It’s mock draft season as the 2023 NFL draft is just a few weeks away, which means the projections are coming out when it comes to which prospects the Indianapolis Colts might select.
While it can get monotonous seeing the same names projected to the Colts throughout the mock draft season, most of the time there’s a reason for that.
In the latest three-round mock draft from The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner, the typical selection was made at in the first round with the Colts. However, there was an interesting twist in Rounds 2 and 3.
Here’s a quick breakdown of that mock draft for the Colts:
Round 1 | No. 4 overall
The Pick: QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
One of the most common selections throughout the last month of the offseason has been Richardson to the Colts. It’s a strong fit in Shane Steichen’s offense, and he brings the kind of upside that can only be attained with a top-five selection. There certainly will be growing pains when it comes to Richardson’s development, but it very well could be worth it in the end.
Check out our scouting report on Richardson, conducted by our very own Cody Manning.
Round 2 | No. 35 overall
The Pick: CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
This is an interesting pick for the Colts simply because other prospects like Kelee Ringo and Julius Brents were still on the board. That said, Forbes is an intriguing prospect and some consider him among the players at the top of the draft board at the cornerback position. He brings excellent playmaking skills along with the type of height and length teams will like. He does have a slight frame at 166 pounds, which might turn the Colts off when it comes to his impact against the run. But Forbes brings excellent ball skills evidenced by hia 14 interceptions.
Round 3 | No. 79 overall (from WAS)
The Pick: WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston
This would be an atypical selection for Chris Ballard considering Dell’s size at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. But pound-for-pound, Dell is arguably the most electric wide receiver in the class. He brings excellent footwork off the line of scrimmage that leads into some lethal releases against press coverage. His size will be a concern, but he’s an exciting slot receiver who could be a nice target in Shane Steichen’s offense.
Overview
The quarterback selection will be the most important part of the upcoming draft for the Colts. The addition of Richardson would be both exciting and risky, but the Colts seem to have the staff in place to make it work. Adding Forbes would give the Colts a potential starter in Week 1 on the boundary while Dell could work his way into the starting slot role sooner rather than later. It would be a solid haul for the Colts if this is what it looked like.
