Colts Trade Down in Draft, Give up Number Three Pick

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 13: General manager Chris Ballard addresses the media during the press conference introducing head coach Frank Reich at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 13: General manager Chris Ballard addresses the media during the press conference introducing head coach Frank Reich at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

There has been speculation for weeks on what the Colts would do with the number three overall pick in the upcoming draft. News has come down that they have traded that pick to the New York Jets.

The Colts have been trying to figure out what they want to do in the upcoming draft. There has been speculation as to whether they would take Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb with that number three pick. Colts fans don’t have to worry about that anymore.

Breaking news has come down that the Colts have traded the number 3 overall pick to the New York Jets for the number 6, 37, and 49 picks this year and their 2019 second round pick. The news was tweeted out by the Colts’ official twitter account.

The Colts now have three extra picks, two this year and one next year, after this trade. With trading down, the Colts have the ability to acquire more talent and get good value with those picks. The number six pick will have different prospects available than Barkley and Chubb though.

At the number six pick, the Colts could go a few different routes. They could go after offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, linebacker Roquan Smith, or maybe safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also now can get more depth with those 37 and 49 picks.

Overall, this seems like a win for the Colts. They didn’t trade down super far, and got extra picks both this year and next year. They can continue to acquire talent and build towards the future with drafting younger players. This fits Chris Ballard’s approach to building the team’s roster.

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It will be interesting to see who the Colts take with the number six pick. That pick will indicate exactly what kind of roster Ballard is trying to build for the future.

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