Colts · current general manager

Chris Ballard Draft History and Grades

9 draft classes, 2017-2025. Every pick graded against its slot.

The answer

Chris Ballard has made 82 picks. 30 became starters and 6 were busts. Draft Value Added per pick: -4.6, league average -7.6. That ranks 16 of 55 GMs with 20+ picks.

Best at defensive linemen (+18.9 vs league on 6 picks) and cornerbacks (+11.6 vs league on 6 picks). Weakest at defensive ends (-10.2 on 4 picks) and defensive tackles (-5.8 on 4 picks).

82Picks

49%Hit rateleague 40%

37%Starter rateleague 31%

22%Bust rate (R1-3)league 31%

-4.6DVA per pickleague -7.6

Open Chris Ballard in the draft explorer All GMs ranked

By position

Draft Value Added compares each pick's peak season to what that draft slot usually produces. Click a position to see those picks in the explorer.

Pos	Picks	Starters	Busts	Hit	DVA/pick	Verdict
WR	10	4	0	33%	-9.2	-3.3 vs league
LB	10	4	2	40%	-3.7	+2.6 vs league
CB	6	2	0	50%	+0.7	+11.6 vs league
RB	6	1	0	67%	+0.8	+2.2 vs league
DL	6	4	0	100%	+14.0	+18.9 vs league
OL	6	4	1	50%	-3.0	+7.9 vs league
DB	6	3	1	40%	-15.3	-3.4 vs league
TE	5	0	1	80%	-1.8	-4.5 vs league
S	5	3	0	80%	+10.0	+10.3 vs league
DE	4	0	0	0%	-24.1	-10.2 vs league
QB	4	2	1	0%	-26.9	-4.6 vs league
DT	4	1	0	25%	-15.4	-5.8 vs league
G	3	2	0	67%	-2.2	+4.7 vs league
SAF	2	0	0	-	-	too few to judge
T	2	0	0	0%	-20.8	too few to judge
OT	1	0	0	-	-	too few to judge
C	1	0	0	100%	+65.4	too few to judge
OLB	1	0	0	100%	+5.5	too few to judge

Best and worst picks

Best value

Javon Patterson (C, R7 2019) +65 DVA
E.J. Speed (LB, R5 2019) +52 DVA
Isaiah Rodgers (CB, R6 2020) +46 DVA

Worst value

Shaquille Leonard (LB, R2 2018) -69 DVA
Jelani Woods (TE, R3 2022) -59 DVA
JT Tuimoloau (DE, R2 2025) -52 DVA

Tenure

Colts: 2017-present

Whoever was in the chair on draft day owns that class. Our pick window starts in 2012, so earlier classes are not counted.

Every pick

17 picks are from the last two drafts and still developing.

Year	Pick	Player	Pos	School	DVA	Result
2025	R1, #14	Tyler Warren	TE	Penn St.	+8.8	developing
2025	R2, #45	JT Tuimoloau	DE	Ohio St.	-52.4	developing
2025	R3, #80	Justin Walley	CB	Minnesota	-	developing
2025	R4, #127	Jalen Travis	OT	Iowa St.	-	developing
2025	R5, #151	DJ Giddens	RB	Kansas St.	-35.9	developing
2025	R6, #189	Riley Leonard	QB	Notre Dame	-8.4	developing
2025	R6, #190	Tim Smith	DL	Alabama	-	developing
2025	R7, #232	Hunter Wohler	SAF	Wisconsin	-	developing
2024	R1, #15	Laiatu Latu	DL	UCLA	+1.8	starter
2024	R2, #52	Adonai Mitchell	WR	Texas	-13.8	developing
2024	R3, #79	Matt Goncalves	OL	Pittsburgh	-25.1	bust
2024	R4, #117	Tanor Bortolini	OL	Wisconsin	+39.1	starter
2024	R5, #142	Anthony Gould	WR	Oregon St.	-	developing
2024	R5, #151	Jaylon Carlies	DB	Missouri	-	developing
2024	R5, #164	Jaylin Simpson	SAF	Auburn	-	developing
2024	R6, #201	Micah Abraham	CB	Marshall	-	developing
2024	R7, #234	Jonah Laulu	DL	Oklahoma	+35.2	starter
2023	R1, #4	Anthony Richardson	QB	Florida	-30.4	bust
2023	R2, #44	Julius Brents	DB	Kansas St.	-51.2	bust
2023	R3, #79	Josh Downs	WR	North Carolina	+17.1	starter
2023	R4, #106	Blake Freeland	OL	BYU	-36.0	active
2023	R4, #110	Adetomiwa Adebawore	DL	Northwestern	+17.8	backup
2023	R5, #138	Darius Rush	DB	South Carolina	-43.5	active
2023	R5, #158	Daniel Scott	S	California	-39.3	active
2023	R5, #162	Will Mallory	TE	Miami (FL)	+17.5	active
2023	R5, #176	Evan Hull	RB	Northwestern	-35.6	active
2023	R6, #211	Titus Leo	LB	Wagner	-28.6	active
2023	R7, #221	Jaylon Jones	DB	Texas A&M	+31.8	starter
2023	R7, #236	Jake Witt	OL	Northern Michigan	-23.7	active
2022	R2, #53	Alec Pierce	WR	Cincinnati	+23.8	starter
2022	R3, #73	Jelani Woods	TE	Virginia	-59.2	bust
2022	R3, #77	Bernhard Raimann	OL	Central Michigan	+12.0	starter
2022	R3, #96	Nick Cross	DB	Maryland	+24.3	starter
2022	R5, #159	Eric Johnson	DT	Missouri State	-28.1	backup
2022	R6, #192	Andrew Ogletree	TE	Youngstown St.	+3.6	backup
2022	R6, #216	Curtis Brooks	DT	Cincinnati	-27.6	released
2022	R7, #239	Rodney Thomas II	LB	Yale	-8.1	backup
2021	R1, #21	Kwity Paye	DL	Michigan	+2.3	starter
2021	R2, #54	Dayo Odeyingbo	DL	Vanderbilt	+12.7	starter
2021	R4, #127	Kylen Granson	TE	SMU	+20.2	backup
2021	R5, #165	Shawn Davis	DB	Florida	-37.9	active
2021	R6, #218	Sam Ehlinger	QB	Texas	-22.1	starter
2021	R7, #229	Mike Strachan	WR	Charleston (WV)	-15.0	active
2021	R7, #248	Will Fries	OL	Penn St.	+15.8	starter
2020	R2, #34	Michael Pittman Jr.	WR	USC	+15.4	starter
2020	R2, #41	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin	+28.2	starter
2020	R3, #85	Julian Blackmon	S	Utah	+39.1	starter
2020	R4, #122	Jacob Eason	QB	Washington	-46.8	active
2020	R5, #149	Danny Pinter	G	Ball St.	-26.2	backup
2020	R6, #193	Robert Windsor	DT	Penn St.	-32.2	active
2020	R6, #211	Isaiah Rodgers	CB	Massachusetts	+46.2	backup
2020	R6, #212	Dezmon Patmon	WR	Washington St.	-32.7	active
2020	R6, #213	Jordan Glasgow	LB	Michigan	-18.2	active
2019	R2, #34	Rock Ya-Sin	CB	Temple	+14.8	starter
2019	R2, #49	Ben Banogu	LB	TCU	-35.3	bust
2019	R2, #59	Parris Campbell	WR	Ohio St.	-14.1	starter
2019	R3, #89	Bobby Okereke	LB	Stanford	+33.1	starter
2019	R4, #109	Khari Willis	S	Michigan St.	+44.4	starter
2019	R5, #144	Marvell Tell III	S	USC	+3.3	active
2019	R5, #164	E.J. Speed	LB	Tarleton St.	+52.5	backup
2019	R6, #199	Gerri Green	DE	Mississippi St.	-31.0	active
2019	R7, #240	Jackson Barton	T	Utah	-12.9	active
2019	R7, #246	Javon Patterson	C	Mississippi	+65.4	active
2018	R1, #6	Quenton Nelson	G	Notre Dame	+8.2	starter
2018	R2, #36	Shaquille Leonard	LB	South Carolina St.	-68.9	bust
2018	R2, #37	Braden Smith	G	Auburn	+11.2	starter
2018	R2, #52	Kemoko Turay	OLB	Rutgers	+5.5	backup
2018	R2, #64	Tyquan Lewis	DE	Ohio St.	-1.1	backup
2018	R4, #104	Nyheim Hines	RB	North Carolina St.	+4.1	backup
2018	R5, #159	Daurice Fountain	WR	Northern Iowa	-39.1	active
2018	R5, #169	Jordan Wilkins	RB	Mississippi	+5.0	backup
2018	R6, #185	Deon Cain	WR	Clemson	-24.7	active
2018	R7, #221	Matthew Adams	LB	Houston	-29.7	backup
2018	R7, #235	Zaire Franklin	LB	Syracuse	+43.2	starter
2017	R1, #15	Malik Hooker	S	Ohio St.	+2.4	starter
2017	R2, #46	Quincy Wilson	CB	Florida	-20.6	starter
2017	R3, #80	Tarell Basham	DE	Ohio	-11.7	backup
2017	R4, #137	Zach Banner	T	USC	-28.7	active
2017	R4, #143	Marlon Mack	RB	South Florida	+39.1	backup
2017	R4, #144	Grover Stewart	DT	Albany State (GA)	+26.5	starter
2017	R5, #158	Nate Hairston	CB	Temple	-37.8	backup
2017	R5, #161	Anthony Walker	LB	Northwestern	+23.0	starter

Questions

How good is Chris Ballard at drafting?

Chris Ballard has 30 starters and 6 busts from 82 picks, with a hit rate of 49% and -4.6 Draft Value Added per pick. A positive number means the picks outperformed their draft slot.

How good is Chris Ballard at evaluating wide receivers?

Chris Ballard has drafted 10 wide receivers: 4 starters, 0 busts, -9.2 DVA per pick. That is 3.3 points below the league average for wide receivers.

How good is Chris Ballard at evaluating linebackers?

Chris Ballard has drafted 10 linebackers: 4 starters, 2 busts, -3.7 DVA per pick. That is 2.6 points above the league average for linebackers.

How good is Chris Ballard at evaluating cornerbacks?

Chris Ballard has drafted 6 cornerbacks: 2 starters, 0 busts, +0.7 DVA per pick. That is 11.6 points above the league average for cornerbacks.

Filter every pick by Chris Ballard