 2018 campaign that saw him compile 12 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl selection. This past season, Bucker earned a second-team All-Pro nod after finishing with 62 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He also had a standout performance in the Super Bowl, collecting 1.5 sacks and three QB hits.

Perhaps most importantly, Buckner has shown that he’s incredibly reliable, as he hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season. That means you’ll be hearing plenty of his name, as he joins a revamped defensive line that also includes Justin Houston, Kemoko Turay, Denico Autry, and Grover Stewart.

This will be the second straight season that the Colts will be operating without a first-round rookie. Last year, Ballard traded the #26 pick to the Redskins for a pair of second-rounders (the Colts later traded one of those seconds to the Browns for another second and a third). The Colts also traded back from #3 to #6 in 2018, allowing the Jets to take quarterback Sam Darnold.

Of course, just because they don’t have their first-rounder in 2020, it doesn’t mean the Colts don’t have any ammo heading into the draft. The team is still armed with seven individual picks, including:

  • 2nd Round, 34th overall (via Washington)
  • 2nd Round, 44th overall
  • 3rd Round, 75th overall
  • 4th Round, 122nd overall
  • 5th Round, 160th overall
  • 6th Round, 193rd overall
  • 6th Round, 197th overall

Bet on who the Indianapolis Colts will draft with their first pick

You can bet on who the Colts will draft first at DraftKings, the current betting odds are:

Wide Receiver +140
Defensive Line +400
Linebacker +400
Quarterback +400
Offensive Line +700
Cornerback +900
Safety +1000
Linebacker +1200

NFL Draft Betting Draftkings

Betting Pick: Player Position of Colts First Player – Safety at +1000

The Colts will pick early in the Second Round, and they could look to add to either their offensive line or secondary. Cesar Ruiz and Isaiah Wilson were drafted on day one but Robert Hunt, Josh Jones, and Ezra Cleveland could be options among lineman. There are good secondary options like Jeremy Chinn, Grant Delpit, Kyle Dugger available.

It’s a shock to see Xavier McKinney still on the board; he was expected to go first Round in many mock drafts. He’s the best player currently available and at +1000, I’ll take a shot that the Colts draft a safety McKinney still on the board. It’s an official play in our NFL Draft prop bets.

Considering the Colts have two selections between 34 and 44, it wouldn’t be shocking if they came away with two of those players mentioned above.

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