INDIANAPOLIS -- When the Indianapolis Colts forked over a first-round pick in a 2021 trade for quarterback Carson Wentz, they were reduced to being spectators on the first night of the 2022 NFL draft.
It was hardly a recipe for coming away with a memorable crop of players. But with a little strategy and maneuvering, the Colts maximized Day 2 of that draft in a big way. A trade down from No. 42 to 53 -- which netted a couple of later picks -- allowed the Colts to land several targeted players.
By the time that Friday night was over, Indianapolis had selected four players, including receiver Alec Pierce (53rd overall), left tackle Bernhard Raimann (77th) and safety Nick Cross (96th).
Fast-forward four years and Pierce and Raimann are now cornerstones of the Colts' offense, signing contract extensions in the past year worth a combined $216 million. Meanwhile, Cross became a playmaking starter in Indianapolis and will do the same in Washington this season after signing with the Commanders in free agency.
Now, the Colts will face the challenge of trying to duplicate this feat.
Indianapolis enters the draft next week without a first-round pick, having sent its first-round choices in 2026 and 2027 to the New York Jets in exchange for two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
But the Colts have faced this predicament before. Those previous instances have demonstrated that Day 2 of the draft is something of a sweet spot for them. In fact, it can be argued that the Colts' selections in Rounds 2 and 3 under current general manager Chris Ballard have contributed as much or more than the team's first-round choices in his nine previous drafts.
Here are the top recent examples of the Colts' best selections on Day 2 of the draft.
2020
The 2020 draft was similar to this year's scenario because it also involved a situation where the Colts traded their first-round pick for a star player. Indianapolis acquired defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for the Colts' 2020 first-round choice, leaving the team to make do with its remaining picks.
Notably, the Colts had two second-round choices to work with. But the Colts made them count in a big way. Receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was the 34th overall pick, running back Jonathan Taylor followed at 41st overall and safety Julian Blackmon was the lone third-rounder, at 85th overall.
Three picks, three starters, one All-Pro. Pittman led the Colts in receiving yards for three straight seasons (2021-23) and was consistently a high-volume target before his recent trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor has been one of the most electric players in the game since his selection; only Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens has more rushing yards since Taylor entered the league. Blackmon's career was sidetracked by injuries, but he was an immediate starter and spent five seasons in Indy.
2018
Widely considered one of the best drafts in club history, the Colts' 2018 selections helped reshape the roster. It was a bit of a one-off, because the Colts traded down from No. 3 overall to No. 6, gaining a huge slate of picks from the New York Jets.
Nevertheless, it was a draft that vividly displayed the potential for hits on Day 2. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard came off the board first at No. 36, going on to win defensive rookie of the year and being named first-team All-Pro three times. Right tackle Braden Smith, a guard in college, was the 37th overall selection and went on to become an eight-year starter in Indy.
Defensive end Kemoko Turay was Pick 52 and proved to be a disappointment despite showing consistent flashes. Defensive end Tyquan Lewis was the 64th pick and spent the past eight seasons with the Colts providing dependable play as a rotational pass rusher.
The Colts don't have anywhere near four second-round picks this year, but 2018 showed just what kind of depth of talent can exist in Round 2.
2022
The Wentz trade didn't ultimately pay off. He spent just one season in Indianapolis and left the Colts without a first-round choice a year later.
But Ballard and the Colts did their best to work with what they had. They flipped the 42nd pick (and a fourth-rounder) to Minnesota, netting them No. 53 and a third-round choice, No. 77. Those two picks turned into Pierce and Raimann -- impact players at premium positions. Another trade allowed the Colts to add Cross by dealing a fifth-rounder and a 2023 third-round choice to Denver.
To be fair, there are examples where the Colts' Day 2 draft performance was subpar. The Colts, for instance, had three second-round choices in 2019 and each proved underwhelming (Rock Ya-Sin, Ben Banogu and Parris Campbell). Their 2023 second-round pick, JuJu Brents, has already been cut (though third-rounder Josh Downs is thriving).
But considering the wildly unpredictable nature of the NFL draft, the Colts' ability to come away with solid picks on Day 2 is an example of beating the odds.
And with a thin crop of seven picks this year, Indianapolis will need a repeat performance in 2026.