Who did the Indianapolis Colts pick in the first round of the draft?
Indianapolis had an eye-popping 12 selections in this draft class and found a way to significantly improve both sides of the ball with several excellent value picks. The Colts were always considered among the teams likely to select a quarterback at the top of the draft where they sat with the fourth overall selection. True to form, and popular belief, that is exactly what occurred as they selected Anthony Richardson – Florida with that pick. In Richardson, Indianapolis finds themselves with a dependable, strong, and exceptionally talented franchise quarterback for possibly the next decade.
The Colts’ passing attack last season was, in a word, underwhelming. Indianapolis was in the bottom third of the league with regard to passing yards, threw the most interceptions in the NFL, and was tied for the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns in the league. It is, obviously, the sincere hope of the team that investing such a significant amount of draft capital in Richardson will help bring those numbers more in-line with league averages, if not position them among the best teams in the league as it relates to these areas. The upside for Richardson is arguably off the charts with everyone certain that Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud can do, Richardson could be called the wild card of the top quarterbacks in this class but, if he can continue to build on his game and grow as a player, he could surpass both quarterbacks drafted prior to him.
Awesome: After a recent NFL rookie event, #Colts 20-year old QB Anthony Richardson, decided to stay behind after everyone else exited and clean up a big mess left by the players so the staff wouldn't have to.
Richardson explained that it was unfair to expect the staff to clean… pic.twitter.com/o5LzSY3qdV
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 12, 2023
Who did the Indianapolis Colts draft on day two of this years draft?
Much of this article will be rapid fire given just how many picks Indianapolis made so buckle in. Once Day Two rolled around, the Colts pivoted to help reinforce the defensive side of the ball with the selection of cornerback Julius Brents – Kansas State at selection number 44. Brents is a huge cornerback, standing 6’-3” while weighing in at 198 pounds, making him an imposing defender against the pass and much more difficult for larger wide receivers to box out or physically overwhelm. He is very unlikely to be lined up against speedier wide receivers in man coverage as he just does not have the speed needed to keep pace with those opponents who would threaten deep downfield but, he will do well primarily in zone coverage or lined up in man coverage against many of the bigger-bodied wide receivers that many teams tend to use to target the mid-range of the field. The selection itself feels like a bit of a stretch to me as I feel Brents could have been selected at least another round or two later than when Indianapolis ultimately picked him. That said, the pick, in terms of the position, was definitely needed after the Colts traded cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in the off season for a fifth-round selection. However, the selection of Brents puzzles me a bit as Cam Smith – South Carolina, my fourth-ranked cornerback in this class, was still on the board at this point and ended up coming off the board just seven picks later. I view this as an opportunity lost for Indianapolis.
The Colts swung back around to the offensive side of the ball at pick 79 as they picked up a weapon for their new quarterback with the selection of wide receiver Josh Downs – North Carolina.Downs is a smaller receiver standing 5’-9” tall and weighing a paltry 171 pounds. However, size set aside for a moment, his skill set is formidable, and Indianapolis had both a pressing and immediate need for a slot receiver replacement, notably the best position that fits Downs’ skill set, after Parris Campbell signed with the New York Giants this offseason. While the Colts did sign free agent Isaiah McKenzie from Buffalo this offseason, Downs appears to be the more explosive of the two players and McKenzie’s contract is just for a single season meaning that even if he is able to hold off Downs this season, Downs could step into the starting role next season no matter what transpires, short of the team resigning McKenzie, another free agent, or drafting a new player to compete with Downs for the spot. In terms of value, both short and long-term, and upside, there is a lot to like about this pick, but Downs will need to add some weight to his frame in order to withstand the rigors of the NFL game, which tends to take a serious toll on sub-200 pound players.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 16: Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Parris Campbell (1) stands on the field before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts on October 16, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Who did the Indianapolis Colts draft day three of the 2023 NFL Draft?
Come Day Three, the Colts made a significant portion of their selections with nine players being added to the team in the span of a few hours. Indianapolis selected offensive tackle Blake Freeland – BYU (pick 106), defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore – Northwestern (pick 110), cornerback Darius Rush – South Carolina (pick 138), safety Daniel Scott – California (pick 158), tight end Will Mallory – Miami (FL) (pick 162), running back Evan Hull – Northwestern (pick 176), linebacker Titus Leo – Wagner (pick 211), cornerback Jaylon Jones – Texas A&M (pick 221), and offensive tackle Jake Witt – Northern Michigan (pick 236). These picks seem to indicate that Indianapolis is clearly aware of their weaknesses, holes, and areas they need depth.
Right out of the gate on Day Three of the NFL Draft, the Colts wasted no time in working to help defend their new quarterback with a bit of offensive line help with the selection of Freeland at pick 106. Freeland should help push second-year left tackle Bernhard Raimann. Standing a whopping 6’-8” tall and weighing 302 pounds, he works best in pass blocking but, his skills are eerily similar to that of the player ahead of him, Raimann. As such, this selection may allow the two players to battle it out for the starting role at left tackle while the one left remaining could, potentially, step into the right tackle role if the team looks to save some money by moving on from current right tackle Braden Smith at the end of this season.
Indianapolis also looked to shore up their secondary by not only adding an additional two cornerbacks, beyond their second-round selection of Brents, but also adding a safety as well. This collection of moves was almost certainly made to both provide competition for the starting roles, namely the one Brents is like to step into, and to also firm up the depth in the secondary as the Colts now have no less than ten cornerbacks currently on the roster and eight safeties. Some of these players are likely to be cut following training camp, however, it appears, Indianapolis has no intention of being caught flat-footed when it comes to depth in the coverage game.
What grade did the Indianapolis Colts get for their draft?
The Colts clearly took a broad stroke approach when it came to selecting talent in the draft this year but, I can not say that I disapprove. Indianapolis clearly wanted to get deeper across the board with the second half of their draft while being able to plug in starters that can do so immediately or, at latest, by their second season, with their selections in the first two days of the draft. As such, they managed to pick up the quarterback that I feel has the biggest upside in this class, a cornerback that can challenge the catch point, and a wide receiver that has all the tools needed to be a significant contributor in the passing game. As such, their grade, as it relates to immediate value, is a B. The only reason it is not an A is that each of these players either has a player in front of them on the depth chart currently or has some growing left to do in their game which could, potentially, result in some mistakes right out of the gate. The grade Indianapolis gets for the long-term value of their picks is an A-. The team clearly achieved what it was hoping for in regard to piling the depth on, namely in the defensive secondary and along the offensive line, however, more than a couple of the picks they made are either likely to be cut, moved to the practice squad, or will otherwise have limited use. This is to say that while I am all for adding depth to a team, the focusing of that depth on one or two positions does not have the effect that it seems it would. The team, as a whole, would have benefited greater by having adding a depth selection at multiple positions, as opposed to concentrating that depth. This alone is what accounts for the small ding in the grade in this area.
