3 trade candidates Colts could shop ahead of NFL Draft

You're going to hear a lot about the Colts this month. When the NFL Draft kicks off in late April, few teams across the league have more picks than Indianapolis, who currently have seven. Three of those seven picks are also in the Top 100, so Chris Ballard and Shane Stiechen have a prime opportunity to really improve their roster heading into Year 2 of the Anthony Richardson era. And while seven picks is more than enough to make a real impact in 2024, it's always fun (right?) to think about how they could make a few dramatic moves to shake up draft weekend. Most of the Colts roster feels pretty set in stone, but these are three big name trade candidates that they could – and maybe should – shop ahead of the draft.

3 trade candidates Colts could shop ahead of NFL Draft

Quenton Nelson, G

Admittedly, trading away one of the longest-tenured Colts players on the roster, who also happens to be a team captain and also, you know, still pretty good, is a big ask. (AKA it's not going to happen.) But it's not like Nelson's the only one holding down the Colts' offensive line anymore – Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, and Ryan Kelly all finished last season ranked among the top 10 at their respective positions, according to Pro Football Focus. Nelson's still playing well, but he's never quite gotten back to that level he was at earlier in his career, when he was making First Team All Pros seemingly every season. He's still very much on the back nine of his prime, but Nelson's contract eats up over eight percent of the Colts' cap in each of the next three seasons. Trading him this year would be a bit of a shock, but if Indy wanted to get the absolute most value they could in a deal, Nelson presents an interesting case.

Kenny Moore II, CB

Here's another long-tenured Colts player who could probably get them a Day 2 or 3 pick. Moore's been in Indianapolis his entire seven year career. Like a lot of good-but-not-great corners in the NFL, Moore's had a lot of up and down seasons over his time in the NFL, but his trade value has never been higher after a 2023 season that saw him play some of the best football of his career. He had the highest coverage grade of any player on the team (per PFF), played the second-most snaps of anyone on defense, and had at least three interceptions for the fourth time in seven years. The Colts are widely expected to address their secondary in the draft this month, however, and Moore will turn 31 at the end of next season. If the Colts get a deal they really like, capitalizing on a career season from Moore could be a smart way to land a few

Tyquan Lewis, EDGE

Like Moore, Lewis is a seven-year Colts vet who's coming off the best season of his career. He tied a career-high in sacks (4) in 2023, and finished with the second-best pass rush grade of anyone on Indianpolis' defense too. Injuries have always held him back, though, and even though he did play in all 17 games last season, it was also the first time in three years he didn't start a single game. The Colts' defensive line depth is pretty impressive, and with Samson Ebukam, Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye all ahead of Lewis on the depth chart, it'd make sense to see what kind of market exists for Lewis.