The Indianapolis Colts made some big waves Monday by trading their first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for DT DeForest Buckner.
Arguably the biggest need for the Colts was addressing the interior line, which accounted for just 6.5 of the teams 41 sacks in 2019. Buckner is an elite talent that typically never hits the market, so the Colts made a move to bring him into Indy.
Without further ado, here are six things to know about the Colts’ new defensive tackle in Buckner:
The big trade
Chris Ballard has made it clear that he prefers to stockpile picks rather than trade them away. This wasn’t one of those times. Ballard traded away the No. 13 overall pick for a known commodity in Buckner, who has been a productive piece of the 49ers defense since being drafted.
This move is strong for both sides as the 49ers get to add an early pick in the first round of the draft while the Colts get a young, elite defensive tackle known for wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. This type of deal doesn’t happen often for a general manager like Ballard, but they feel the player is well worth it.