The Colts predraft offseason took a Herculean effort to plug holes on a quickly rebuilt ship with hopes of a maiden voyage deep into the playoffs next year. After acquiring plagued quarterback Carson Wentz, losing several defensive stalwarts, and resigning veterans, the Colts utilized the draft to bolster and replace key positional deficiencies on the roster.
The Colts draft strategy was hyper-focused on positions rather than a best-player-available strategy. General Manager Chris Ballard double-dipped on the defensive line early in the draft. Their goal was to turn a weakness to a strength; giving the team multiple opportunities to get a suitable starting defensive end.