The Colts’ receiver room has already gone through a major reset, and that makes the 2027 draft worth watching closely.
A year ago, Indianapolis could line up with Michael Pittman working as the physical X, Alec Pierce stretching the field as the Z, Josh Downs operating out of the slot and Adonai Mitchell giving them another perimeter option with a promising ceiling. Now Pittman is in Pittsburgh and Mitchell is a Jet. Pierce is set to take on some of Pittman’s old responsibilities, but exactly how Shane Steichen uses him is still up in the air.
That leaves a clear opening on the other side of the formation. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is in the mix, and the free agent brings size and some big-play flashes, but he has never played in a truly dangerous offense and the early returns have not exactly popped.
Rookie Deion Burks is another intriguing name, and he could potentially grow into Pierce’s deep-threat role. But that is still a question, not an answer.
So if the Colts are shopping for more help in the 2027 draft, the college season will offer some names to track. Indianapolis does not currently own a first-round pick in that class after Chris Ballard sent it away in the Sauce Gardner deal, which means Jeremiah Smith is off the board for them.
The Ohio State star is likely to go near the top of the draft, maybe even No. 1 overall. Still, teams find receiver value outside the first round all the time.
None of the three players below is currently projected as a first-rounder, though that can change fast once the season gets rolling. Each has the size to fill the kind of role Pittman handled for the Colts over the last five years, even if Pierce’s usage in 2026 ultimately changes what Indianapolis wants from the position.
Ryan Wingo at Texas looks the part right away. At 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, he has the frame to deal with press coverage and the 4.36 speed to run away from defenders who get too aggressive.
Over two seasons, he has 83 catches and a 15.7 yards-per-catch average. After spending his freshman year behind 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden, he became WR1 as a sophomore and responded with seven touchdowns and more than 800 receiving yards.
He also brings value as an outside blocker, which NFL teams love.
The upside is obvious, but Wingo is still unfinished. Drops have been an issue, and he has been more effective on vertical routes than on short and intermediate work.
Even so, he is very young and still trending up. If he makes a big leap in 2026, he could play himself out of range for a team without a first-round pick.
Nyck Harbor might be the most jaw-dropping athlete of the group. The South Carolina receiver checks in at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, and he has reportedly been timed at 4.24 in the 40.
That kind of size-speed combination is almost absurd. He has only 68 catches across three college seasons, and the concerns are the same ones that follow Wingo: route-running, drops and contested catches.
But the ceiling is enormous. If Wingo resembles a faster Michael Pittman, Harbor has the look of a Calvin Johnson type, or at least DK Metcalf.
He is also one of the best blocking receivers in the college game.
KJ Duff may be the cleanest fit of the three. Rutgers listed him at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, and while he does not have the same explosive speed as Wingo or Harbor, he looked more polished in 2025.
His route running and contested-catch ability are real strengths, and he can bully smaller defenses on deep balls. More importantly for Indianapolis, he looks like the kind of receiver who can work the intermediate areas the way Pittman did.
At Rutgers last season, he posted 60 catches and more than 1,000 yards, good for 18 yards per grab.
Of the three, Duff is the one to keep the closest eye on. His lack of top-end speed could keep his stock in check, and that might push him into range for the Colts in round two.
If that happens, he would fit neatly alongside Pierce, Downs and tight end Tyler Warren. And yes, he would look pretty good in speed blue.
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