Indianapolis moved up 20 spots in the fifth round for guard…
Indianapolis moved up 20 spots in the fifth round for guard Matt Johnson, sending New Orleans picks No. 158 and No. 195. Johnson never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. The Saints used No. 158 on tight end Austin Wheatley and No. 195 on defensive back Michael Hawthorne; Hawthorne played 63 career games and made 19 starts. That usable sixth-round return gives New Orleans the win.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 2000 5th round pick (138th overall, Matt Johnson )
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2000 5th round pick (158th overall, Austin Wheatley)
- pick 2000 6th round pick (195th overall, Michael Hawthorne)
Trade Analysis
Why Indianapolis Moved Up
The Colts wanted the 138th selection badly enough to send New Orleans the 158th and 195th picks. Indianapolis used No. 138 on BYU guard Matt Johnson, effectively exchanging two later opportunities for one targeted offensive lineman. The strategy is easy to understand in a late-round setting, where teams often consolidate picks for a prospect they prefer. The problem is that Johnson never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, leaving the Colts without realized on-field return.
What New Orleans Did With Two Picks
The Saints selected tight end Austin Wheatley at No. 158 and defensive back Michael Hawthorne at No. 195. Wheatley contributed very little, appearing in four games, so he did not independently justify the trade. Hawthorne did. He played six NFL seasons, appeared in 63 games and made 19 starts, including 28 games during three seasons with New Orleans. That is meaningful survival and role value from a sixth-round selection.
How the Late-Round Math Worked
This trade shows why an extra selection can matter even when neither side lands a star. Indianapolis concentrated its chance in Johnson and received no regular-season snaps from him. New Orleans split the chance between Wheatley and Hawthorne and found one player who stayed in the league for years. The Saints did not uncover a franchise cornerstone, but the professional contribution from Hawthorne clearly exceeds a return that never reached a regular-season field.
Final Verdict
New Orleans Saints Win. The Saints earn a B for turning one fifth-round pick into two shots and finding a six-year defensive back with the lower selection. Indianapolis receives a D because the move-up target never played an NFL regular-season game. The stakes were modest, but the outcome is not especially close once the careers of the three drafted players are compared.