The Indianapolis Colts have a clear plan in place following the lead of third-year general manager Chris Ballard, who has quickly shown he can turn the team into a playoff contender.
Succeeding a 10-6 record while reaching the AFC divisional round, Ballard is hoping to continue building the roster through the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night. It will be there where he can show his 2018 draft was no fluke.
Before that, however, Ballard was ranked as the eighth-best general manager in the league by Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
The Colts‘ trade with the Jets last year, which netted them the sixth, 37th and 49th overall picks in 2018 and a second-rounder this year, was nice. Actually capitalizing on their draft picks was a lot nicer. Ballard’s second draft at the helm included a generational guard (Quenton Nelson), the Defensive Rookie of the Year (Darius Leonard) and another starter in right tackle Braden Smith. It’s the type of draft that changes a franchise, and Ballard’s other roster-building moves have proven to be smart calculations, as well. Colts fans are in good hands with Ballard, Frank Reich and Andrew Luck leading the franchise into the next decade.
The future is certainly bright for the Colts if Ballard can continue to make wise decisions while building through the roster. Of course, he’s not always going to find a pair of All-Pros in each draft crop, but adding contributors each season helps maintain a strong track record.
Some might argue Ballard should be higher on the list. He has quickly helped turn the Colts into a promising force. With nine picks in the upcoming draft, he should have plenty more opportunities to continue making his mark on the league.
