Best quotes from Colts quarterback prospects at the Combine

On Friday, quarterback prospects spoke at the NFL Combine. One of these players will likely be the next starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.

For the Indianapolis Colts, this draft is all about the quarterback position. Sure, Indy will make several non-quarterback selections throughout the 2023 NFL Draft, but the main focus for the Colts will be what they do with their fourth-overall pick and which quarterback they select. That decision-making process started this week with Indy evaluating quarterback prospects at the NFL Combine.

The quarterbacks have been in town for a few days already meeting with teams, and on Friday morning, they spoke with the media. On Saturday, the quarterback prospects will complete the physical aspect of the combine. All of the top guys, except Bryce Young, are planning to throw. But Friday was all about what the quarterbacks had to say.

Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson all had media sessions at the combine already and Will Levis is expected to speak in an afternoon session. Here are some of the best quotes from this year’s top quarterbacks.

Bryce Young: 'I’ve been this size my whole life'

Throughout this entire evaluation process of the prospects, the only criticism surrounding Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has been about his size. Although he hasn’t officially been measured and weighed at the Combine, he’s considered to be an undersized NFL quarterback. However, Young made clear that he doesn’t really care about those concerns or his size, expressing that he’s been undersized his entire life and hasn’t allowed it to impact him.

Young is adamant about controlling what he can control and that’s improving on his craft as a quarterback. He did admit though that his weight is in the 200 range and that’s what he expects to be the case at Saturday’s weigh in. Regardless of what his height and weight will be, the Colts have already expressed that Young’s size won’t be a factor in his evaluation.

Many would argue that Young has the best skills out of all the quarterbacks in the class, but would say CJ Stroud is a close second. On Friday, Stroud made his case for him being the best.

CJ Stroud: ‘I’ve been the best player in college football two years in a row'

CJ Stroud’s confidence shined through in his press conference. He let everyone know that he felt he was the best college football player over the last two seasons. It also became clear that Stroud takes pride in being an accurate passer. He referred to himself as a “ball-placement specialist” and expressed how important accuracy is to him, as well as throwing guys open. However, Stroud was also aware of some of the critiques surrounding his game.

The main criticism Stroud has received is that he didn’t use his athleticism as much as he should have. Stroud pushed back some and said that he used his legs in college more than people give him credit for but he ultimately agreed that he should’ve used his athleticism more and that’s something he regretted about his Ohio State career. However, he also said that he proved he’s capable and will continue to prove that in the future.

Someone who hasn’t hesitated to show their mobility is Anthony Richardson. On Friday, Richardson expressed that running has always been a big part of his game, in large part because of his role models.

Anthony Richardson: 'I started calling myself Cam Jackson'

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson told the media that when he was younger, he started building his game to replicate Cam Newton. As Richardson got older and Lamar Jackson started dominating, Richardson started taking things from Jackson’s game. The two were so influential to him that he started jokingly calling himself Cam Jackson as a junior in high school.

Anyone who watched Richardson play can clearly see those influences. His size, athleticism, and huge arm is a big reason why some think he has the highest ceiling of all quarterbacks in this class. However, scouts have questions about Richardson as a passer and how long it would take for him to be an NFL-ready passer. Richardson expressed that he believes he’s ready for the league and also admitted that his mechanics have changed this offseason, as he’s been working on getting his hips and lower body more involved in his throwing form to help be consistently accurate.

Every quaquarterback in the class has tremendous upside but also things to be concerned about. The Colts must decide who they feel is the best quarterback and do whatever is necessary in the draft to select him.

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