Reporters insist that Colts are all in on Will Levis, despite Chris Ballard’s denial
With the 2023 NFL Draft days away, reporters have claimed that the Indianapolis Colts are locked in on Will Levis. However, Chris Ballard denies that.
On Thursday, everyone will find out what prospect the Indianapolis Colts are choosing to be their franchise quarterback. However, until that moment comes, the speculation about which quarterbacks Indy is interested in will continue to run wild. Just a couple of days ahead of the draft, some reporters believe they know which direction the Colts are planning to go.
In recent weeks, there have been several reports about Indianapolis’ interest in Will Levis. ESPN’s Matt Miller reported that sources told him that Indy prefers the Kentucky quarterback over Anthony Richardson because Levis is “more likely to be able to play right away.” Then, Peter Schrager reported that after releasing his mock draft, he was told, “don't sleep on Will Levis and the Colts.”
Now, draft analyst Todd McShay is reporting that the Colts are so “intrigued” by Levis that “if Levis is off the board, [McShay] isn’t sure what the Colts do from there.” That makes it seem like Indy’s only QB option is Levis. If he’s gone before Indy is on the clock, then maybe Indianapolis will either select a different position at No. 4 or trade back.
The only problem with all of this is that Chris Ballard has denied these reports, vehemently. In fact, Ballard finds it comical that reporters think they have an idea of what the Colts plan to do.
Chris Ballard 3 days ago:
— Landon Oliver (@Landon3MR) April 24, 2023
"I always love to read the reports that the Colts love this guy, or this guy ... well, that didn’t come from me. They don’t know."
“I’ve seen the stuff about us being connected to and only liking 1 guy. I can pretty confidently tell you that’s not… https://t.co/mT9fQDfFhe
Chris Ballard denies reports that Colts only want Will Levis
During Ballard’s pre-draft press conference, he talked about how he saw reports of Indy only targeting one guy, and Ballard denied the reports. He explained that not only is he confident that no information has left the building, but that a team like Indy that’s picking fourth, has to wait until the draft to “see how things unfold and then be able to react accordingly.”
That part is what’s really important. The Colts are picking fourth, so they don’t really have the privilege of locking in on a specific target. It was initially expected that Indy would be deciding between Will Levis and Anthony Richardson at No. 4. However, there’s a chance that Levis could be going as early as number two.
Ultimately, no one knows what will happen until it actually happens on draft night. Additionally, Chris Ballard is adamant that reporters certainly don’t know what Indianapolis has planned.