The Colts drafted McGowan in Round 7 of the 2026 NFL Draft to compete with D.J. Giddens for the backup role behind Jonathan Taylor. Whoever wins this battle will be worth a roster spot early in the season in case something happens to Taylor. McGowan did score 12 touchdowns in his final college season, but he is also age 24 and never topped 1,000 yards rushing in a college season. In Dynasty, don't take McGowan before Round 4 in a rookie draft. Pay attention to the reports on camp battles before you choose to roster Giddens or McGowan in redraft.
Fantasy News
Colts' Seth McGowan: Gets start in preseason opener
Rotowire
McGowan carried the ball five times for 17 yards in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Patriots. He also lost a fumble.
The rookie seventh-round pick got the start in the Colts' backfield with Jonathan Taylor held out and DJ Giddens (hamstring) sidelined, but McGowan didn't exactly impress in his opportunity. Taylor's the unquestioned RB1 for Indy, if not the centerpiece of the offense, but if he were to suffer an injury, McGowan could find himself handling the bulk of the early-down and goal-line work in the backfield with Giddens having done little to establish himself as a rookie last year.
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Colts' Seth McGowan: Taken by Indianapolis
Rotowire
The Colts selected McGowan in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 237th overall.
McGowan had a tumultuous college career, which saw him dismissed from Oklahoma's program after being arrested in April of 2021. He didn't see the field again until 2024 with New Mexico State and ended his college career with Kentucky in 2025, when he turned 165 carries into 725 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 19 catches for 126 yards over 11 games. McGowan has good size with a 6-foot, 223-pound frame, and he has the flexibility and strength to move around defenders, though he's not as explosive as other backfield prospects. There will be questions around his character heading into his NFL rookie season, but he'll have the opportunity to prove himself in Indianapolis, where he'll compete against DJ Giddens and Ulysses Bentley for rotational snaps behind lead back Jonathan Taylor.
