Chris Ballard appears to have struck gold with his 2018 draft class. First rounder Quenton Nelson has improved every game and is a big part of why Andrew Luck has had the best protection of his career this season. Speaking of that protection, second rounder Braden Smith has been more than solid at RT. Kemoko Turay playing at defensive end has also stood out rushing the passer on defense. Rookie running backs Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins have played big roles in the offense this season.
Among the stars that Ballard has seemingly landed, none of them have had the impact of second round pick Darius Leonard.