Indianapolis Colts Seven-Round Pre-Combine Mock Draft
By Kyle Nishida
Round 4: Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo (5-foot-11, 201 pounds)
With veteran running back Frank Gore turning 34 this year, the Colts need to find his replacement soon. This year’s running back class is relatively deep, and they can a decent running back like Kareem Hunt midway through the fourth round.
Hunt ran for 1,475 total yards on 262 carries and posted 10 rushing touchdowns in 13 games this past season. As a result, he earned All-Mac 1st-Team honors.
Altogether, he leaves the University of Toledo’s as the school’s all
-time career rushing leader. The Rockets’ star finished his collegiate career with 4,945 career rush yards on 782 carries in 44 games.
Hunt is a solid-sized back and has adequate speed to go along with it. He has very good vision and uses good judgment when trying to cut up the field or bounce the play outside. He runs low to the ground generally falls forward for positive gains at the end of his runs.
Hunt has also shown the ability to be a serviceable receiver out of the backfield. That aspect became a integral part of the Colts’ offense this past season.
The Colts have reportedly shown some interest in Hunt. They met with the 21-year-old running back during the Senior Bowl.
Again, they need to find a replacement for Gore soon. Hunt would be a viable option both immediately and one year later. If Gore shows no signs of slowing down this season, then Hunt can back him up.
The potential alternatives to Hunt would be running backs Wayne Gallman, Jeremy McNichols or James Conner. Troubled running back Joe Mixon could be an option too, but honestly, Ballard probably wants to stay away from him.
After selecting Hunt, the Colts will refocus their efforts to the defensive side of the ball. They can grab another potential starter with their compensatory pick in the fourth round.