Colts could find their quarterback late in the draft

The Indianapolis Colts may just find their quarterback on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. 

It is not news that Carson Wentz will likely not be the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. However, we continue to get closer to that deadline and he remains on the roster.

If Wentz ends up staying for one more season as a “prove it” year, the Colts will still want to find a solution for later years. This could be a year where Wentz starts to either make a case for the future or move on without extending his contract.

So what does that mean for the quarterback position if Carson doesn’t prove he can lead this group to the promised land? Do they just hope to get a quarterback next year?

There is no question that the 2022 NFL Draft lacks in the quarterback department. The draft will be headlined mostly by defensive players, but there are a few quarterbacks worth mentioning like Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral.

Both Pickett and Corral are almost locked for the first-round to quarterback-needy teams, but what about the rest of the pack?

Drafting from an unlikely scenario

Can you name every Ivy League NFL quarterback in recent memory? You can likely do that on one hand even. The most notable ones are Sid Luckman, Jason Garrett, and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Well, it could be possible that we add another name to that list with Brown quarterback EJ Perry.

How did Perry compare to the other quarterback metrics in the NFL Combine? Pretty well.

Perry finished second in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump. He also finished first in the 3 cone drill and 20-yard shuffle.

Who is EJ Perry?

A local star in the Massachusetts area, EJ Perry was named the Boston Globe’s Division 1 Player of the Year after racking up the second-most career passing yards and touchdowns in the state’s history.

He enrolled at Boston College in 2017 but transferred to Brown University shortly after. At Brown, Perry garnered All-Ivy League accolades by setting conference records and leading the FCS in passing.

Drafting Perry will be a project quarterback in the NFL. There are many strengths that are followed by many weaknesses that coaching could likely fix.

He has the ability to scramble out of the pocket and make a play happen either through the air or on the ground. That’s something that a quarterback like Carson Strong will not get you in the draft.

Perry is also very competitive whether he is winning or losing. That’s a competitive mindset the Colts drastically need to not give up leads late in a game. The Colts were bad at finishing games, but having a leader that wants to put the dagger in the opposing team would greatly increase the odds of winning.

However, Perry has issues when it comes to turnovers. Often, analysts will note that his hand size, nine inches, is too small and would create turnovers. He’s also very willing to make low-percentage throws. If the Colts can hang onto the likes of Wentz, this should not be an issue.

Leadership is needed in Indianapolis

In my Mock Draft 2.0, I drafted EJ Perry in the later rounds. The more we see of him leading up to the draft, the more I am loving this pick.

With questions about Wentz’s leadership on and off the field, the Colts need to bring in a guy that’s going to command a locker room. Not just by what he says, but how he acts as well. Perry would be a player that leads by example.

Not likely a day one starter in the NFL, EJ could build his way up into a starting role. There is no time like the present when it comes to bringing in talent. Even Chris Ballard said that he is willing to keep striking at the quarterback position until he hits.

Hopefully, the Colts don’t just play it safe in free agency and get a quarterback that is going to have to rely on the entire team for all of his play. We see what that does in Tennessee and it did not work in 2021 for the No. 1-seeded Titans in the postseason.

3 Colts that should be used as trade bait

The Indianapolis Colts need to make some big moves to compete in the AFC for a Super Bowl run. Look for these players to be on the move.