The Indianapolis Colts may have to trade up to the No. 3 pick for the quarterback of their choice. What should they be willing to send to the Arizona Cardinals?
The Indianapolis Colts didn’t feel comfortable trading for the No. 1 pick, so it’s looking like they will enter the draft with the fourth-overall pick. Indianapolis is expected to draft a quarterback, and at No. 4, they are in position to select one of the top four quarterbacks in the draft. Specifically, the Colts will likely be deciding between Anthony Richardson and Will Levis.
However, there’s a chance that other teams could jump in front of Indianapolis by trading for the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 pick. If that becomes a real possibility, Indy will have to ask itself if the team has a preference between Richardson and Levis, or if Indy is comfortable selecting whichever quarterback falls to them.
If the Colts aren’t comfortable just waiting, they will have to get in the mix and try trading up one spot for the No. 3 pick. While the Cardinals will only be going back one spot if they swapped with Indy, Indianapolis would still have to outbid all of the other teams trying to trade up. That means a one-spot trade could get very expensive for the Colts. Should that matter, or is any price worth going to get the quarterback you want?
What would it cost Colts to trade for the No. 3 pick?
Chad Reuter, in a recent piece for NFL.com, mapped out what this trade between Indy and Arizona might look like. Reuter had the Colts sending the No. 4 pick, the No. 79 pick (Round 3), the No. 106 pick (Round 4), and a 2024 third-rounder to the Cardinals for the No. 3 pick. Reuter pointed out that the “trade mirrors the deal between the 49ers and Bears in 2017, when Chicago moved up one spot to select Mitchell Trubisky second overall.”
Considering the precedent, and the fact that other teams will be trying to trade up, this seems like the expected trade package. Is it too much? It’s certainly a lot, but Indianapolis does get to keep its second-round pick which is big. The biggest question is if Indy really believes one quarterback is significantly better than the other.
If the Colts think it’s close, they won’t be trading. But if they truly believe one will be a better NFL quarterback than the other, then this trade is nowhere near too much if it means getting your franchise quarterback.