Colts announce signing of 5 rookie draft picks, as well as 7 UDFAs
The Colts inked first round rookie Laiatu Latu to a first-year contract, as well has some others to kick off minicamp.
The Indianapolis Colts announced on Friday that the team has signed UCLA edge Laiatu Latu (Round 1, 15th overall), Mizzou linebacker Jaylon Carlies (5th round, 151st overall), Auburn cornerback Jaylin Simpson (5th round, 164th overall), Marshall cornerback Micah Abraham (6th round, 201st overall), and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (7th round, 234th overall) to rookie contracts from their recent 2024 NFL Draft class.
The Colts also officially announced seven priority rookie UDFA signings: Kansas quarterback Jason Bean, North Carolina State running back Trent Pennix, Notre Dame placekicker Spencer Shrader, BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis, Marshall offensive guard Dalton Tucker, Texas Tech wide receiver Xavier White, and Kansas linebacker Craig Young.
The Colts also announced the waiving of wideout Terrell Bynum.
The timing is obviously ideal for some of these Colts rookies, as rookie minicamp kicks off this weekend (May 10-12th) at Indianapolis team headquarters. Getting their rookie contracts done allows them to fully participate athletically and focus purely on football.
Obviously, the biggest name of the batch is Latu, who was the Colts’ 15th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft (*and the first defensive player chosen in the entire draft) and has the chance to make an immediate impact—as a polished pass rusher, even as a rookie, featuring a wide array of moves and counters at his disposal. This assures whatever learning curve Latu may have had is even lower as a rookie, as it’s all about football right now.