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Colts GM Chris Ballard on NFL Draft Strategy: ‘We will always take the best player’

By Luke Schultheis

Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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In an interview with Inside Indiana Business’ Bill Benner, new Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard recently shared his NFL Draft strategy.

While the Colts have a number of holes–namely on defense, Ballard stressed that the Colts will always select the ‘best player on their board’ regardless of need:

"Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports“Look, we will always take the best player,” said Ballard during his Inside Indiana Business interview. “What happens is when you start reaching for needs, you pass on a player who ends up having a long career, and I think in the long-term, when you take the best player at that point in the round that you have ranked correctly, those guys end up playing longer.”"

Specifically, Ballard went on to mention one of the Colts best selections in recent franchise history, when Indianapolis drafted franchise wide receiver great Reggie Wayne with the 30th overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft–despite a number of defensive needs:

"“Even if you have depth, I always go back to what (former general manager) Bill Polian did when he took Reggie Wayne,” added Ballard. “Really everyone was clamoring for defense, clamoring for defense, and all of a sudden here’s Reggie Wayne. They thought he was going to have a long career. Pretty special player, and they took him, and he went on to have a great career for a long time for the Colts.”"

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne (87) waves to the crowd after the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne (87) waves to the crowd after the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s worth noting that Colts fans have still seen the opposite side of this spectrum; however, as the team selected failed wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez with the 32nd overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, as well as Phillip Dorsett with the 29th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft–having already had talented wide receivers atop their depth chart.

Because of injuries, Gonzalez was a bust, while Dorsett has been pretty underwhelming in his first two seasons–all things considered. The former may have been ‘bad luck’, while the latter may ultimately be chalked up as a byproduct of poor prospect evaluation by Ballard’s predecessor.

Next: GM Chris Ballard Shares Latest Thoughts on Colts Roster

Still, the general premise that a team should still select the best player on their board is a sound one, as the Colts can’t get caught up in filling holes at the expense of acquiring superior talent.

That being said, if all things are relatively equal between prospects, the Colts should look to address needs–especially on defense.

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