The Indianapolis Colts announced on Mar. 11 that they have acquired defensive tackle Colby Wooden from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin.
This trade brings a young and productive player to the Colts’ defensive line while sending a veteran leader to Green Bay. The move reflects the team’s efforts to get younger and faster on defense.
Wooden, who is 25 years old, played in all 17 games with 16 starts for the Packers during the 2025 season. He recorded 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit. According to Pro Football Focus, he led all Packers defensive linemen with 24 run stops—tackles that resulted in a failed play for opposing offenses. Wooden was selected by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after playing college football at Auburn.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 275 pounds, Wooden is known for his speed among defensive tackles drafted in his class. His time of 4.79 seconds in the 40-yard dash ranked third-fastest among his peers in the draft.
With this acquisition, Wooden will join a rotation of defensive tackles on the Colts that includes veterans DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart as well as Adetomiwa Adebawore, who was also drafted in the fourth round of the same year as Wooden.
Franklin, age 29, leaves Indianapolis after being drafted by the team in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He rose from special teams contributor to franchise record-holder and multi-year captain. Franklin set a team record with 179 tackles in 2023 and led the league with 173 tackles in 2024, earning Pro Bowl honors and second-team Associated Press All-Pro recognition.
