A look at the Colts’ recent history in round 1

INDIANAPOLIS – Things to keep in mind as the Indianapolis Colts wade into their eighth Chris Ballard-directed draft.

More picks are better.

Never pass on an elite prospect.

Always keep your options open. Trading up to grab a coveted player who’s falling to the Colts is on the table as well as trading back to accumulate additional picks.

The latter should be an attractive prop bet in Vegas. The Colts enter tonight’s draft with seven overall picks. No one expects them to exit the draft with that many.

In the weeks and months leading up to the draft, the focus has been on how Ballard will handle the No. 15 overall pick. By adding a starting cornerback? How about giving Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson a big-play wideout?

In four of his seven previous drafts, Ballard has traded down or out of the first round entirely (2018, ’19, ’20, ’22). He’s yet to move up.

But let’s not discount the importance of the seven-round, 257-pick process.

During the Bill Polian era, the Colts found career sack leader Robert Mathis in round 5 of the 2003 draft (No. 138 overall) and safety Antoine Bethea, who would start 200 games during a 14-year career, in round 6 of ’06 with the 207th pick.

Three of Ballard’s biggest third-day hits: linebacker Zaire Franklin (round 7, No. 235 in ’18), defensive tackle Grover Stewart (round 4, No. 144 in ’17) and linebacker E.J. Speed (round 5, No. 164 in ’19). All have earned second or third contracts. Cornerback Jaylon Jones, who started 10 games as a rookie, was a seventh-rounder (No. 221) last April.

The infatuation with round 1 is understandable. Hitting on that pick, especially in the top half and particularly when it involves a quarterback, can have lasting impact. Conversely, missing on a quarterback can set a franchise back a half-dozen years. Minimum.

Marvin Harrison, Tarik Glenn, Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Marlin Jackson, Anthony Castonzo, Andrew Luck, Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson and, the team hopes, Anthony Richardson.

Here’s a recap of how Ballard has handled his first-round picks since being named general manager in 2017:

2017

*Starting point: No. 15 overall.

*Action: The Colts stayed put and selected safety Malik Hooker.

*Consequence: Injuries limited Hooker to 36 appearances and 35 starts in four seasons; he missed 28 games. He’s heading into his fourth season with Dallas.

2018

*Starting point: No. 3.

*Action: In March, Ballard sent the No. 3 pick to the New York Jets for No. 6, two second-rounders in the ’18 draft (Nos. 37 and 49) and the Jets’ 2019 second-rounder (No. 34). During the draft, he sent No. 49 to Philadelphia and received the Eagles’ second-rounder (No. 52) and fifth-rounder (No. 169).

*Consequence: The Colts came away with perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson (No. 6), right tackle Braden Smith (No. 37), defensive end Kemoko Turay (No. 52) and running back Jordan Wilkins (No. 169). With the Jets’ 2019 second-rounder, they selected cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.

2019

*Starting point: No. 26.

*Action: Ballard traded out of round 1. He sent No. 26 to Washington in return for the Commanders’ second-round pick (No. 46) and a 2020 second-rounder (No. 34). He then traded No. 46 to Cleveland for the Browns’ second-rounder (No. 49) and fifth-rounder (No. 144).

*Consequence: The Colts selected linebacker Ben Banogu at No. 49 and cornerback Marvell Tell III at No. 144. Neither panned out.

2020

*Starting point: No. 13.

*Action: Indy sent No. 13 to San Francisco for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

*Consequence: Buckner has established himself as one of the NFL’s premier 3-technique tackles. He’s missed just one game in four seasons, was first-team All-Pro in 2020 and has been selected to two Pro Bowls.

*Don’t forget: The No. 34 pick obtained from Washington was used on wideout Michael Pittman Jr.

2021

*Starting point: No. 21.

*Action: None. The Colts selected defensive end Kwity Paye.

*Consequence: Paye has been a four-year fixture with 18.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss in 43 starts.

2022

*Starting point: No. 16.

*Action: In February 2021, the Colts sent No. 16 overall in the ’22 draft and a ’21 third-rounder to Philadelphia in exchange for quarterback Carson Wentz.

*Consequence: Ouch. Wentz started all 17 games in 2021, but the 9-8 season disintegrated into a late collapse that cost the Colts a playoff spot. In March 2022, he was traded to Washington.

2023

*Starting point: No. 4.

*Action: None. The Colts selected their quarterback of the future, Anthony Richardson.

*Consequence: We’ll see. A concussion and shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four starts as a rookie.

You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.

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