Colts trade back in second round, add two fifth-rounders

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have made their first trade of the draft.

And they’re moving back.

Indianapolis traded its second-round pick, No. 46, to Carolina for the No. 52 pick, another second-rounder, and two fifth-round picks, No. 142 and No. 155.

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The Panthers used the second-rounder to take Texas running back Jonathon Brooks, the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has always valued the extra chances a team gets by making more picks in a draft.

“I just go off history,” Ballard said last week. “The more picks you have, the better chance you have to hit. Now, of course you’re not going to hit on all of them, but it gives you more of a chance to hit.”

Ballard has more picks now. By making the move, the Colts now have six picks on Saturday and nine picks overall, including three selections in the fifth round.

Indianapolis still has multiple needs to fill, particularly at cornerback and wide receiver.

But a run on cornerbacks right before the 46th pick depleted that position group significantly. Philadelphia traded up to take Iowa’s Cooper DeJean at No. 40, setting off a run that included Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry to New Orleans at No. 41, Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter to Houston at No. 42 and Rutgers star Max Melton at No. 43.

The wide receiver class has more depth. Ten wide receivers have been taken, but Texas’s Adonai Mitchell, Oregon’s Troy Franklin and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley are still available in a wide receiver class that’s supposed to be one of the deepest in years.

“I think there’s a few positions that have got some real depth, like the o-line,” Ballard said. “Wideout is very similar, it is excellent.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts trade back in second round, add two fifth-rounders