Premium players cost a premium price. The Indianapolis Colts paid a premium price —namely, the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft and more than $40 million — but there’s little doubt they got their premium player.
Before arriving in Indianapolis this past March, DeForest Buckner earned his reputation in San Francisco as one of the most dominant interior defensive lineman in football. Over the past two seasons, he’s started all 32 games, with his 129 tackles ranking second among all the NFL’s defensive tackles, his 19.5 sacks third and his 34 QB hits fourth.
Forget the high cost of acquisition, general manager Chris Ballard said.