The Indianapolis Colts made some big waves Monday by trading their first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for DT DeForest Buckner.
Arguably the biggest need for the Colts was addressing the interior line, which accounted for just 6.5 of the teams 41 sacks in 2019. Buckner is an elite talent that typically never hits the market, so the Colts made a move to bring him into Indy.
Without further ado, here are six things to know about the Colts’ new defensive tackle in Buckner:
The big trade
Chris Ballard has made it clear that he prefers to stockpile picks rather than trade them away. This wasn’t one of those times. Ballard traded away the No. 13 overall pick for a known commodity in Buckner, who has been a productive piece of the 49ers defense since being drafted.
This move is strong for both sides as the 49ers get to add an early pick in the first round of the draft while the Colts get a young, elite defensive tackle known for wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. This type of deal doesn’t happen often for a general manager like Ballard, but they feel the player is well worth it.
Contract
The details of the contract in terms of yearly breakdown isn’t yet clear, but we do know the Colts PAID Buckner handsomely. Turning 26 years old on Tuesday, Buckner got a brand new five-year deal from the Colts and will be getting $21 million per season.
This makes him the second highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, behind only Aaron Donald in average annual value. The Colts don’t typically pony up this kind of money to just any player, so they certainly feel he’s an elite talent.
Former No. 7 overall pick
Buckner didn’t just appear on the scene out of nowhere. He was highly touted as one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL draft and wound being the No. 7 overall pick to the 49ers. The Oregon product was touted for his size, burst and strength from the interior.
Buckner has been a force for the 49ers since entering the league and has certainly put up the production to back up his draft stock. He has 28.5 sacks, 38 tackles for loss and 74 quarterback hits in 63 games during his four-year career. That’s production the Colts desperately need from the interior.
Dependability
The Colts have long dealt with injuries and the 2019 season was no different. While the wide receiver corps was the position decimated by injuries, the defensive tackle position wasn’t all that healthy either. That has never been a problem for Buckner.
Buckner entered the league in 2016. That means he can play a possible 64 games during the regular season. He’s made 63 starts in his career so far and hasn’t missed a game since his rookie campaign. He has been a massive piece of the 49ers defensive line both in production and simply being available.
2018 Pro Bowler
Making a move like this and then signing the player to such a massive contract doesn’t come without a pedigree. Buckner certainly has that. We mentioned his career stats, but he’s been an absolute force over the past two seasons. That all started with a trip to the 2018 Pro Bowl following a season that included 12.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
Buckner has been simply consistent and productive since entering the league. He may have had a down year in terms of sacks in 2019 (7.5), but that could be more due to the fact that opposing offenses had to pay more attention to him. We’ll see what the film room holds, but Buckner has the pedigree to back up this type of trade.
A great fit
One of the prevailing factors that Chris Ballard tends to lean on when looking at acquiring players is how they fit in their scheme. One of the driving forces as to why Ballard felt comfortable making this move is because of the fit that Buckner has in the Colts’ front.
It will be interesting to see where he lines up specifically, but the fit that Buckner presents in Matt Eberflus’ one-gap front appears to be wonderful on paper. Having the 6-foot-7, 300-pound Buckner use his size, speed and length to simply get upfield should reap rewards for the Colts.
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