The Indianapolis Colts managed to find a new quarterback at Carson Wentz and still maintain their choice in the first round in the 2021 draft of the NFL. But could they still make a change?
Although it seems unlikely, ESPN believes that it may still be a possibility and has even suggested that they should do so in an article listing a “bold move” for all 32 teams.
For the Colts, it was an attempt to enter the top 10 to find a defender in the franchise.
Make a move for a choice among the top 10 in the draft
There are very few teams that have the space to negotiate for an established starting quarterback and pay a lot of money for it. The Colts, designed to have the second largest capitalization space in the NFL, behind only the Jaguars, were one of them. They would also transform from a marginal wildcard team to a serious contender for the title with a legitimate franchise quarterback.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine that Carson Wentz will be the franchise’s quarterback. We are not saying that Wentz will be the worst defender in the league again, but his problems with accuracy and late reading last year were not caused solely by his support cast.
The Colts still have to work hard to move up the project. They won’t get Trevor Lawrence, obviously, but Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or Trey Lance may be worth several choices in the first round for a franchise that is so, so close to being a legitimate title contender. Wentz should be a starting point for fixing the defender’s position, not the end point.
What the Colts did last season was an excellent team-building victory, winning 11 games, even with a somewhat limited Philip Rivers. It would be a shame to see this wasted.
Moving on to the top 10 is still a wonderful idea in theory, but it’s not so practical anymore. The Colts gave up their choice of the third round in 2021 and a conditional choice of the second round that is likely to become the first in 2022. These choices could have been a huge ammunition for Indy if they wanted to go up.
Choosing from 21st place does not make it easy to rise to a quarterback. This takes at least two choices in the first round and with how many teams need a defender in this range, the Colts could easily be overcome.
It is not entirely out of the question for the Colts to move up in the draft, but it should be filed more in the “highly unlikely” office at this point in the off-season.