The general manager has had a plan from day one since taking over this team. And Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts continues to make his mark.
In 2017, the Indianapolis Colts replaced general manager Ryan Grigson with Chris Ballard, whose lineage dates back many years, most recently with the Kansas City Chiefs. During his first year with the organization, he made his share of moves via free agency. The holdovers from that large offseason haul are defensive linemen Margus Hunt and Jabaal Sheard.
He took eight players in the draft in 2017, with six of those players still on the roster, including three starters in running back safety Malik Hooker (1-Ohio State), running back Marlon Mack (4b-South Florida) and inside linebacker Anthony Walker (5-Northwesten).
That team finished 4-12 without starting quarterback Andrew Luck, shelved for the year with a shoulder issue. It also proved to be head coach Chuck Pagano’s final year as head coach. Enter Josh McDaniels and then, just as quickly, exit McDaniels. The Colts hired Frank Reich, off a year in which he was offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Birds were crowned Super Bowl LII champions.
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These last two offseasons, Ballard has been far more about the draft and less about free agency (although the team did add tight end Eric Ebron and defensive lineman Denico Autry). More specifically, he has opted to master the art of moving down.
In 2018, the New York Jets looked for the No. 3 pick owned by Ballad and the Colts. It cost the Green and White the sixth overall selection and three second-rounders, two that year and one in 2019. There would be more wheeling and dealing and the team wound up with four second-round picks in 2018.
This year, it was the Washington Redskins that apparently wanted to move up back into the first round. They gave the Colts their second-round pick (No. 46) and a second-rounder in 2020. Ballard orchestrated another deal, this time with the Browns. Indianapolis moved down three spots (No. 49) and picked up an extra fifth-rounder from Cleveland.
So over the course of these last two drafts, the team has added nine players in the first three rounds. But the breakdown in fascinating:
Year Round Player/School
2018 1 G Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame)
2018 2 LB Darius Leonard (South Carolina State)
2018 2 G Braden Smith (Auburn)
2018 2 DE Kemoko Turay (Rutgers)
2018 2 DE Tyquan Lewis (Ohio State)
2019 2 DB Rock Ya-Sin (Temple)
2019 2 LB Ben Banogu (TCU)
2019 2 WR Parris Campbell (Ohio State)
2019 3 LB Bobby Okereke (Stanford)
That’s quite the number when it comes to second-round picks. A year ago, Leonard and Smith emerged as starters and the former was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Turay played in 14 games and made three starts, finishing with four sacks. Lewis was a six-game starter.
Who knows what kind of production the team will get from Ya-Sin, Banogu and Campbell? But one thing appears certain. As Ballard continues to move down, the Indianapolis Colts continue to move up.