Getty Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard shared a potential draft day plan for 2023.
It’s no secret that the Indianapolis Colts need a quarterback. Preferably, one that will last longer than a single season.
The question that remains, though, is how aggressive the Colts are going to be at finding the solution behind center through the draft this year.
If that decision is left only to Colts general manager Chris Ballard, the organization will be aggressive, perhaps even trade up, to draft a quarterback this year. In his end of the year press conference on January 10, Ballard made it clear there will be only one caveat. The QB prospect has to be “the right guy.”
“If we thought there’s a player that we’re driven to get that makes the franchise and the team better, that’s what we would do [trade up],” said Ballard.
Ballard says he would absolutely move heaven and earth to get to No. 1 to get a QB if he’s convinced that player is the right guy.
Asked if there is a QB at the top of the draft they want, would he give up heaven and earth to trade up and get him?
Ballard: “Yes. I’d do whatever it takes.”
The Colts hold the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but there’s already a conversation growing among mock draft experts that Indianapolis is a trade up candidate.
Colts Move Up to No. 1 to Draft a Quarterback in New Mock Draft
The draft order for the first 18 teams selecting in the 2023 NFL Draft has been finalized. That makes mock drafts quite a bit more interesting, and quite frankly, realistic.
On January 9, NFL writer Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus projected the Colts to make a trade with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick. Then, Renner predicted Indianapolis to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with that selection.
Ballard didn’t address any specific quarterbacks in the upcoming class during his end of the year press conference, but he also didn’t rule out a trade up to No. 1 to grab one.
Such a trade would be an expensive move. Deputy sports editor Nat Newell of The Indianapolis Star estimated that it would take at least an additional first and second-round choice to move up just three spots to No. 1. Such a move could also easily cost more high draft picks or players, especially if there’s a bidding war for Chicago’s top draft pick.
There’s a long way to go in the draft process, but there’s potentially three top quarterbacks in the class. It wouldn’t take much for one of those signal callers to last until the No. 4 pick.
But if Ballard is serious about getting the right guy and about moving heaven and earth to do that, then there isn’t a price he shouldn’t be willing to pay to ensure the Colts get their top choice at quarterback.
The Deep 2023 Quarterback Class
At least the Colts have a high draft choice in a year where there appears to be a deep incoming class behind center.
Renner of PFF ranked Young, Kentucky signal caller Will Levis and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud as three of the top four draft prospects in the entire 2023 class. Renner also gave Stanford’s Tanner McKee a first-round grade.
The latest ESPN draft rankings have those three quarterbacks rated as three of the top 13 players in the upcoming draft. The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer has those three signal callers all ranked in the top 18 on his big board.
It’s possible the Colts could fall in love with two or three quarterbacks in the class. Having multiple answers to the question, “who’s the right guy” at quarterback is the best case scenario for Indianapolis.
But if Young, who enters the offseason as the consensus top signal caller in the 2023 class, is a tier above the rest, the Colts shouldn’t hesitate to move up to get him.
Rightfully so, that’s what Ballard indicated he would do if that’s the way he ends up feeling about Young or, for that matter, any of the other quarterbacks in this year’s draft.