Colts’ Defensive Revamp: The Colts are Reportedly Willing to Trade Their No. 14 Pick for a Pro Bowl-Caliber Defensive Player, Sparking…

The Indianapolis Colts have a promising edge defender in Laiatu Latu, utilizing their 15th overall 2024 draft selection for the talented youngster.

While his rookie campaign didn’t set the NFL on fire, it was still a good indicator of what Latu can possibly give Indy for the future: a consistent presence off the edge who has versatility, speed, and ever-changing moves to get into the backfield.

However, plenty of big-name edge rushers across the league might be looking for new scenery, and the Colts should pay attention. NFL.com‘s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport revealed four massive names that could shake up the 2025 offseason: Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns), Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys), Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals), and Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders).

While the Colts can always put together a monumental package to execute a trade for one of these four prominent edge rushers, it’s not the MO of Colts general manager Chris Ballard, even if Garrett officially requested a trade out of Cleveland.

Whether it’s Garrett, Parsons, Hendrickson, or Crosby doesn’t matter, any one of those players would command a ridiculous haul for their respective squad to trade them off; they’d also need to want to come to the Circle City.

After the mediocre 8-9 finish to Indy’s season and the state of the franchise right now, that might not be an appetizing destination. The Bengals’ Hendrickson makes the most sense given his ties to Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, but it still feels like a stretch.

The Colts have Latu, Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, and Dayo Odeyingbo (free agent) as their main edge rushers, and likely want to see if they can continue to develop this group into something special before giving away the farm for one of those huge names aforementioned.

The Colts are usually quiet with huge free-agent signings and world-breaking trades, so it’s assumed that Ballard will gloss over this degree of a deal. Nothing is off the table for a team like the Colts who need as much talent as possible, but what would be commanded to get any of them seems too much for the tenured GM.

Fans who want to see this type of trade go down might want to temper expectations, as the Colts can address more depth on the defensive edge through signings and the draft in a little over two months.