Colts draft rumors: Indy willing to trade back again
The Indianapolis Colts have already traded down once in this year’s NFL Draft, but that won’t prevent the team from doing it again if the value is right.
Many NFL teams are hesitant to move too far down in the NFL Draft but apparently the Indianapolis Colts aren’t one of those franchises. They are willing to move down in the 2018 NFL Draft for a second time if the price is right.
The team made the decision to deal with the New York Jets to drop from the third to the sixth spot in the first round a few weeks ago. The Colts are dealing from a position of relative strength due to their belief that Andrew Luck remains their quarterback of the future. That belief allows them to take advantage of quarterback needy teams that feel compelled to move up in the first round.
It’s still surprising that general manager Chris Ballard admitted his willingness to move down again so openly. He told the NFL Network that his team would be open to moving down again as long as they felt comfortable with the remaining players on their draft board.
The Colts could be a potential trade partner for the Miami Dolphins or the Buffalo Bills. Both teams have significant needs at the quarterback position and are armed with the 11th and 12th picks the draft, respectively. It’s easy to see one of those franchises wanting to overpay to move up and get their preferred quarterback prospect.
It is hard to see that sort of move materializing before the draft begins though. Indianapolis will want to see the First Round take shape to make sure their preferred prospects can last that long. They may not need a quarterback, but they undoubtedly have their favorites among the top players at other positions. For example, if they really believe guard Quenton Nelson is a lock to be a Pro Bowler, they may not be able to project him dropping so far down the first round until they see the first four or five selections.
Quarterback-needy teams will also want to see which prospects go off the board early. The Miami Dolphins or Buffalo Bills might really be motivated to move into the Colts’ slot if one of the top four quarterbacks start to drop.
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The Colts have a number of needs to fill in this year’s Draft and they may trade down one more time to help accumulate the assets necessary to fill multiple holes. That isn’t the most exciting draft strategy for their fans, but it might be the most productive one for the franchise’s long-term success.