Colts are on trade watch for the first round of the Draft

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 12: Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 12: Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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The Indianapolis Colts have been named as a team to watch that could trade into the first round of the NFL Draft.

Thursday night, the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off. Thursday is just for the first round, 32 picks. As things currently stand, the Indianapolis Colts aren’t one of those picks.

Indy isn’t scheduled to pick until Friday, in the second round. The Colts currently have the No. 42 overall pick, and considering their needs, they should be staying put.

However, it’ll be a miracle if things unfold as predicted during the weekend of the Draft. From surprise picks to surprise trades, anything can happen.

That’s demonstrated as the Colts were named by Ian Rapoport as a team that could trade into the first round. Rapoport listed Indy, the Seahawks, and the Falcons as three teams that may be interested in moving up into the first round to draft a quarterback.

Will the Colts trade up to draft a quarterback?

Indianapolis did have workouts and visits with Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder, and some experts even had the Colts drafting the quarterbacks in mock drafts.

However, it seems unlikely that Indy would move up to select a quarterback for a few reasons. One reason is that Indianapolis has Matt Ryan and he’s the likely starter for at least two years, maybe more.

Another reason is that Indy has more pressing needs. It wouldn’t make sense for the team to give away picks to select a player that won’t be seeing the field for years. Especially when those picks could be used on receivers, tackles, and tight ends; players that could immediately contribute.

But, as previously mentioned, anything can happen and this wouldn’t be the first time a team makes a move that a lot of people don’t agree with.

Knowing Chris Ballard, though, and his draft history, there’s probably a very slim chance that he’s considering trading into the first round. It’s probably an even slimmer chance that he would make that move for a quarterback.