The Indianapolis Colts will soon turn their attention to the offseason and the 2023 NFL Draft. What prospects are they expected to land?
With the regular season entering its final week, 14 teams are preparing to chase a Super Bowl and the other 18 will turn their attention to the offseason. The Indianapolis Colts are a part of the 18 that will get an early start on their offseason plans. With all of the things the Colts need, it should be a busy offseason in Indianapolis. From hiring a coach to free agency to having a high draft pick, Indy is set up to make some big moves this spring.
The most promising move could come in the NFL Draft because, for the first time in a while, the Colts will be picking in the top 10 and potentially in the top five. That could possibly give Indianapolis the chance to land its franchise quarterback for the next decade or so. At least that’s what fans are hoping for. What do the experts actually think will happen in the draft?
Well, ESPN draft expert, Jordan Reid, released his first official mock draft on Wednesday, and his predictions aligned with the desires of Colts fans. Reid projected that Indianapolis would draft Ohio State quarterback, CJ Stroud, with the fifth-overall pick. Based on the number of photoshopped images of Stroud in an Indianapolis uniform floating around the internet, this is a pick that fans would love to see.
Stroud to Indy?😮💨👀#colts
— Colts Militia (@coltsmilitia_) January 3, 2023
via mattsgraphix/Instagram pic.twitter.com/oPqzlMmKKT
Colts could be in a position to draft CJ Stroud
The best part about the prediction is that it’s actually realistic. Reid has Bryce Young going to the Houston Texans at No. 1, then he has the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals all picking front-line defenders. That means when Indy is on the clock at No. 5, it will have its pick of all offensive players and quarterbacks except one. Even if the Texans go with Stroud, then Young will be available, meaning Indy could walk away with a top quarterback regardless.
There are only a couple of things that can prevent this from happening. The first is Week 18 outcomes. If the Colts get a win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, Indy could fall out of the No. 5 spot. That would potentially allow other QB-needy teams to draft Stroud and Young in front of them. But if Indy does keep the No. 5 pick after Week 18, the next obstacle would come around draft time and that obstacle is trades.
While the Bears, Cardinals, and Seahawks are unlikely to take a quarterback, they could be open to trading their picks to quarterback-needy teams and just selecting a defender later. For example, Reid has the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7 and the Carolina Panthers at No. 9 both selecting quarterbacks. If those teams really have a preference and are willing to give up a lot so they can land the QB they want, why wouldn’t Chicago, Arizona, and Seattle take a package of picks to move back a couple of spots in the top 10?
Hopefully, for Indianapolis’ sake, that doesn’t happen. The Colts really need some stability at quarterback, and the last time they had that was when they used a top-five pick on one. Indy has tried the veteran game and it’s been unsuccessful. It’s time to go get a top quarterback in the Draft.
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