Round 2, Pick 53: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 36th
Grade: A+
CJ Allen was a late Round 1 to early Round 2 projected player heading into the draft, so the Colts getting him at 53 after a trade back is highway robbery level steal. CJ Allen bring a high IQ green-dot experience in the Kirby Smart Defense as a starter since 2023.
He is a physical downhill blitzer with excellent range
sideline to sideline and reliable tackling. In coverage he has sound instincts in Zone coverage and has some flashes of man coverage ability against Tight Ends. He might not have the longest arms or is the biggest player, but he has some strong swipes to shed blocks and make tackles downhill.
Allen is also one of the younger players in the draft, so there is upside that he has not reached his ceiling yet. He just turned 21 in March, so there is no telling what he could look like by the end of his rookie contract if he continues to develop.
For the Colts, CJ Allen projects as an immediate starter at MIKE LB in the middle of the field and being the general for Lou Anarumo’s defense. After having extensive experience as the green dot in Georgia’s scheme, Allen should be very prepared for the Lou Anarumo scheme reliant on coverage variety and disguises in both coverage and blitzes pre-snap.
The reason for his slide was a meniscus tear and surgery in November, which also kept him from participating in pre draft testing (but he did do positional drills). However he will be ready for training camp and OTAs and this was his first major injury in his career.
Round 3, Pick 78: AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
Jay Robins’ Big Board Ranking: 43rd
Grade: A
AJ Haulcy was the Best Player Available on my Board and just so happened to be at a need position for the Colts with uncertainty at starting Strong Safety. Hunter Wohler had his flashes in rookie training camp last year, and Juanyeh Thomas showed some promise in 2025 with the Cowboys. But AJ Haulcy is an instant impact clear starting level safety who is equally comfortable as the deep single high and in the box with his blend of speed, power at the hit point, high end ball skills, excellent instincts, and pro ready eyes and clear film study on tape.
He is 6’0 and 215 lbs. with 4.52 speed and his versatility fits perfectly with Lou Anarumo’s Defense. Pairing Haulcy with Cam Bynum covers a ton of ground at a variety of coverage depths and gives Lou Anarumo high IQ communicators on the back end of the defense to make sure the back 7 is in the right place to win. Cam Bynum has a preference at Free Safety so Haulcy will slide into Strong Safety for the Colts for most of his snaps to replace Nick Cross.
J aThe only thing holding the Haulcy pick back from an A+ grade: Positional value. The Colts have other starting level needs at premium positions that they could’ve addressed at 78: Defensive End and Wide Receiver. Still the players available weren’t in the 40s of the Big Board, so can’t split hairs too much and complain about the Colts getting the top player on the board.
