Insider: Why linebacker was a bigger draft need for Colts than it seemed

Colts GM and coach give their thoughts on the 2019 Draft class Indianapolis Star

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts’ draft needs seemed pretty set in stone for most of the spring.

Pass rush, preferable off the edge. Wide receiver. Depth in the secondary, both at safety and cornerback. If Chris Ballard ever threw a curveball in among those needs, it was usually the offensive line, a position where the Indianapolis general manager wants to constantly add talent.

Then the draft arrived, and the Colts spent three picks on linebackers, a need that was rarely mentioned this offseason. Ballard drafted TCU’s Ben Banogu in the second round, Stanford’s Bobby Okereke in the third and Tarleton State’s E.J. Speed in…