Tampa Bay moved from No. 65 to No. 61 and swapped…
Tampa Bay moved from No. 65 to No. 61 and swapped fourth-round positions with Indianapolis to secure guard Ali Marpet. Marpet started all 101 games he played for the Buccaneers, became a Pro Bowler and helped anchor the offensive line for the Super Bowl LV champions. Indianapolis drafted D'Joun Smith and Clayton Geathers; Geathers became a useful safety, but Smith barely played. Tampa Bay landed the franchise-level player.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 2015 3rd round pick (65th overall, D'Joun Smith )
- pick 2015 4th round pick (109th overall, Clayton Geathers )
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 2015 2nd round pick (61st overall, Ali Marpet )
- pick 2015 4th round pick (128th overall subsequently traded, Jon Feliciano )
Trade Analysis
Tampa Bay had already used the first pick of the second round on tackle Donovan Smith when it decided to make another offensive-line move. The Buccaneers traded with Indianapolis to climb from No. 65 to No. 61, while the teams also swapped fourth-round positions. Tampa Bay's target was Hobart guard Ali Marpet, a Division III prospect whose athletic testing and Senior Bowl performance had pushed him up draft boards.
The move produced exceptional value. Marpet started all 101 regular-season games he played for Tampa Bay over seven seasons, lining up at guard and center. He became one of the league's better interior linemen, earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and was a central part of the offensive line that protected Tom Brady during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV championship season. He retired after 2021 while still playing at a high level.
Indianapolis used pick No. 65 on cornerback D'Joun Smith and pick No. 109 on safety Clayton Geathers. Smith's career was wrecked by injuries and he appeared in only a handful of games. Geathers was a much better return, spending five seasons with the Colts and starting 34 regular-season games. He provided useful defensive snaps, but his impact was not comparable to Marpet's seven-year run as a high-end starter.
The original B- grade for Tampa Bay significantly understates what happened. The Buccaneers paid only a modest move-up cost to secure a player who became a franchise fixture and championship starter.
Tampa Bay earns an A+ for landing Marpet. Indianapolis earns a C+ because Geathers supplied real multi-year value even though Smith did not. The Colts' return was respectable enough to avoid a failing grade, but the Buccaneers clearly won by identifying and securing the best player in the exchange.
Marpet's seven-year Buccaneers run overwhelmed Indianapolis's otherwise useful Geathers return.