The Indianapolis Colts announced on May 8 the jersey numbers for their 2026 NFL Draft class, with linebacker CJ Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy sharing the stories behind their selections before their first practice.
Allen, who wore No. 3 at Georgia, said he was assigned No. 53 with the Colts because his college number was already taken by kicker Spencer Shrader. “It all started making sense – 53rd pick,” Allen said. “It’s a great linebacker number, especially here.” The Colts selected Allen in the second round of the draft after trading down from pick No. 47 to No. 53, a number previously worn by former Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
Haulcy wore several numbers during his college career—No. 13 at LSU and Nos. 2 and 24 at Houston and New Mexico—but those were unavailable with the Colts due to other players or retirements honoring Hall of Famer Lenny Moore’s legacy. Instead, Haulcy chose No. 25, which he explained was meaningful as it was his first jersey number when playing organized flag football.
Both rookies described putting on their new jerseys as a significant moment following an extended period between college football and entering the NFL draft process.
“It felt amazing,” Haulcy said. “This was my first time putting on a jersey in a while. Just to get back out there and lace my cleats up and to be a part of this team, it means a lot. I was just very proud when I put on this jersey.”
