The Indianapolis Colts managed to find a new defender in Carson Wentz and still keep their first pick in the 2021. NFL Draft. But could they make another trading move?
Although it seems unlikely, ESPN believes it could still be a possibility and has suggested it should do so in an article listing a “bold move” for all 32 teams.
For the Colts, he played a move to the top-10 to find a franchise defender.
Make a piece for a top 10 selection
There are very few teams that have the ceiling space needed to trade with an established incumbent defender and pay big bucks for him. The Colts, designed to have the second-capped space in the NFL, behind only the Jaguars, were one of them. They would also turn from a wild-card game team into a serious title contender with a legitimate defender.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine Carson Wentz being the franchise’s quarterback. We are not saying that Wentz will be the worst defender in the league again, but his problems with accuracy and late readings last year were not only caused by his supporting cast.
Colts still have a hard time looking at lifting in the project. Obviously, I don’t get Trevor Lawrence, but Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or Trey Lance might deserve all the options in the first round for a franchise that is so close to being a legitimate competitor for the title. Wentz should be a starting point for fixing the position of defender, not the end point.
What the Colts did last season was an excellent team-building victory, winning 11 games even with a somewhat limited Philip Rivers. It would be a shame to see him wasted.
Moving to the top 10 is still a great idea in theory, but it’s not as practical. The Colts gave up the third-round pick in 2021 and a conditional second-round pick, which will likely turn into a premiere in 2022. These picks could have been important ammunition for Indy if he wanted to move.
The choice of the 21st place does not make the upward movement for a defender easier. That requires at least two first-round picks, and with how many teams need a defender in that range, Colts could easily get it.
It’s not completely out of the books for the Colts to go to the draft, but it should be deposited more in the “extremely unlikely” cabinet at this time of the off-season.