This offseason prediction for the Indianapolis Colts says a lot about what direction the team is headed going into the 2023 NFL season.
It goes without saying, but the 2022 campaign really could not have gone much worse for the Indianapolis Colts. The Matt Ryan experiment, well, let's just say it didn't go according to plan for the franchise. Ryan ended up getting benched late in the year, which was great to see.
Now, there's a new head coach in town, with Shane Steichen providing plenty of optimism for the future. After going 4-12-1 last season, the Colts are ready to take a big step forward in 2023. The team over at Pro Football Focus believes that will be the case.
PFF just dropped a new piece in which they ranked teams most likely to improve next fall. The Colts are the fourth team mentioned.
Colts GM Chris Ballard must nail his first-round pick in 2023
"Things unspooled in a hurry for the Colts last season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be put back together almost as quickly. The Colts expected to be in contention for the AFC South when they traded for Matt Ryan last offseason, but instead, he ended up firing their head coach and finishing with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. They now have a chance at drafting their next quarterback rather than taking endless gambles on worn-out veterans. The Colts need to nail the quarterback evaluation in this draft, with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson each ranking inside the top 11 on the PFF big board. The odds are that one or more of those players won’t be a team's long-term answer in the NFL, so getting that pick right could be the difference between the Colts being back there again next year and jumping back into contention in the AFC. "PFF's Sam Monson
With a running back like Jonathan Taylor ready to make plays for you, the Colts will always have the potential to showcase an explosive offense. A star quarterback is the key piece missing for the puzzle, but it looks like a young talent will be on the way sooner than later.
As Monson noted, guys like Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and more have been linked with the Colts. In order for the Colts to land Young, they'd have to trade up with the Bears for their No. 1 overall pick - there's no way the Texans, who pick No. 2 overall, would pass on Young if he's still available.
Regardless of what happens with Young, there will still be other options for the Colts to take a look at. The top priority is bringing in a quality quarterback to make plays with both his arm and legs. People can't wait to see who Indy rocks with in the first round of the NFL Draft. The huge decision from Chris Ballard very well could help the Colts to be taken seriously in the AFC once again soon.
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