Colts draft reflected confidence in current roster

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Conventional wisdom suggested the Indianapolis Colts should spend an early draft pick on a defensive back to supplement a young and unproven secondary. In reality, the Colts waited until the fifth round to address the position.

The general consensus was that Indianapolis could use more explosiveness at wide receiver. But while on the clock at No. 46 overall in the second round, the Colts happily traded down six spots, risking the loss of their eventual pick at No. 52, former Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Then, in the third and fourth rounds, the Colts selected back-to-back offensive line prospects -- even after returning their entire starting unit and top backups.

What gives?

The way the Colts governed themselves throughout the seven rounds of the 2024 NFL draft told you everything you need to know about their assessment of their roster. Right or wrong, this was a team that displayed confidence in its roster by making selections that were not driven by need nor influenced by outside expectations.

"Like I always tell you, there's no perfect team," general manager Chris Ballard said. "Everybody has got something that, 'Man, I wish I could get a little bit better.' But you go to work, and you take your time and you don't press and you make sure that by the time the season starts ... you can plug those positions. But I'm pleased about where we're at right now."

The Colts finished 9-8 last season, narrowly missing the playoffs. They aren't exactly coming off a championship season, but they have a veteran roster that returns all 22 starters on offense and defense as well as its three specialists. That's a rare feat in the ever-changing NFL, where roster turnover is rampant.

And they believe it's a roster that's ascending. The return of quarterback Anthony Richardson from a season-ending shoulder injury is a major component in fostering that idea.

That's reflected in this year's picks. The Colts' first-round choice, former UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, joins an already long defensive line rotation. It's very possible he won't be an opening-day starter for a defense that produced more sacks (51) than any other Colts team in the Indianapolis era (since 1984).

Same thing with Mitchell, who is likely to start training camp as the fourth wide receiver, at best. His explosiveness will certainly give him a chance to earn a bigger role, especially seeing how coach Shane Steichen strongly advocated for his selection. But he will not walk in with a clearly defined role.

The offensive line selections -- third-round pick Matt Goncalves and fourth-rounder Tanor Bortolini -- won't play at all in 2024 in a perfect world. They'll have to compete for backup spots behind the Colts' returning starters in the unit.

This draft wasn't necessarily about answering burning questions for the Colts. They don't view themselves as having numerous questions to begin with. Instead, it was about turning an eye toward the future, raising the overall talent level and instilling a higher level of competition for the few roster spots in play.

"Competition makes everybody better," Steichen said. "To add the guys that we did, I couldn't be more fired up ... It's going to bring great competition on both sides of the football. Again, when you talk about the continuity -- everyone coming back on really both sides of the football -- and then to add these guys, we're fired up about it."

Along the same lines, Steichen addressed the realities around how the Colts will divvy up touches among their key offensive playmakers. And, in light of the Mitchell pick and returners like the dual-threat Richardson, running back Jonathan Taylor and receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, he believes he'll have to work to get everyone their share.

"It's actually a good problem to have because we've got a lot of dudes," Steichen said. "We've got to do a great job. Obviously, there's one football that goes around, but we've got a lot of talent. We've got to utilize that talent. That's our job; to put those guys in position to go do it."

The Colts' belief in the depth and consistency of talent throughout their roster was also displayed in another way. Ballard revealed the team was making concerted efforts to trade up into the top 10 from their 15th overall slot. He also strongly suggested they were pursuing an offensive playmaker. While the Colts failed to find a trade partner, Ballard said, the scenario is significant because it's a huge departure from the past for him and the organization.

Ballard has never executed a trade up in the first round, but he's traded down twice in the eight drafts he's overseen. He is famous for hoarding draft picks because of his philosophy of taking as many stabs at the draft board as possible. And, yet, he views the current roster in such a way that he was comfortable with theoretically parting with additional picks to acquire an elite prospect.

Overall, this was a draft characterized by the Colts' broad view. They didn't obsess over their needs or whether there was an immediate path to playing time for the prospects they selected.

The philosophy, Ballard said, was simple: "Just continue to draft guys that fit us, that are good players."