Colts Favored to Take Clemson WR Tee Higgins With First Pick in Draft – See Odds on Who They Take

• The Indianapolis Colts first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft will be the No. 34 selection (second round)
• The Colts traded away their first round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner
• The Colts biggest needs are at wide receiver and cornerback, so who will they go with?

The Indianapolis Colts had a productive offseason, headlined by the acquisition of both DeForest Buckner and Philip Rivers.

After solving some key problems, they have a number of ways they can go with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which is now the 34th overall pick at the top of the second round after sending their first to San Francisco in the Buckner trade.

Clemson’s outside receiver Tee Higgins is the favorite to be selected, with his Tigers teammate A.J. Terrell listed as second co-favorite along with Baylor WR Denzel Mims and Alabama corner Trevon Diggs.

Indianapolis Colts 2020 Top Draft Pick Odds

Odds as of Mar. 31.

What Holes Do the Colts Have?

The Colts have some serious questions at wide receiver and cornerback, which is why the top four players favored with this prop all fit those positions.

It’s Mock Draft Monday, and we’re officially one month away from it all kicking off!#Colts fans, which option do you prefer? A, B, C, or D? pic.twitter.com/Y7fv3uPyYu

— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) March 23, 2020

At receiver, the Colts have TY Hilton, who was banged up last season but is a quality No. 1 option. The issue is who is there for depth? Guys like Zach Pascal and Marcus Johnson don’t offer much. The team did spend a second-round pick on Parris Campbell last year, so they may choose to stick with him and focus on the defensive side of the ball.

At corner, the team surprisingly cut Pierre Desir, who was a quality player at the position, according to Pro Football Focus. They signed Xavier Rhodes in the hopes that he regains his form as a solid starter and they still have Kenny Moore II and T.J. Carrie. It’s not a great group and they could definitely use a boost.

For a 38-year-old QB, Philip Rivers is walking into a hell of a situation w/ the Colts. QB expert at head coach, elite offensive line in front of him, great young RB to hand off to, TY Hilton/Jack Doyle/likely more offensive weapons in the draft to throw to.

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 17, 2020

Their other big needs would be an edge rusher. They had just 41 sacks last season but the addition of Buckner and getting back a healthy Kemeko Turay might be all they need to do here. Beyond that, the Colts should be looking at a quarterback of the future but that’s probably not something they’re doing with their top pick.

What’s the Best Bet?

I would guess that the Colts address wide receiver and corner with their two second-round picks. However, I’m betting on a cornerback at No. 34. There are plenty of good wideouts available as it’s a deep class, so the Colts are more likely to wait there.

As far as which corner they go with, I would bet on Trevon Diggs. The younger brother of now-Buffalo Bills wideout Stefon Diggs, he has good pedigree coming out of Alabama. Diggs missed most of 2018 due to injury, but had a strong season for the Tide last year recording three interceptions and eight passes defended.

As of now, Diggs is projected as a second-rounder but much of that depends on how the draft plays out. If top corners C.J. Henderson and Kristian Fulton start going in the teens, guys like Diggs and Jaylon Johnson might not last the first round.

However, if the run is on wideouts instead, someone like Diggs is a good fit to land with the Colts.

In my view, we’re going to see a run on wideouts late in the 20’s with teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints drafting in that range. That should allow the Colts to have a good shot at Diggs when they’re on the clock.