If there is one thing about Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard that he’s made clear, it’s that he loves the finesse game of wheeling and dealing picks in trades during the NFL draft.
[lawrence-related id=42230]
In the three drafts since taking over as general manager of the Colts in 2017, Ballard has made at least one trade during the draft. We all know the pre-draft trades of Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, but we’re talking in about mid-draft trades here.
Ballard has made mid-draft trades every year as the decision-maker and with *only* seven picks in the 2020 draft, it should be expected that he will make a deal at some point over the three-day event this year.
Here, we take a look at the short but full history of Ballard’s mid-draft trades:
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Conclusion
2017
- Traded the No. 121 overall pick to San Francisco for the Nos. 143 and 161 picks.
Ballard’s first mid-draft trade came in the fourth round of his first draft as general manager. He held a fourth-round pick but moved back with the 49ers, grabbing an extra fourth at the end of the round and an extra fifth.
This was low-key an underrated trade for Ballard. He moved back in the fourth round while adding an extra pick. Those new picks turned out to be running back Marlon Mack (No. 143) and linebacker Anthony Walker (No. 161).
Both players have become starters over the last two seasons making major impacts on their respective sides of the ball.