Should any Colts players be untouchable in a trade for the No. 1 pick?

The Indianapolis Colts will probably have to send a lot to the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick. Should any of Indy’s players be untouchable in negotiations?

Chris Ballard recently downplayed the chances of the Indianapolis Colts trading with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick, but the reality is, if the Colts want the best quarterback in this draft class, they will probably have to trade up to select him. The question, however, is what will it cost the Indianapolis to get to No. 1 and what is the team willing to give up?

Most of the times, when teams negotiate trades during draft weekend, they just consist of other picks. That could be the case for Indianapolis and Chicago, Indy could just send the Bears a hefty package of picks. It’s also possible that the Colts could trade some players the Bears would love, and hold on to future draft picks. If that’s the case, it’s worth asking: what players in Indianapolis are untouchable?

Bleacher Report recently answered that question for several teams that could be interested in Chicago’s No. 1 pick. For the Colts, writer Brad Gagnon argued that future first-round picks and DeForest Buckner should be untouchable for the Colts in their pursuit of the first-round pick.

Bleacher Report says Colts shouldn’t trade DeForest Buckner or future first-round picks

Gagnon makes the case that Indianapolis is only moving up three spots, and for that reason, the team shouldn’t be willing to part with Bucker, one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL that is very much in his prime. However, Gagnon does believe “the rest of a rebuilding roster should be tradeable.”

Most fans would probably agree that Buckner shouldn’t be tradeable. However, there may be a debate on if he’s the only untouchable player on the roster. With stars like Jonathan Taylor, Shaq Leonard, and Quenton Nelson on the roster, there’s definitely a conversation to be had on if they’re tradeable or not, even with all three coming off of underwhelming seasons in 2022.

Ultimately, the Colts need a quarterback. Everyone in Indianapolis, from coaches to players to fans, is hoping that Indy finds a long-term solution in this year’s draft. The Colts just have to figure out what the franchise is willing to sacrifice to finally have a quarterback.

Home/Colts Draft