Instead of making a selection at No. 26 overall Thursday night, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard made a deal with the Washington Redskins to move back into the second round.
Now, the Colts have three selections on the board for the second round to go with their single third-round pick. With the value of prospects being blurred at the end of the first round, the Colts traded back into the strength of the draft, which features several intriguing options.
Most believe the best value will be found on Friday and with some top prospects slipping to the second round, Ballard feels trading back was the best move for the long term.
“Monday. I kind of had a feeling, I don’t know why just sometimes you have a feeling that this is going to be the best,” Ballard told reporters Thursday. “We had kind of counted in the first round guys we thought were worth the first-round pick and I had a feeling we were going to have a chance to get out and I thought it was going to be the best thing for us long term.”
The Colts moved back 20 spots to No. 46 overall while adding a 2020 second-round pick. There’s a chance that future second-round pick could be in the top 40 of the 2020 draft, which would be a nice addition.
Even though they didn’t make a selection on Day 1, the Colts have ample opportunity to grab some value. At various positions, the Colts can address needs without having to reach. Ballard even hinted the possibility of moving back from the No. 34 pick.
“That 34th pick is going to be very attractive to people,” Ballard said.
With four picks on the slate for Friday, Ballard has a chance to grab some strong value from the heart of the draft. How he will do so remains to be seen, but they should have no shortage of prospect value in the second and third rounds.
