NFL Draft 2019: Indianapolis Colts full NFL mock draft

Round 4 – Pick 129

Joe Jackson, EDGE, Miami

With Jabaal Sheard on the roster and a pair of young edge defenders taken last year, the defensive end position is not an immediate area of concern for the Colts. However, it is still something that they will address in the middle rounds. Sheard will be 30 years old when the season kicks off and could start to decline. Tyquan Lewis, the team’s second-round pick a year ago, flashed at times but is still developing as a pass rusher. Kemoko Turay, the Colts other second-round pick last year, is a smaller pass rusher who may be destined for a complimentary role.

Joe Jackson of Miami gives the team another big bodied defensive end to throw at offensive tackles. Jackson had early-round buzz entering the season. He’s still a very good prospect but this season he showed that he may not be the athlete that the NFL was hoping for. Jackson has room to grow with his pass rush reps. What he does well is set the edge and win with a violent bull rush into the quarterback’s lap. His size, at 6-foot-4 and almost 280 pounds, allows him to bump inside during longer downs and distances.

Jackson is a prospect that many teams may like at numerous positions on their defensive lines. He needs to get better at the mental game before he can show his true prowess on the field. Once he does, he can be a starter-level end for the Colts just as Sheard’s contract is set to expire.

Round 4 – Pick 135

Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma

Another risk for the Colts would be to grab an injured player and hope they return to form. There are three players that fit that mold. Two are Mississippi State’s Jeffrey Simmons, a defensive tackle who will go in the first two rounds and Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown, a speedster that should be gone by the middle of the second round. Where Indianapolis could make an investment is with Oklahoma running back Rodney Anderson.

Anderson has suffered three season-ending injuries over the last four years. When he is healthy, though, he is a do-it-all back who would have been the first running back taken in the draft. Instead Ballard can get great value with little risk at the end of the fourth round. Anderson would join the trio of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins to give Andrew Luck plenty of options at running back. Mack and Anderson can split reps as the primary ball carrier until one of them grabs hold of the reins. If that does not happen, then the Colts have two solid backs at a low cost to run behind their fantastic offensive line.