The Indianapolis Colts have, until now, largely played it safe in the NFL Draft. The picks general manager Chris Ballard made have been addressing positions where the Colts need more depth or better production, starting with superstar-in-the-making Tyler Warren. Every pick since then has been fairly predictable, if not for who the Colts chose, then for the position they addressed.
Enter Round 6. In a shocking decision, the Colts drafted Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard.
Riley Leonard brought Notre Dame all the way to the National Championship game in his one season with the Irish
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 26, 2025
Colts getting a true dual-threat QB to develop pic.twitter.com/85Brmjb1Q3
Before the draft, head coach Shane Steichen visited Notre Dame, along with literally every other team in the NFL. It was already being whispered that the Colts were in need of a developmental quarterback, especially with Sam Ehlinger leaving Indianapolis, and Riley Leonard was seen as a possibility from the beginning, and now, that has turned into a reality.
Leonard is a talented, dual-threat quarterback, with good athleticism and talent. However - like some other quarterbacks we'll talk about in a moment - he has had some issues with consistency, and his footwork needs improving.
The biggest question now will be where Leonard will fit into the Colts quarterback room. Notably, there is a competition that will be taking place during OTAs between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, both of whom have had their own share of struggles in the NFL. Richardson specifically was meant to be the future of the franchise, and while he has had flashes of brilliance, his inability to remain consistent and accurate has led to many already labeling him as a bust. 2025 is being viewed as his do-or-die last chance with Indianapolis, and by all accounts, he's taking it seriously and working hard.
So where does that put Leonard? For the moment, he'll most likely remain at QB3. But as for the future? There's no telling. If both Richardson and Jones fail to impress in 2025, Leonard could have a decent shot of being promoted. But for now, his role with the team will be strictly developmental. The quarterback position has been going through constant chaos under Ballard, and if their QB1 and QB2 - regardless of which roles Richardson and Jones end up in - end up as more riders on the quarterback carousel, who knows?
Maybe one day Riley Leonard could be the answer.