In March of 2020, the Indianapolis Colts sought to improve their interior defensive line by trading the 13th overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers for DeForest Buckner.
This year, though, the Colts can use his services on the practice field as well as the game field.
Buckner is one of the youngest defensive stars in the league, which is why Chris Ballard pulled the trigger on the deal.
Following the recent selections of Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, the trade for Buckner could prove more valuable than we first thought.
Your daily reminder #Colts have DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye lined up on the same side of the defensive line for the next 5+ years. pic.twitter.com/dcatdBbWBY
— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) May 7, 2021
DeForest Buckner could be a leader for the Colts.
Not only do the Colts have a young secondary, but they are getting younger at every defensive position since they are presumably moving on from Justin Houston. This leaves DeForest Buckner as the guy with the most talent and time served on the defensive line.
In interviews last year, Buckner made it clear what he was bringing to the table as an Indianapolis Colt — namely toughness, a desire to get better, and the ability to help any young players who asked for it.
In an interview with Dan Dakich in February, GM Chris Ballard was candid with his desire for Buckner to step up in the locker room:
"“The addition of (DeForest) Buckner really almost (solidified it), I mean because he’s a real pro now. Every day at 6:15 a.m. in the morning, Buckner’s in the building with his routine, and all of the sudden you’d look up, and there’d be another player. And another player. And these are young (guys). I mean we forget, like Darius Leonard is a young player—even though this is just his third year. He’s still a young player in the league, and it was great for them to see a vet come in, and I mean Buckner’s only 26 (years old), who had been through it, had a great routine, and I mean these guys already worked, but it’s been fun to watch.”"
This year, with the addition of two young defensive talents, let’s hope Buckner can continue that trend and bring in defensive players early in the day just to keep them there long after practice.
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