Colts' Malik Hooker Reportedly Drawing Trade Interest Ahead of 2020 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly received calls from teams looking to trade for safety Malik Hooker ahead of the 2020 NFL draft.

Stephen Holder of The Athletic reported the Colts have not made the calls, though it would not be a surprise if they were open to a deal. Hooker has struggled with consistency during his three-year career, with Pro Football Focus giving him a 69.5 rating last season.

The Colts have not made a decision regarding Hooker's fifth-year option. General manager Chris Ballard told reporters earlier this month he was planning to wait until after the draft to decide. 

"We've got a little time," Ballard said. "When I get through the draft, we'll sit down and we'll talk about the direction we're going to go there."

Ballard's hesitance to pick up the option should only validate the trade rumors. Hooker's fifth-year option would not make much of a dent on the Colts' cap sheet, especially given they have one of the cleanest books in football. The hesitance more likely signals some doubt that the 2017 first-round pick is the team's long-term answer at the free safety spot.

"Malik was solid," Ballard said in January. "Wouldn't say he was great. He was solid. He had some moments of being really good, and I thought he tailed off a little bit there at the end."

Hooker's combination of top-end range and ball-hawking tendencies make him look like one of the best cover safeties when he's making the right decisions. When he's not, however, the Colts are left vulnerable as Hooker scrambles to get back into position. He has also missed at least two games because of injury in each of his three NFL seasons.