The Indianapolis Colts made a big move to open free agency last week by trading the No. 13 overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL draft for a stud in defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Giving up a first-round pick is never an easy thing to do, especially when it comes to Chris Ballard, who has been all about acquiring draft capital. But the Colts felt the time was right to make a move for a difference-maker at what they feel is the most important defensive position.
Along with that, the Colts weren’t too bullish on the type of player they might get at No. 13, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
But the more the conversations on West 56th Street dragged on, the simpler it became for the Colts’ chief decision-makers: this was the guy. DeForest Buckner was the player their defense needed and would need for the next five years. This was the time to do it. Never all that enamored with their spot in the coming draft — the Colts were set to pick 13th, and they expected most of the top quarterback prospects to be gone in the top 10 — this trade, the more they thought about it, was too good to pass up.
No one truly knows how the draft board will fall, but it’s even more unpredictable when the selection comes in the middle of the first round. There is so much volatility with the pick that the Colts felt the sure thing in Buckner would pay more dividends than potentially missing on a prospect.
Buckner gives the Colts an elite upgrade at the position of biggest need this offseason. The Colts got just 6.5 sacks from their defensive tackles in 2019—3.0 of which came from the three-technique.
There will be a debate as to which interior defensive line spot Buckner will primarily line up but if we’re being honest, the Colts aren’t shelling out $21 million per season for a one-technique. That isn’t to say he won’t play there. His versatility will be coveted, and the Colts still have Denico Autry to work next to Buckner at the three.
With most of the quarterbacks likely being gone by the time the Colts are on the clock and with the volatility of prospects likely available, Ballard made the choice to send his first-round pick for an All-Pro talent at the most important position on the defensive side of the ball.