AFC South 2023 GM Power Rankings: Where do Jacksonville Jaguars and Trent Baalke land?

No. 3 AFC South 2023 GM Power Ranking: Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts

Chris Ballard was hired as the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. While his first year at the helm wasn’t remarkable, he hit it out of the ballpark when he drafted offensive guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the first of rookie teammates to earn an All-Pro designation since 1965.

However, Ballard’s track record in the draft in recent years hasn’t been nearly as good. More importantly, his inability to find a long-term answer at the quarterback position since Andrew Luck retired has held Inddy back. Sure, Luck’s unexpected decision to call it quits before the start of the 2019 season caught the Colts off guard but they have had more than enough time to find a replacement and they’ve failed to do so even though they’ve taken several stabs.

Philip Rivers was a solid stopgap in 2020 but he also hung up the cleats after his one and only season in Indianapolis. Ballard then traded for Carson Wentz but he quickly showed he was no longer a viable starting quarterback and they shipped out of town only one year after acquiring him.

Because the third time is the chart, the Colts traded for veteran Matt Ryan last offseason. Unfortunately, the 2016 league MVP proved he was way past his prime and was benched in favor of Sam Ehlinger, who hadn’t attempted a pass in the NFL before 2022.

Make no mistake though. The lack of stability at quarterback could turn out to be Ballard’s downfall but the truth is that he hasn’t much fared at other positions. Had he done a better job of acquiring talent the last two years, the Colts wouldn’t be coming off back-to-back losing seasons