Cleveland received 2018 3rd round pick (67th overall, Chad…
Cleveland received 2018 3rd round pick (67th overall, Chad Thomas), 2018 6th round pick (178th overall subsequently traded, Christian Sam), while Indianapolis received 2018 2nd round pick (64th overall, Tyquan Lewis). The hindsight grades are C- for Cleveland and B for Indianapolis. The verdict is grounded in the actual starts, production, tenure and downstream draft results produced by those assets.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 2018 3rd round pick (67th overall, Chad Thomas )
- pick 2018 6th round pick (178th overall subsequently traded, Christian Sam )
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 2018 2nd round pick (64th overall, Tyquan Lewis )
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 2018-04-27, Cleveland received 2018 3rd round pick (67th overall, Chad Thomas), 2018 6th round pick (178th overall subsequently traded, Christian Sam), while Indianapolis received 2018 2nd round pick (64th overall, Tyquan Lewis). Hindsight is unusually useful here because the acquired assets now have a concrete NFL record. The grades can therefore be tied to what those players and picks actually produced for their new teams.
Cleveland Browns Return
Cleveland drafted Chad Thomas at No. 67. Thomas played 20 games with eight starts for the Browns and produced 26 tackles and four sacks in 2019 before his Cleveland tenure ended after two seasons. Cleveland also used No. 178 in the move from No. 114 to No. 105 for Antonio Callaway, who caught 43 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns as a 2018 rookie but was gone during 2019. Those results are the basis for Cleveland's C- grade.
Indianapolis Colts Return
Indianapolis used No. 64 on Tyquan Lewis. Lewis became a long-term Colts defensive lineman, appearing in 88 games with 20 starts through 2025 and totaling 130 tackles and 18 sacks. The Colts therefore received substantially more durable value from their selection than Cleveland got from Thomas, while the Browns' Callaway branch produced one productive rookie year without lasting value. That record supports Indianapolis's B grade.
Value in Hindsight
The trade is best understood through those specific outcomes. The meaningful comparison is the actual games, starts, statistics, longevity and downstream draft use created by each side's return. A pick that was moved again is credited through the supported transaction chain, not by pretending the original team drafted a player it never selected.
Final Verdict
The verdict is Indianapolis Colts Win. The difference between the grades comes from the documented football return above, not from generic assumptions about veteran players or draft capital. Each side is credited for what its acquired assets actually delivered, and the result is judged on that team-specific production.