Colts Put on Notice After Division-Rival Texans Trade for $96 Million WR

Getty Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

One of the Indianapolis Colts’ AFC South division rivals — the Houston Texans — made a blockbuster move on Wednesday, April 2, which sent an official warning to Indy:

We’re not just looking to compete for a division title anymore. We’re looking to compete for a championship.

Houston sent a 2025 second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The move bolsters the Texans’ offense, which already had budding star quarterback C.J. Stroud and 1,000-yard receiver Nico Collins, among other playmakers like receiver Tank Dell, tight end Dalton Schultz, and running back Joe Mixon.

After beating the Colts in the regular season finale last season, which put Houston in the playoffs and eliminated Indy from playoff contention, the Texans have continued to capitalize on their young QB’s rookie contract by adding talent around him, whether it be on offense and/or defense. That’s why they were able to trade for Diggs, who has one guaranteed year left from his four-year, $96 million deal he signed with the Bills in 2022.

Meanwhile, the most notable player the Colts have added who wasn’t already in the building was backup QB Joe Flacco. Aside from him, Indy has re-signed many of its own and added a few depth pieces.

Colts Need to Be Aggressive in NFL Draft

Houston has been very aggressive this offseason in an attempt to contend for a Super Bowl. Because of that, the Colts need to show a bit more urgency when it comes to adding more talent around second-year QB Anthony Richardson, otherwise, they can kiss goodbye their chances of winning an AFC South title in the foreseeable future. Their next and final opportunity to do that is in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As it currently stands, Indy has seven draft picks — one in each round. The first one is the 15th overall selection.

Given that this receiver class is very talented and deep, the Colts — even if the top three wide receivers are off the board by their first pick — could opt to select a pass catcher on Day 1 of the draft. They could pick a receiver like LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. or a tight end like Brock Bowers.

The team could also opt to wait until the second round — where they own the 46th overall pick — to draft a pass catcher and use their first-round pick on one of the top cornerbacks on the board.

Whatever route the team decides to go, Indy needs to come out of the three-day event with more playmakers to put around Richardson. It’s crucial to his success early in his NFL career and for the Colts to keep up with what’s shaping up to be a high-caliber Texans offense.

As it currently stands, Indy’s receiver room consists of Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, D.J. Montgomery, Juwann Winfree, Ethan Fernea, Tyrie Cleveland, and Terrell Bynum.

The Colts tight end room consists of Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, Moe Alie-Cox, Eric Tomlinson, Jordan Murray, and Will Mallory.

What to Know About 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place on April 25 and goes through April 27. The event will take place in Detroit, Michigan, and will be available to watch on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.