The Seahawks, Bears and Colts still have perfect fits on the board for Day 2

There's something special about a first-round NFL Draft pick, but as history tells us, plenty of the names called last night will flame out. On the other hand, plenty of Day 2 and Day 3 picks will outperform expectations and become key contributors at the next level.

For the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, three Super Bowl hopefuls at various stages of competitive development, Friday night's second and third rounds could be a goldmine.

Indianapolis Colts

Based on FanSided's interactive Big Board, which includes five perfect fits for every NFL team, there are four top-50 prospects worth Indianapolis' attention on Day 2 of the draft:

"The Colts defensive line is getting old," writes Lee Vowell of Horseshoe Heroes. The focus for Indianapolis is squarely on beefing up the frontline. Since Indy didn't have a first-round pick, there's elevated pressure to nail their Day 2 selections. Given how the board fell on Day 1, with plenty of surprises and several high-rated prospects tumbling, there's a good chance the Colts are in a position to cash in with the No. 47 pick on Friday night. That puts them right in the general range of all the names outlined above.

Vowell points to UGA defensive tackle Christen Miller as the best (remaining) fit for the Colts, and understandably so. The track record of Bulldogs defenders in the NFL outstrips just about every other program. It's a deep pool to dip one's toes into as a GM. Chris Ballard ought to appreciate what FanSided's NFL Draft expert Mike Luciano describes in his scouting report as "[Miller's] quality run-stuffing and ability to reset the line of scrimmage."

The Colts may also target an edge rusher, with Mizzou's Zion Young — whom Luciano lauds for his "deep toolbox of pass rush moves" and "a motor that will impress" — profiles as the dream outcome if Indianapolis takes that route.

The NFL Draft is full of options, of course, so don't necessarily pencil in an interior pass rusher. FanSided's Cody Williams has the Colts selecting Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, a national champion, at No. 47 in his Day 2 mock draft. Keep your mind open.

Chicago Bears

The Bears addressed a gaping hole in the defensive backfield on Day 1, selectiong Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick. Thieneman is known for his versatility and he was ranked 18th on FanSided's overall big board, so Chicago already has one significant draft win under its belt. Next up: a chance to keep crushing the game on Day 2.

There are three perfect fits left on the board for Chicago, per our team-specific rankings:

Given all the excitement around Ohio State's historic draft class, it was most surprising to see Kayden McDonald tumble out of the first round. But all these names were Day 1 quality, which gives the Bears a chance to strike gold for a second time. Chicago owns the 57th and 60th picks in the second round. That is a tailor-made package to trade up and potentially grab a franchise-changer somewhere in the mid-30s.

McNeil-Warren probably falls off Chicago's board after the Thieneman pick, but the Bears need pass rush help, too. McDonald — the top overall Bears prospect, per Anthony Miller of Bear Goggles On — "needs to be double-teamed to minimize his impact," writes Luciano in his scouting report. While he fears McDonald could become a "one-trick pony" in the NFL, with his primary value as a run-stopper, the Bears desperately need to create more pressure up front. Stopping the run was a huge issue for Chicago all year.

Howell, meanwhile, can set the edge and more adequately address the Bears' pass rush issues, so it's a "pick your poison" situation for Ryan Poles and the Chicago brass.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle quietly wrapped up the first round on Thursday night, selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick. He will effectively replace outgoing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. It will be fascinating to see how the Seahawks proceed without Klint Kubiak calling the shots on offense, but that vaunted Mike Macdonald defense won't be going anywhere — and we can expect Seattle to reinforce it on Day 2 of the draft.

The Seahawks still have four leftover perfect fits from our team-specific board, all on the defensive side:

As with any Super Bowl-winning team, the Seahawks' core got more expensive overnight. That meant real losses in free agency, from Walker's departure for Kansas City, to a variety of defensive dropouts. The Seahawks will generate stops next season, no doubt, but there are a few soft spots to address.

The Seahawks need to strengthen the DB room after Riq Woolen left for Philadelphia. South Carolina's Brandon Cisse is listed as the best overall fit for Seattle, per Lee Vowell of 12th Man Rising. Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, their second-round pick from a year ago, came from the South Carolina DB room, so there's the potential for natural confidence and comfort there.

As for Avieon Terrell, who hails from rival Clemson, he's the highest-ranked overall prospect left on the Seahawks board and another crystal-clear fit. As 12th Man Rising's Jonathan Eig writes, "the Clemson product combines excellent speed with the strength to stand up to NFL receivers." Terrell also "thrives in the zone schemes Seattle favors," so it's a roster fit and an X's-and-O's fit.

Should the Seahawks prefer to add at safety instead, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren hopes to follow in the footsteps of 2024 first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, a fellow Toledo Rocket who made an immediate impact on a Super Bowl-winning Eagles team. He forced nine fumbles in college and stands over 6-foot-3, which is great size for the position. Luciano praises EMW for "some of the best zone coverage instincts in this class," which again sounds pitch-perfect for a potential Seahawks target.

Seattle owns the 64th pick in the second round, but could easily move picks around to trade up with so many appealing talents still available.

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