The NFL draft has come and gone, and teams are now ready to get to work with their new squads. For the Indianapolis Colts, this includes eight new players that they picked up in the draft and 10 free agents.

Going into the draft, the Colts were in need of defensive players. They lost multiple defensive starters in free agency and needed to reload on that end. With the additional losses of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and offensive tackle Brandon Smith, there were multiple holes that needed to be filled.

There was a big lack of depth on the defense, so their primary needs were linebacker and defensive end. The Colts had previously traded linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and were lacking a leader in that position. Receivers and depth on the offensive line were also a focus, needing to provide more options than just Alec Pierce.

With their first pick and the 47th overall, the Colts picked linebacker CJ Allen from Georgia. This was a direct need the Colts had, so Allen may be expected to start right away. Allen was a finalist for the Butkus Award, an annual honor recognizing the best linebackers across all levels of football. Allen should be able to make an impact immediately, and the Colts will need it.

In the third round, the Colts selected A.J. Haulcy, a safety from LSU. After losing safety Nick Cross to the Commanders, the Colts required help in the secondary and did seek out help in free agency, adding safeties Joanathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas to the roster. However, any depth is a positive thing and will add to a defense that was already lacking, even before all of the trades.

With their fourth round picks, the Colts selected guard Jalen Farmer from Kentucky 113th overall and linebacker Bryce Boettcher from Oregon 135th overall. Farmer was a strong player during his career, allowing the fifth-lowest pass pressure in the FBS. Boettcher adds depth to a position that was lacking in it and can work alongside Allen to improve a defense that was not at its best last year, ranking 23rd overall, according to Fox Sports.

The next two picks were both defensive ends. George Gumbs Jr. from Florida, who was picked 156th overall in the fifth round, and Caden Curry from Ohio State, who was the 214th overall pick in the sixth round. While the Colts did need defensive players, the passing defense was a problem last year, and the Colts need an edge. Curry only played one season as a starter at Ohio State, so he might take more time to develop and not make an immediate impact.

In the last round of the draft, the Colts finally decided to address their offensive needs, picking running back Seth McGowan from Kentucky and wide receiver Deion Burks from Oklahoma. While Jonathan Taylor is an amazing first option, McGowan can provide depth at the position and learn from Taylor as he grows. Burks is on the smaller size, which caused him to fall in the draft, but he was impressive at the combine. He will provide another option for Daniel Jones at quarterback and has great speed.

Overall, the Colts did well at the draft, filling most needs they had and adding depth at positions that were lacking it. However, there are still some gaps in the team, and the defense could be stronger. They brought in strong rookies, but they will not replace the experience they lost on that end.

The offense is looking better, but could still use more depth at running back and the offensive line. To me, the Colts get a ‘B’ for this draft. They did well, but did not do as well as they could have, especially if they had a first-round pick.