The Indianapolis Colts don’t pick until the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft but there is a path for them to trade into the first.
The 2022 NFL Draft is almost here and everyone expects the Indianapolis Colts to stay put with their first pick not until the second round.
Indy lost its first-round pick for this Draft in the trade for Carson Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the Colts’ first selection won’t be until No. 42 overall.
It makes sense for Indianapolis to wait patiently at 42 because they are likely drafting a receiver. This is a deep wide receiver class and the Colts should be able to land a good wideout in the second round.
But what if Indy gets impatient? What if one of the more talented receivers or quarterbacks starts to slide? Will Indianapolis consider trading into the backend of the first round to grab a player?
Update: #Colts worked out Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder, per @AlbertBreer
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) April 15, 2022
Ridder is gaining a ton of steam as a potential first round draft pick
What would trade into the first round look like for Colts?
Gary Davenport from Bleacher Report recently detailed a Draft trade that made sense for every team. For Indy, Davenport’s trade idea was a move into the first round by doing business with the New England Patriots.
In this deal, the Colts received: the 21st overall pick, a sixth-round pick, and a 2023 fourth-round pick. In exchange, the Patriots would get Indy’s 42nd overall pick, a 2023 first, and a 2023 fifth-round pick.
Davenport believes this may give Indianapolis the chance to grab elite prospects like Chris Olave or Trevor Penning and thinks New England would be a willing seller since they recently traded for DeVante Parker.
If the Patriots, or any team, are willing to move back for that compensation, the Colts should consider it because that’s not giving up a lot.
The only real objection to a package like this is that Indianapolis can probably get a talented receiver at No. 42 and keep possession of its first-round pick for next year’s Draft.
As previously stated, this is a pretty deep class, for that reason, there’s not much incentive for the Colts to trade up. If they do, it has to be a prospect that they are really in love with and could immediately change the franchise. The most likely option is that Indy will be picking at No. 42.
Ranking the Colts positional needs before the NFL Draft
The Colts made many upgrades during free agency this offseason. However, there are still positional needs the Colts must prioritize ahead of the NFL Draft.