The Indianapolis Colts are still focused on finishing the 2022 season but soon enough, we will be diving deep into what they will do with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Regardless of whether Chris Ballard is still the general manager, the Colts are likely among the teams looking for a quarterback. In Touchdown Wire’s latest mock draft, the Colts went with a high-upside option but one that will require a lot of work.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
The 2023 Colts will have all kinds of decisions to make, starting with their next head coach. Whether it’s Jeff Saturday or not, this team also needs to nail down its long-term quarterback future, which has been in flux since Andrew Luck’s retirement. The Colts can move on from Matt Ryan in the new league year without a considerable financial penalty, but what if they kept him on the roster and selected a guy like Richardson, who has every physical took you want at the position, and his acumen has improved this season. My 4-Down Territory co-host Luke Easterling recently wrote a piece comparing Richardson to Josh Allen, and while that sounds nuts if you consider where Allen is now, it’s a very good comparison when you consider how unfinished Allen was when the Buffalo Bills drafted him.
Richardson could be the next dual-threat star in the NFL. He also could turn out to be much more of a project than anticipated. It’s a risk that the majority of quarterback-needy teams will have to address in the upcoming offseason.
In 12 games during the 2022 season, Richardson has completed 53.8% of his passes for 2,459 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s also added 103 carries for 650 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.
Richardson will be an interesting case study. His numbers aren’t all that appealing, but the flashes of potential are clear when watching him play. He needs a lot of work between fine-tuning his mechanics and further learning how to read defenses, but these are the high-upside prospects that will intrigue teams in hopes of catching the next Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson.
The offseason will include a lot of talk about the direction of the quarterback position, and Richardson will be at the forefront of that discussion.
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