Bleacher Report goes back five years to grade Chris Ballard’s first draft class with Colts

Chris Ballard has been really good in NFL drafts as general manager for the Indianapolis Colts, but has that always been the case?

Earlier this offseason, the Indianapolis Colts put together another solid draft class. The chosen players will eventually have to prove things on the field but early grades show that Indy has another quality group of guys. Solid draft classes have become commonplace in Indy since Chris Ballard has taken over as general manager.

While Ballard’s not known to be aggressive in free agency, he has developed a reputation for his prowess during the Draft weekend. The majority of the Colts stars and contributors are homegrown players like Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, and Darius Leonard— all selected during the Ballard era.

Ballard is even a great general manager when it comes to executing draft-day trades. While Indy has missed on some picks, the team has typically dominated Drafts. However, that hasn’t necessarily always been the case.

It’s been five years since Chris Ballard’s first Draft as general manager for the Colts and it’s become evident that Ballard didn’t have a hot start. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report recently graded every team’s 2017 Draft haul since enough time has passed for a more accurate assessment. For Indianapolis, Moton gave a C+ grade.

Colts’ 2017 draft class graded C+ after five years

A look at the list of selections and it’s clear that this class may be the worst of the Ballard era, however, there are some successes. Moton writes, “The Colts’ 2017 group doesn’t have any star power, but the front office deserves credit for finding three starting-caliber talents on Day 3. The whiffs on Day 2 hurt the overall grade though.”

The top-overall pick for Indy, Malik Hooker, was a very promising safety but his career was impacted by injuries. Marlon Mack and Anthony Walker both became impact players in Indianapolis before moving on to other teams, and Grover Stewart is currently starting on the defensive line, so it makes sense that this class received a C+.

While this class wasn’t that strong in the grand scheme of things, it’s a good sign that this may be the weakest class of the Ballard era, cause it’s not that bad of a class. That just shows how good the Colts have been at drafting.

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