Indianapolis moved into the fifth overall position in the…
Indianapolis moved into the fifth overall position in the 1994 draft and selected linebacker Trev Alberts. Alberts played only 29 NFL games and recorded four sacks before injuries ended his career. The Rams controlled the outgoing draft position and later moved the selection again, preserving additional value rather than directly selecting the player who ultimately went at that slot.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1994 1st round pick (5th overall, Trev Alberts )
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 1994 1st round pick (7th overall subsequently traded, Bryant Young )
- pick 1994 3rd round pick (83rd overall, James Bostic )
Trade Analysis
Why the Deal Happened
Indianapolis moved from No. 7 to No. 5 in the 1994 draft and sent the Rams a third-round pick to make the jump. The Colts selected linebacker Trev Alberts. Los Angeles did not stay at No. 7; it immediately traded that choice to San Francisco for Nos. 15, 56 and 100, turning the original move down into a larger draft portfolio.
What Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams Received
Alberts played only 29 NFL games and recorded four sacks, an extremely limited return for the fifth overall pick. The Rams used No. 15 on tackle Wayne Gandy, who became a 219-game, 205-start NFL lineman, and also held the No. 83 selection from Indianapolis. The downstream value from No. 7 therefore produced a durable starting tackle even before considering the other selections gathered in the second move.
How the Value Developed
The Rams' advantage comes from what they actually did with the acquired draft position, not from crediting Bryant Young to Los Angeles. Young was selected by San Francisco after the Rams traded No. 7 away. Los Angeles instead receives credit for the package it obtained in that follow-up trade, led by Gandy. Against Alberts' short, injury-limited career, that chain creates a decisive difference in realized football value.
Final Verdict
Los Angeles/Cleveland/St. Louis Rams Win. Indianapolis Colts receives a D and Los Angeles Rams receives a A-. The result weighs only value tied to the assets each club actually controlled, including a later transaction when the acquired pick itself was moved. That keeps the comparison centered on team-specific football contribution rather than assigning another franchise's eventual selection to the wrong side.
Indianapolis received limited production from Alberts after using the fifth overall selection, while the Rams extracted stronger value from the draft position they acquired and moved.