Draft grades always come with a bit of caution. Right now, the only thing we can really evaluate is value based on where players were selected compared to how they were ranked across major boards. That gives us a sense of whether the Colts let the board fall to them or reached for need. The actual quality of these picks, though, won’t be known for at least two to three years once these players are on the field and developing.

Allen graded out as one of the best value picks the Colts made. Every major board had him comfortably inside the top 50, with most closer to the 30 range. Getting him at 53 means the Colts let the board come to them and landed a player who slipped for no real reason based on public evaluation.

Haulcy is another clean value pick. The rankings are very tight across the board, mostly sitting in the 50–60 range. Sliding to 78 gave the Colts a player who should have gone a full round earlier based on consensus. It’s the type of pick that shows discipline.

Farmer lands right around where he was expected to go. Some boards had him inside the top 100, while others pushed him into the mid-Day 3 range. The Colts essentially split the difference here. It’s not a steal, but it’s a reasonable pick with some slight upside depending on which board you trust more.

Boettcher feels like a true “board match” selection. There’s some variance in rankings, but most projections land him in this general range. The Colts didn’t reach, but they also didn’t steal one here. It’s a steady, logical Day 3 pick.

Gumbs is maybe the only pick that leans toward a reach. Most boards had him going later, some significantly later. It’s not egregious at this point in the draft, but the Colts clearly valued him more than the consensus. This is a traits-over-consensus type of selection.

Curry sits right in the range where late-round picks tend to flatten out. Some boards had him a bit higher, others closer to where he was taken. There’s no strong argument either way. This is a fine depth pick with reasonable value.

McGowan trends slightly toward value, mainly because PFF and ESPN were higher on him than where he ultimately went. My board had him closer to this range, so it balances out a bit. Still, getting him near the end of the draft gives the Colts a low-risk upside play.

Burks is the outlier in the entire class. Every major board had him as a Day 2 player, some even higher. Getting him at 254 is borderline absurd from a value standpoint. When a player falls this far, there are usually underlying concerns, but strictly based on rankings, this is one of the biggest steals of the draft.