Colts Need To Make Trade Deadline Move On Defense
INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts have earned the right to be a buyer.
And they owe it to themselves, and especially a historic looking offense through the first half of the 2025 season, to try and push some chips into the middle of the table.
It’s not often the NFL trade deadline (on Tuesday, November 4th) has presented an opportunity to buy for the Colts.
In the Chris Ballard era, the Colts have not been in such a position through the first two months of the season.
In Ballard’s 8 years as GM, the Colts have had the following records entering November: 2-6, 3-5, 5-2, 4-2, 3-5, 3-4-1, 3-5, 4-4.
But with a 7-1 mark in 2025, the Colts are positioned to make a playoff run.
However, thinking the defensive product so far, particularly when it comes to the pass game (pass rush and pass coverage), is at a January level would be naïve.
Consistent edge pressure, early enough in plays, has been lacking, despite the immense amount of defensive end resources the Colts have invested there.
And it’s extra frustrating because DeForest Buckner is frequently commanding double teams in the interior.
Back at cornerback, injuries have largely forced reaching into the depths of the position group.
Unlike at defensive end though, potential returns at corner are on the horizon for Jaylon Jones (returned to practice last week) and Charvarius Ward (must stay on injured reserve for at least 2 more games). Plus Kenny Moore II has played consecutive games after missing 3 weeks.
Currently, the Colts have 6 of their 7 draft picks in the cupboard for 2026 (they traded their 6th rounder for cornerback Mekhi Blackmon back in August).
Could the Colts entice some of the NFL’s bottom feeders with an early-to-middle-ish round pick for an impactful defender?
As the Colts transition into a more difficult back half of the schedule (with games away from home and an uptick in competition), they do so with a reeling pass defense.
In the last 5 weeks, the Colts have allowed 1,481 passing yards. That’s the worst 5-game span of any NFL team this season.
For those wanting to look ahead to potential playoff matchups, a playoff field of quarterbacks would look like this: Drake Maye, Bo Nix, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes. Specifically the Wild Card round currently has Allen, Herbert and Mahomes as a visiting QB in the first weekend of the postseason.
When upper-echelon quarterbacks have greeted the Colts this season, it was Herbert throwing for a career-high despite major offensive tackles injuries. And it was Matthew Stafford having his best day of 2025 season.
Could the addition of a defender this month (a la Booger McFarland in the 2006 Super Bowl run) make the difference in a one-score game against the quarterbacks above come January?
Under Ballard, the Colts have only made one in-season trade (sending Nyheim Hines to the Bills in 2022).
Sure, NFL trades during the season aren’t as frequent as other pro leagues, but the Colts are sitting in a different pool with this Halloween approaching.
As some of the Colts pillar players are nearing or past the age of 30 (Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, Kenny Moore II, Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson, Zaire Franklin), it would be a mistake to just sit on their hands after a surprising start.
It is time to buy.
