4 Worst Draft Picks of the Chris Ballard Era With Colts, and 3 Excellent Ones

From Anthony Richardson to Quenton Nelson, Chris Ballard's drafts left the Colts with a few cornerstones and a handful of misses the new GM inherits.

by Neal Coolong

Oct 20, 2026

From Anthony Richardson to Quenton Nelson, Chris Ballard's drafts left the Colts with a few cornerstones and a handful of misses the new GM inherits.

Chris Ballard’s drafts will define how his decade in Indianapolis is remembered, now that the Colts have fired their general manager after a 2-4 start. A few of his picks became some of the best players in franchise history. A few others cost the team years it didn’t have to spare.

We’ve already gone through the worst decisions Ballard made as GM, from trades to contracts. This one stays in the draft room. Stampede Blue graded his full draft run a B-minus in June, and that feels about right, because the hits were real and so were the misses. The 2025 and 2026 classes are left out as too early to judge.

The worst draft picks of the Ballard era

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Anthony Richardson, QB (2023, first round, No. 4)

No miss did more damage. Ballard bet the franchise on Richardson’s arm and athleticism, knowing he’d started only one full season at Florida. Shoulder surgery ended his rookie year after four games. In 2024, he completed 47.7% of his passes with eight touchdown passes and 12 interceptions before Joe Flacco replaced him for a stretch. Daniel Jones then beat him out in 2025 training camp, and Richardson threw two passes all season. Even after Jones threw two more interceptions Sunday, one Colts insider said the team is unlikely to bench Daniel Jones for him.

Malik Hooker, S (2017, first round, No. 15)

Ballard’s first pick as Colts GM came with medical questions, and they followed Hooker to Indianapolis. He tore his ACL midway through his rookie season. When he was healthy, the ball skills showed up, with seven interceptions in 34 games, but the Colts declined his fifth-year option in May 2020. He tore his Achilles in Week 2 that fall and left for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. A No. 15 pick who doesn’t earn a fifth year is a miss.

Adonai Mitchell, WR (2024, second round, No. 52)

Mitchell had the size and speed to be a vertical threat, and he never put it together in Indianapolis. He caught 23 of 55 targets for 312 yards and no touchdowns as a rookie, and his role didn’t grow much in Year 2. Less than two seasons after drafting him, Ballard sent him to the New York Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade, a deal that also gave away the Colts’ 2027 first-round pick.

Ben Banogu, DE (2019, second round, No. 49)

Banogu was one of the best athletes in his draft class, and the Colts took him to help a pass rush that needed it. He had 2.5 sacks as a rookie and none in the three seasons that followed, finishing with 2.5 in 50 games and zero starts, as Colts On SI noted. Of all the second-round misses Ballard made, this one returned the least.

The best draft picks of the Ballard era

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) blocks against Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen (35) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Quenton Nelson, G (2018, first round, No. 6)

Ballard traded back from No. 3 in 2018, picked up extra picks from the Jets, and still landed the best player of his tenure. Nelson was a first-team All-Pro in each of his first three seasons and has been a Pro Bowl regular since. He’s still the steadiest piece of the offense, too. He posted the highest PFF grade on the team at Pittsburgh in Week 5, then followed it with a 79.7 pass-blocking grade against Tennessee on Sunday, according to PFF.

Jonathan Taylor, RB (2020, second round, No. 41)

Ballard traded up to get Taylor, and the move paid off fast. Taylor ran for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021, leading the NFL and earning first-team All-Pro honors. Injuries cost him chunks of 2022 and 2023, but he bounced back with 1,431 yards in 2024 and 1,585 yards with 18 touchdowns last season. He has seven rushing touchdowns through six games this year, even with defenses taking away his big runs.

Darius Leonard, LB (2018, second round, No. 36)

Leonard came from South Carolina State and played like a star from his first snap. He led the NFL with 163 tackles as a rookie, added seven sacks and won Defensive Rookie of the Year. He made first-team All-Pro three times in four seasons and forced turnovers in bunches, including five interceptions in 2019. Back problems ended his peak early, and the Colts released him in 2023, but few second-round picks anywhere have delivered a better first four years.

A few other picks deserve mention. Third-rounder Bernhard Raimann became a starting left tackle, fourth-rounder Grover Stewart is still anchoring the middle of the defense, and seventh-rounder Zaire Franklin led the NFL in tackles in 2024 before being traded to Green Bay. Whoever replaces Ballard inherits those players, along with the hole Richardson left at quarterback.