The Indianapolis Colts addressed several needs during the 2026 NFL Draft, but one glaring hole remains: the backup nose tackle position. With starter Grover Stewart turning 33 this season and his primary backup, Derrick Nnadi, ranking as the 123rd-best defensive tackle in the league last year (per Pro Football Focus), the Colts are thin at a critical spot. Tim Smith, a sixth-round pick from last year, spent his rookie season on the practice squad, and any other option currently on the roster would be playing out of position.
Enter Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, who suggests the Colts swing a trade with an AFC foe: the Cincinnati Bengals. Knox proposes sending a fifth-round pick in next year's draft to Cincinnati for defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. The Bengals have loaded up their defensive front this offseason, signing Jonathan Allen and trading for Dexter Lawrence II, making Slaton—who started all 17 games for Cincinnati last year—potentially expendable.
"The Bengals may not be actively looking to move defensive players after taking an uncharacteristically aggressive approach to building their defense this offseason," Knox wrote. "However, teams should see if Cincinnati is willing to move off of veteran T.J. Slaton. He's entering the final year of a two-year deal, and the Bengals could save $6.7 million by moving him. That's a considerable amount for a player who might not see extensive playing time in 2026."
Slaton, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound run-stuffer, was a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021 out of Florida. After hitting free agency in 2025, the Bengals signed him to a two-year, $14.1 million deal. Now 28 years old, Slaton carries a $9.16 million salary cap hit in 2026—a steep price for a player who may not start in Cincinnati's crowded defensive line room, which also includes B.J. Hill and 2024 second-round pick Kris Jenkins.
For the Colts, adding a veteran presence like Slaton could provide much-needed depth behind Stewart and solidify a defensive line that aims to pressure AFC South quarterbacks all season long. Whether general manager Chris Ballard pulls the trigger remains to be seen, but the logic is clear: a fifth-round pick for a proven run-stopper could be a steal in a division where every stop matters.