3 trade prospects Colts could shop before the NFL Draft

You’ll hear a lot about the Colts this month.

The NFL Draft begins in late April, and few teams in the league have more picks than Indianapolis, which presently has seven. Three of the seven picks are also in the Top 100, giving Chris Ballard and Shane Stiechen an excellent opportunity to significantly enhance their roster as the Anthony Richardson era enters its second year. While seven picks are more than enough to have a significant impact in 2024, it’s always entertaining (right?) to speculate on how they might make a few big moves to shake up draft weekend.

The majority of the Colts’ roster appears to be fixed in stone, but here are three big-name trade options that they may – and perhaps should – consider ahead of the draft.

3 trade candidates Colts could shop ahead of NFL Draft

Quenton Nelson, G

Trading away one of the Colts’ longest-tenured players, who also happens to be a team captain and is still very good, is a tall order. (AKA it won’t happen.) But Nelson isn’t the only one holding down the Colts’ offensive line; Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, and Ryan Kelly all completed last season ranked in the top ten at their positions, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nelson is still playing well, but he has never returned to the level he reached early in his career, when he was named to the First Team All-Pro almost every season. Nelson is still in his prime, but his contract will consume more than 8% of the Colts’ cap over the next three seasons. Trading him this year would be surprising, but if Indianapolis wanted to obtain the most value possible in a trade, Nelson makes an intriguing case.

Kenny Moore II, CB

Here’s another long-time Colts player who could land them a Day 2 or 3 pick. Moore has spent all seven years of his career in Indianapolis. Moore, like many other good-but-not-great corners in the NFL, has had a number of up and down seasons, but his trade value has never been stronger following a 2023 season in which he played some of his greatest game. He got the greatest coverage grade of any player on the team (according to PFF), played the second-most defensive snaps, and had at least three interceptions for the fourth time in seven seasons.

The Colts are largely expected to address their secondary in the draft this month, but Moore will be 31 at the end of next season. If the Colts find a contract they really like, leveraging Moore’s career season could be a smart strategy to snag a few.

Tyquan Lewis, EDGE

Lewis, like Moore, is a seven-year Colts veteran who recently had his greatest season. In 2023, he tied his career high of four sacks and ended with the second-best pass rush grade of anyone on Indianpolis’ defense. Injuries have always held him back, and while he played in all 17 games last season, it was the first time in three years that he did not start a single game. The Colts’ defensive line depth is quite good, and with Samson Ebukam, Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, and Kwity Paye all ahead of Lewis on the depth chart, it might be prudent to explore what kind of market exists for Lewis.