As the Indianapolis Colts prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft, let’s take a look back at every first-round pick Indy has made since Chris Ballard has been general manager.
In the 2023 NFL Draft at the end of the month, the Indianapolis Colts have the No. 4 overall pick. With that pick, the Colts are expected to select a quarterback. Indianapolis has been desperately searching for a franchise quarterback since Andrew Luck retired back in 2019. Fortunately, Chris Ballard has been pretty good in the draft, so the hope is that he’ll have another successful pick with this quarterback selection.
However, for as good as Ballard has been in the draft, he hasn’t made many first-round selections. In his six drafts as general manager of the Colts, Indy has only made three first-round selections. Ballard has been able to find several top players like Jonathan Taylor, Shaq Leonard, Michael Pittman Jr., and many more, all after the first round.
However, as he prepares to make a first-round selection this year, let’s evaluate how the three first rounders of the Ballard era have fared in the NFL.
2017 Draft: Malik Hooker at No. 15: C+
Malik Hooker was the first selection of the Chris Ballard era and he entered the NFL with high expectations. After an exciting career at Ohio State, the dynamic safety was selected 15th overall by the Colts. Hooker came to Indianapolis and was expected to be a playmaker. However, his time in Indy was largely impacted by injuries.
Hooker couldn’t even participate in his first offseason, as he dealt with several injuries leading up to his rookie year. He ultimately played just seven games as a rookie, but recorded three interceptions in those games. Unfortunately, that season was cut short after Hooker tore his ACL and MCL in Week 7.
In his second and third season, Hooker played 14 and 13 games, respectively, still dealing with different injuries. And in 2020, his final season with the Colts, Malik Hooker tore his Achilles. So his Indianapolis tenure ended after four seasons. In those seasons, Hooker played in 36 games and had seven interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and 124 tackles.
This selection is a C+ because Hooker had promise but he just struggled to stay healthy. He’s now with the Dallas Cowboys providing them some quality play.
2018 Draft: Quenton Nelson at No. 6: A+
Obviously, the selection of Quenton Nelson is an A+ pick, and Indianapolis is thankful to have landed him. Indy entered that draft season with the No. 3 overall pick. However, the team had Andrew Luck at the time, so Indy was shopping the No. 3 pick to the quarterback-needy teams in the league (oh how they tables have turned). Indianapolis ultimately traded with the New York Jets and moved back to No. 6.
With the pick, Indianapolis selected Quenton Nelson, who everyone knew would be special based on his career at Notre Dame. However, no one could’ve predicted that Nelson would be as good as he was, as fast as he was. From the second he stepped on an NFL field, Nelson was immediately one of the best linemen in the entire league.
Playing at left guard, Nelson consistently made blocks that were highlight worthy. He started getting the coverage that a talented skill player would. After years of consistent play, he got the kind of money that a talented left tackle gets. Last offseason, Nelson signed a four-year contract extension worth $80 million, making him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.
In his five years in the league, Nelson has been selected to the Pro Bowl every year, and has made four All-Pro teams. However, in 2022, Nelson had a down year, the first time in his career where he looked anything other than extraordinary.
Nelson was well aware of his regression, and he’s focused on getting back to the version of himself that dominated everybody that lined up across from him.
2021 Draft: Kwity Paye at No. 21: B
Kwity Paye is the most recent first-round pick of the Chris Ballard era, and he’s still relatively early in his career, so his grade is subject to change. However, after his first two years in the league, a B seems fair for Paye. He hasn’t been elite, but he’s been productive and has shown a lot of promise.
As a rookie, Paye started 15 games for the Colts and had 32 tackles, four sacks, 10 quarterback hits, three tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. Paye was ready for a bigger year two, unfortunately, an ankle injury limited him to just 12 games. In those games, Paye still improved his numbers, recording 45 tackles, six sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 10 tackles for a loss.
He’ll now return for a third season and will be trying to take things up to another level. With Yannick Ngakoue now gone, Paye is expected to be Indy’s top pass rusher. However, the Colts did add Samson Ebukam in free agency to play on the other end of the defensive line. With DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart on the interior, Indy’s front should remain solid.
Overall, Chris Ballard has made some solid picks in the first round. The pick he will make in the 2023 Draft will be the most important selection of his time as a general manager. Not only will he be picking a quarterback, but barring a trade, it will be the highest he’s ever picked. Ballard has to make it count.
READ MORE: What should Colts give up to move to No. 3?