The Indianapolis Colts reshaped their roster on Oct. 27, trading multi-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and sending defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for draft capital.
In the trade with Seattle, the Colts acquired a 2027 third-round and a 2028 fifth-round draft pick for Nelson. Selected sixth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Nelson established himself as a cornerstone of the Indianapolis offensive line, earning first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors in three consecutive seasons from 2018-2020 and securing Pro Bowl selections in each of his first eight seasons. Over his nine-year career with the Colts, Nelson started 136 games.
Following Nelson’s departure, 2026 fourth-round draft pick Jalen Farmer could see an opportunity to step in at left guard on the offensive line.
Hours later, the Colts announced a second major deal, trading Buckner back to San Francisco in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. Buckner originally entered the league as the seventh overall pick by the 49ers in the 2016 NFL Draft before Indianapolis acquired him for a first-round pick in 2020.
During his seven seasons with the Colts, Buckner anchored the defensive front, recording 47 sacks, 122 quarterback hits, 63 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and 20 passes batted down across 95 games, including 90 starts, according to the press release. He earned first-team AP All-Pro honors in 2020 and two Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2023. After returning from season-ending neck surgery at the end of 2025, the 32-year-old defensive lineman recorded four sacks over the first seven games of the 2026 season.
As a result of the transactions, the Colts bolster their future draft capital.
At the time of this reporting, the team holds the following selections across the 2027 and 2028 NFL drafts:
2027: a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a third-round pick from Seattle, a fourth-round pick, a fourth-round pick from San Francisco, a fifth-round pick, a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round pick.
2028: a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick, a fifth-round pick from Seattle, a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round pick.
Contact multimedia and senior sports reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more Colts coverage, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multimedia and senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Before joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate at the MLK Center in Indianapolis and as a senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also a business owner.
