The Chris Ballard era has been a rocky ride since 2017, with a 62-69-1 season record and a 1-2 playoff record. Ballard has amassed a lot of draft picks over the years, so let’s break down which picks were his best.
Here are the best players from each draft, based on the amount of time with the team and their impact over that time. While some players not chosen had high peaks, it’s more important to focus on the length of time spent with the team.
2017 — Grover Stewart (DT)
2018 — Quenton Nelson (OG)
2019 — EJ Speed (LB)
2020 — Jonathan Taylor (RB)
2021 — Kwity Paye (DE)
2022 — Bernhard Raimann (OT)
2023 — Josh Downs (WR)
2024 — Laitu Latu (DE)
Of that group, it’s best to eliminate Downs and Latu as they are too young to evaluate.