Colts Trade Up, Land Allen & Haulcy

0:00On April 25, the Indianapolis Colts hit the 2026 NFL draft without a first-round pick after trading it for star cornerback sauce. Gardener, facing big needs at linebacker and safety, they started day two by swapping their second-round pick at 47 and a seventh-rounder with the Pittsburgh Steelers for picks at 53, 135, and 237. Then netted them Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at 53 and LSU Safety, AJ Halsey at 78, filling key gaps right away. Ballered known for trading back to stockpile picks, state put this time, despite offers, prioritizing these guys as best players available, that matched their roster holes. Allen steps in as a day one starter, replacing Zaire Franklin, while Halsey brings competition to a weak safety group and eyes the strong safety spot. Fans and analysts are buzzing because these picks landed way below their consensus bigboard rankings. Allen at 35 and Halsey at 56.

1:01It's rare value for a team under pressure after years of mediocrity under Ballered, with just one playoff win in nine seasons and no division titles. Despite the Andrew Luck fallout, Ballered noted an early run on edge rushers forced a pivot, but he snagged these steals and hinted at post-strap trades for a veteran defensive. They added a fourth round pick two, heading into day three with slightly more ammo than before. This is a solid step for maker break year, especially with quarterback questions looming, but Ballered needs to keep hitting in the later rounds too. Build a playoff contender around that defense.