Colts find their quarterback of the future in latest 2023 mock draft
In a recent 2023 NFL mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts are projected to find their quarterback of the future late in the first round.
Well before the NFL or college football season begins, draft experts are already predicting what franchises will land promising prospects. Recently, Matt Miller of ESPN joined the party by conducting his own 2023 mock draft.
Miller only projected the first 32 picks, and to determine team order, he used 2023 projections from ESPN’s Football Power Index. This resulted in the Indianapolis Colts picking No. 27, a somewhat exciting projection.
It’s not 32, so Indy isn’t projected to win the Super Bowl, but picking at 27 usually is the result of a really good season with a solid playoff run. More important for the mock draft is who Indianapolis selects at No. 27. Miller believes that the Colts will find their quarterback of the future by drafting Anthony Richardson out of Florida.
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Colts select quarterback Anthony Richardson in 2023 mock draft
Richardson is a 6-foot-4, 236-pound quarterback that can throw the long ball and break off long runs. Last year as a redshirt freshman at Florida, Richardson created somewhat of a quarterback dilemma as he would routinely enter games as a backup and have explosive plays, putting pressure on starter Emory Jones.
In Richardson’s first game, he ran for 160 yards. In his second appearance, he threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 115 yards on the ground and one touchdown. However, the job was never officially his.
Now, with Emory Jones transferred to Arizona State, Richardson is QB1 in Gainesville and will have the opportunity to show what he can do as a full-time starter. If it’s as impressive as many expect, his stock will certainly rise and a lot of NFL teams will be interested in him around draft time.
The Colts are certainly a team that needs a long-term answer at quarterback and Richardson could make a lot of sense. His athleticism would bring a play style to Indy that has become the standard in the NFL. However, Richardson won’t be asked to start immediately which could be beneficial.
Matt Ryan is locked in for a couple of more seasons, at least, so Richardson would be able to learn how to be an NFL quarterback behind him.
There’s still so much more that needs to fall into place before something like this can become a reality, but Anthony Richardson ending up with the Colts may not be a bad idea.
