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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kevin Hickey

Could C.J. Stroud fall to the Colts at No. 4?

The NFL draft season is always a fun part of the offseason because so much speculation and projection takes place only for none of it to matter once the big weekend gets underway. Fun is the correct word, right?

The 2023 pre-draft process has been pretty wild when it comes to the buzz and rumor mill surrounding several prospects, especially with the quarterback position. The latest buzz growing around the league would impact the Indianapolis Colts in a major way.

As Alabama’s Bryce Young has emerged as the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick, there have been rumors that the Houston Texans (No. 2 overall) may pass on a quarterback prospect or trade out of the spot.

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In that hypothetical scenario, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud would slide past his projected draft slot. This would give teams like the Las Vegas Raiders or Tennessee Titans (Or Colts) the opportunity to trade up to the No. 2 with Houston or the No. 3 pick in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals.

Or it would give the Colts the opportunity to stay put at No. 4 and make their selection between two or three of the quarterbacks remaining—depending on whether Will Levis is selected at No. 2.

It would be a pretty wild scenario to unfold considering how we’ve viewed this class for the majority of the offseason. Up until about a week before the draft, Stroud and Young were near-locks to go with the top two picks.

Now, there’s a chance the Colts may be choosing between three of the quarterback prospects on their board in the event Houston and Arizona stay put to make defensive selections.

While it may make for a tougher decision between Stroud, Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson, it seems it would be a good problem to have if even two of those prospects are available at No. 4.

Regardless of who the selection would be, the Colts have a chance to walk away with an intriguing quarterback prospect in this draft to build around for the future.

If Stroud’s slide comes true and he’s available after the second pick, the Colts may find themselves in a dream scenario.


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