INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Chris Ballard stuck to the basics on draft weekend.
The Indianapolis Colts general manager started up front and worked his way back.
Along the way, Ballard found more protection for injured quarterback Andrew Luck, new and perhaps better pieces to fit the Colts’ revamped defense and finally some skill players to lower the burden on Luck.
The question remains - will it be enough to get the Colts back on track?
“You wish you could address every single need at a greater level,” team owner Jim Irsay on Saturday, the final day of draft weekend.
“There are areas we still need to strengthen up, there’s no question about that. But it’s going to be interesting to see just how much better we are. If Andrew Luck is healthy, and we think he will be, we’re going to have a pretty formidable football team. That’s the bottom line.”
The biggest strides were made in areas that have been problematic for years - the offensive and defensive lines.
Ballard indicated as much by repeatedly emphasizing how the offensive and defensive lines would be cornerstone features of the Colts’ rebuild.
So instead of making flashy moves on the first two days, Ballard skipped right over skill position players and bided his time until Saturday.
He wound up getting two of the best guards in this draft class, Quenton Nelson at No. 6 overall and Braden Smith at No. 37, and defensive ends Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis as part of four second-round picks.
It was all part of Ballard’s plan.
He added two receivers, Reece Fountain and Deon Cain, and two running backs, the speedy Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, with Indy’s first four picks on Day 3. Ballard closed it out by adding two inside linebackers in the seventh round.
Now all the Colts can do is wait to see how it all pans out.
“Our main focus was to get some young talent on the fronts and I think we did that,” Ballard said.
TRADING PLACES
Ballard made his first and biggest trade last month when he sent the No. 3 pick to the Jets and moved back three spots. In return, he wound up with two extra second-round picks this year and another in 2019.
He was far from finished. Ballard made four other deals over the past three days and finished the weekend making a franchise-record 11 picks in a seven-round draft.
Indy traded the 49th pick to Philadelphia, moving back three spots and got an extra fifth-rounder. Ballard then sent third and sixth-round picks to Cleveland to add a fourth second-rounder. Then the Colts swapped fifth-round picks with Oakland, moving down 19 spots to get a sixth-rounder and finally traded defensive end Henry Anderson to the Jets for a seventh-rounder.
HE SAID IT
“I just feel like I’m just an overlooked guy. I’m really, really overlooked. Obviously being at an FCS school, that is one of the reasons why,” said Fountain, who played at Northern Iowa. “I really sure that I’m the biggest steal of the draft.”
HINES VERSATILITY
Hines posted the fastest 40-yard dash (4.38 seconds) among running backs at the NFL’s annual scouting combine.
He could be a lot more than just a breakaway back. Hines was recruited out of high school as a receiver and also returned kicks at North Carolina State. Because of his versatility, he’s been compared with Darren Sproles. Hines has embraced the comparison and could be a major upgrade for a team in need of playmakers.
“I can catch the ball, I can run the ball, I can do kickoff returns and punt returns,” he said. “So you can expect to see me in different positions and hopefully making plays from different positions.”
STILL NEED
Only time will tell how many holes Ballard plugged this weekend. There’s still work left to do.
Indy remains thin at linebacker especially on the outside if John Simon and Tarell Basham remain at defensive end. The Colts didn’t address the secondary at all, could still use an upgrade at right tackle and may be on the lookout for another receiver.
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