Indianapolis sent the 13th pick in the 2020 draft to San…
Indianapolis sent the 13th pick in the 2020 draft to San Francisco for DeForest Buckner and immediately signed him long term. Buckner became a first-team All-Pro in his first Colts season, added Pro Bowl selections and recorded 43 sacks for Indianapolis through 2025. San Francisco moved from No. 13 to No. 14 for Javon Kinlaw and gained another pick used in later movement. Kinlaw never approached Buckner's impact, making this a clear Colts win.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player DeForest Buckner
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 2020 1st round pick (13th overall subsequently traded, Tristan Wirfs )
Trade Analysis
Indianapolis acquired DeForest Buckner in March 2020 for the 13th overall pick, then gave him the long-term contract San Francisco was unwilling to fit into its cap structure. The Colts were paying a premium first-round asset for a proven interior defender entering his prime, while the 49ers were trying to preserve enough flexibility to retain other veterans after a Super Bowl season.
Buckner immediately justified the price. In 2020 he recorded 9.5 sacks and earned Associated Press first-team All-Pro honors. He followed with seven sacks and a Pro Bowl berth in 2021, then posted eight sacks in both 2022 and 2023, making another Pro Bowl after the 2023 season. Even with injuries limiting parts of 2024 and 2025, Buckner totaled 43 sacks in his first six Colts seasons and remained a foundational defender. Indianapolis extended him again in 2024.
San Francisco did not simply use pick No. 13 without further movement. The 49ers sent No. 13 and No. 245 to Tampa Bay for Nos. 14 and 117. They selected Javon Kinlaw at 14, while No. 117 later became part of the package used to move up for Brandon Aiyuk. That downstream flexibility and the cap room created by moving Buckner should count in San Francisco's favor.
The problem is the primary replacement. Kinlaw never became an equivalent interior force and dealt with significant injuries during his four-year 49ers tenure. Buckner, meanwhile, produced All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons almost immediately for Indianapolis.
The Colts rise from B+ to A+. San Francisco improves from D to C+ because the pick generated more than Kinlaw alone and the financial decision had logic. Even so, Indianapolis acquired the elite player and won comfortably.