San Francisco traded picks No. 86 and No. 156 to Indianapolis…
San Francisco traded picks No. 86 and No. 156 to Indianapolis on April 19, 1997 for pick No. 77. The 49ers selected tight end Greg Clark, who played four seasons for San Francisco and started 39 of 55 regular-season games. Indianapolis used the return on Bertrand Berry and Carl Powell; Berry played 42 Colts games with 13 starts, while Powell appeared in 11 games before continuing his career elsewhere.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1997 3rd round pick (86th overall, Bertrand Berry )
- pick 1997 5th round pick (156th overall, Carl Powell )
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 1997 3rd round pick (77th overall, Greg Clark )
Trade Analysis
The April 19, 1997 draft-day exchange is documented identically in the 49ers and Colts trade ledgers. San Francisco sent its third-round pick at No. 86 and fifth-round pick at No. 156 to Indianapolis for pick No. 77. The 49ers selected Stanford tight end Greg Clark. Indianapolis selected Notre Dame defensive end Bertrand Berry at No. 86 and Louisville defensive lineman Carl Powell at No. 156. All three picks reached the NFL, so the comparison turns on how much value each club actually received before those players moved elsewhere. Clark developed into a regular part of San Francisco's offense. NFL statistics show him appearing in 55 games over four seasons from 1997 through 2000, with 39 starts. He caught 92 passes for 909 yards and four touchdowns, and his role grew steadily: nine starts in 1998, 11 in 1999 and all 15 of his appearances in 2000. That gave the 49ers a multi-year starting tight end from the move-up. Indianapolis received depth and one meaningful starting season from Berry. NFL records show Berry playing 10 games with one start as a rookie, 16 games with 12 starts in 1998 and all 16 games without a start in 1999. He recorded four sacks in 1998 and one in 1999 before his later breakout seasons came with Denver and Arizona rather than Indianapolis. Powell appeared in 11 games for the Colts in 1997 without a start, then continued his career with other clubs after leaving Indianapolis. The Colts therefore received 53 combined player-games and 13 starts from the two selections, while San Francisco received 55 games and 39 starts from Clark. The difference is not large enough for an aggressive grade gap, but the 49ers got the more sustained team-specific starting value. TradeVerdicts changes the legacy Even Trade label to a modest San Francisco 49ers Win. San Francisco receives a B for obtaining four seasons and 39 starts from Clark; Indianapolis receives a C+ because Berry and Powell still supplied useful depth and Berry produced a starting season before leaving. Confidence is high because the pick exchange and all three players' club-specific production are well documented.