After coming within a victory of the postseason for the first time since 2020, the Indianapolis Colts are hopeful that Year 2 of the Shane Steichen era can net a return to the sport’s postseason and a prosperous future full of youthful talent.
That hope is shared by Colts fans and Indiana sportsbooks.
So, we were curious to see in advance of the April 25-27 NFL draft if the Colts had been doing a good job with first-round selections.
Utilizing Pro-Football-Reference.com, IndianaBets.com – your source for Indiana betting apps - utilized the approximate value (AV) statistic to combine the total approximate value of the career of each NFL team’s first-round draft picks from 2014 to 2023. The teams were then ranked on the AV per pick to see what team has utilized their picks the best..
NFL Teams AV Total Since 2014
Colts Solidly in Top 10
Since 2014, the Colts have the NFL’s eighth-best approximate value per draft pick average (29.0 per pick), ranking between the No. 8 Baltimore Ravens (32.9 AV per pick) and the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins, who tied for 9th overall at 28.9 AV.
The Colts only have had eight first-round draft picks, but that group has produced 174 AV among them, with Quenton Nelson (62 AV), Ryan Kelly (52 AV) and Malik Hooker (21 AV) being the team’s standard-bearers.
Leaguewide, the Los Angeles Rams had the NFL’s highest AV per first-round pick between 2014 and 2023, at 71.3 (four picks, 285 AV). The Dallas Cowboys (9 picks, 372 AV/41.3 AV), Chicago Bears (7 picks, 253 AV/36.1 AV) and Buffalo Bills (9 picks, 322 AV/35.8 AV) ranked ahead of the Colts when it came to first-round bang for your buck totals.
When broken down by raw AV totals, the Ravens (428 AV) beat out the Dallas Cowboys (372 AV), New York Giants (340 AV), Cleveland Browns (337 AV) and New Orleans Saints (336 AV), illustrating that draft hauls can’t produce success on the field by themselves.
If you decide to wager on the Colts, make sure you have a Fanatics Indiana sportsbook promo code or one from the state’s other operators.