PHOENIX – From April 27-29, the Colts are going to be paying real close attention to the phones inside of their draft war room.
They hope it's ringing, with teams on the other end of the line looking to trade up with the Colts.
"We wouldn't hesitate to trade down and get a few more picks if we can," Owner Jim Irsay stated at this past week's Annual League Meetings. "That would be something that we think could really benefit us."
Currently, the Colts have seven draft picks in the first five rounds.
Such a draft haul is rare for the Colts.
But Chris Ballard is greedy.
"Not enough," Ballard says of the seven picks in the first five rounds. "We need more (laughs).
"We won't be (afraid to trade back). We will not be timid about moving around in the draft. Will it happen? I don't know. There's some years we said that in Kansas City and we didn't make one trade. And then last year we beat bopped around a few times in the draft.
"You've got to have a partner that's willing to trade with and you have to be willing to work out the compensation. We are definitely open to trading back in this draft and we have to make sure when we do it, we still have the right players on the board targeted."
In terms of positions to watch when the Colts get on the clock next month, start with Ballard's core draft beliefs.
Offensive line, defensive line and pass rusher will always be on Ballard's mind.
Cornerback is another position that every member of the Colts brass points out as a serious need still left in 2017.
A later-round running back, a tight end to replace the loss of Dwayne Allen and a versatile offensive lineman were other positions mentioned by the Colts this past week.
The positions will be dictated by the draft, as Ballard and his personnel people keep another ear close to the phone.
Why?
Simple math.
"In my mind," Ballard says, "the more picks you have, the more chances you have to hit on the player."
The analysis from those producing content on Colts.com does not necessarily represent the thoughts of the Indianapolis Colts organization. Any conjecture, analysis or opinions formed by Colts.com content creators is not based on inside knowledge gained from team officials, players or staff.
