The Indianapolis Colts just added a really good draft class that is being praised for its athleticism. How does that help Indy in NFL power rankings?
After last season, the Indianapolis Colts weren’t positively viewed around the NFL. Indy had an underwhelming 4-12-1 season, cycled through starting quarterbacks, had multiple head coaches, and several embarrassing moments. For all of those reasons, the Colts were considered one of the worst teams entering the offseason.
But now, Indy has been on the receiving end of praise. That’s because Chris Ballard and the team just did what they do best: draft. Ballard and the Colts have always been praised for their drafting, and they just put together another impressive class in the 2023 Draft. Making 12 overall selections, several experts consider Indy one of the winners of the draft, applauding the team for the athleticism of the draft class.
While these athletic rookies haven’t taken the field yet, experts are already trying to project how much they will help the team. Did the promise of this class improve Indy’s standings in league power rankings? Unfortunately not. In The 33rd Team’s post-draft power rankings, the Colts were ranked last at No. 32.
The NFL hierarchy following the #NFLDraft 👀
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 1, 2023
Who should be higher or lower?
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Colts ranked last in post-draft power rankings
Indianapolis was also ranked at No. 32 in the post-free agency power rankings. So although the team added several promising players, Indy still has one of the more dim overall outlook’s in the NFL.
Paul Domowitch, who did the rankings, explained that the Colts certainly have a promising class, but their top, and most important, pick, Anthony Richardson, “is a project.” For that reason, Domowitch believes Indy’s immediate ceiling is still low.
Domowitch makes a fair point; it’s unlikely that all of these rookies will come in and be immediate impact players for the Colts and boost the team’s ceiling for the 2023 season. However, it’s hard to accept Indianapolis being ranked as the worst team in the NFL. Indy still has several elite players on its roster, and as disastrous as last season was, the team was still relatively competitive.
If the season started today, the Colts would not be the worst team in the NFL. But, that’s what the games are for. Indianapolis will have the chance to prove who it’s better than.