Full Colts midseason rookie report card: Grading how 2023 draft picks have performed
The Indianapolis Colts (5-5) are on their bye week after their first half of the season was marked by some impressive highs and disappointing lows. The same goes for the Colts' 2023 rookie class, as some members have already made a meaningful impact on the field, while others are off to a slower start. Now that we've had 10 games to observe the rookies in real NFL action, let's take a look at how they have fared so far.
Round 1, Pick 4: Anthony Richardson (QB)
The spotlight was on Anthony Richardson as soon as Indianapolis selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft back in April — the first time the team has drafted a QB in the first round since Andrew Luck in 2012. Then, the pressure really ramped up when head coach Shane Steichen named Richardson the starter nearly a month before the regular season kicked off. While Richardson produced some stunning highlights, his rookie season can only be described as a mixed bag.
Whenever Richardson has been on the field, the former Florida Gator has proven to be a game-changing athlete. In four starts, Richardson ran for 136 yards — at a dynamic rate of 5.4 yards per carry — and four touchdowns, while leading the Colts to multiple victories and a decent start to the year. Richardson's elite size, strength, and speed can clearly be the focal point of a high-functioning offense.
Although Richardson had some memorable throws, there are still legitimate concerns about his passing ability. The combination of poor timing, pocket presence, touch, and decision-making resulted in a whole lot of inaccurate misfires. On top of that, the elephant in the room is that Richardson's rookie campaign ended after just 10-and-a-half quarters of action due to injury. While Indianapolis fans can and should be excited about Richardson's raw talent, he'll need to actually stay healthy and complete more than 59.5% of his passes to be a franchise QB.