The Indianapolis Colts trade for star quarterback Matt Ryan will have wide-ranging ramifications moving forward.
It’s kept Indianapolis’ championship window open for at least the next two seasons after the failed Carson Wentz experiment during the 2021 campaign.
Heading into the 2022 NFL Draft next week, the Colts are without a first-round pick stemming from their trade for Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles last spring.
This could lead to general manager Chris Ballard attempting to move up the board with the draft capital he acquired from the Washington Commnders for next year’s draft. Below, we look at three ideal Indianapolis Colts trade scenarios for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Related: Full 7 round Indianapolis Colts mock draft
Indianapolis Colts trade into first round for a quarterback
Following the blockbuster acquisition of Ryan, Ballard indicated that he has a two-year commitment from the former NFL MVP.
“I wanted to make sure Matt knew that there’s no doubt it’s going to be two years. And I think we’ll go from there. I think we’ll know. I think both parties will know as we move forward.”
Chris Ballard on Indianapolis Colts trade for Matt Ryan
This doesn’t mean Indianapolis can kick its quarterback situation down the road. Week 1 will represent the sixth consecutive season that the Colts have opened with a different starting quarterback. That’s not sustainable.
With a conditional second-round pick (likely to be met) from Washington stemming from the Wentz trade, Indianapolis has capital to move up into the back end of the first round. Whether it’s for Sam Howell, Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder, a trade up could make sense. It would also give Indianapolis that valuable fifth-year team option the quarterback’s rookie deal.
Related: 2022 NFL Draft rumors
Indianapolis Colts trade for future draft capital
There’s also a scenario in play that Indianapolis simply punts on the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. The team filled major holes by acquiring veterans Matt Ryan, Stephon Gilmore and Yannick Ngakoue earlier in the offseason.
In short, there’s not a lot of holes on this roster. Considered a championship contender, it also must be noted that the Colts’ second-round pick (42nd overall) is unlikely to make a major impact as a rookie. Why not move that selection and another mid-round pick in 2022 for another first-round selection next year? It almost makes too much sense.
Related: Top 2022 NFL Draft prospects
Indianapolis Colts trade for DK Metcalf
Young wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was tremendous as a sophomore a season ago, catching 88 passes for nearly 1,100 yards with six touchdowns.
However, there’s not a whole heck of a lot behind Pittman on the Colts’ depth chart at wide receiver. Zach Pascal left in free agency. The team’s third-leading pass catcher from the wide receiver position a season ago, T.Y. Hilton (23 catches) also remains a free agent. After that, we have to go all the way down to Ashton Dulin (13 catches) and Parris Campbell (10 catches) to find wide receivers that did anything of substance for Indianapolis a season ago.
Clearly in win-now mode, the Colts would be smart to offer up their second-roud pick in 2022 and a future high-round selection to Seattle for Metcalf. He’s still only 24 years old and has displayed flashes of dominance throughout his first three NFL seasons (83 receptions, 1,303 yards, 10 TD in 2020).
Just imagine how good Metcalf would look catching passes from Matty Ice. It would be similar to what we saw from Ryan with Julio Jones in Atlanta during their heyday last decade.