INDIANAPOLIS – Quarterback was the overriding focus as Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts prepared for the 2023 draft.
It also might play a significant role in how they fare in the ’24 draft.
Ten months ago and flat worn out by riding a quarterback carousel following the abrupt retirement of Andrew Luck two weeks before the 2019 season, the Colts found their long-term answer at the NFL’s most influential position.
Ballard used the No. 4 overall pick in the draft on a unique talent out of Florida.
Welcome to Indy, Anthony Richardson.
The Colts sit with the No. 15 pick in the April 25 draft, and no one should dismiss the impact this year’s promising quarterback class has on how they invest it.
Several areas require serious attention: cornerback, wide receiver, safety, perhaps tight end.
The more quarterbacks taken off the board in the top half of the draft, the better non-QB talent that’s pushed down to No. 15.
Most mock drafts expect four or five quarterbacks to be selected in round 1.
ESPN’s Matt Miller projects five to be chosen within the first 13: Caleb Williams (No. 1 to Chicago), Drake Maye (No. 2 to Washington), Jayden Daniels (No. 3 to New England), Bo Nix (No. 12 to Denver) and J.J. McCarthy (No. 13 to the Raiders).
Again, more is better for the Colts.
“Absolutely,’’ Miller said in a Tuesday Zoom call. “And Ballard is very media savvy. I’m sure he’ll be leaking after the Combine to everybody, ‘Man, these quarterbacks looked good at the Combine, didn’t they?’
“You want as many quarterbacks as possible going ahead of you.’’
Often, desperation fuels a team’s approach in the draft. If it doesn’t have a legitimate answer at quarterback, it will talk itself into taking one. Warts and all.
Since 2018, 21 quarterbacks have been selected in round 1. That includes 18 with a top-15 pick.
Five of the 18 are no longer with the team that drafted them, and that number could increase depending on how the offseason unfolds for Chicago’s Justin Fields, New England’s Mac Jones and perhaps the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones and the New York Jets’ Zach Wilson.
But we’re not here to discuss the hit-and-miss nature of finding that guy in the draft.
We’re talking about how this year’s expected run on quarterbacks should expand Ballard’s options.
“If we get that run on quarterbacks,’’ Miller said, “it is definitely great news for the Colts. I think the Colts are really ‘that team’ because we have the Vikings, Broncos, Raiders, Saints (at 11) through 14. They could all take a quarterback.
“(No. 15 is) a great spot for Indy because you’ve got to look at the board and say, ‘OK, one of these corners or pass rushers is getting through to us.’ Or probably not one of the top three receivers, but this might be the start of the Brian Thomas of LSU. It might be the start of his window.
“This is a really, really good spot for Indy.’’
As expected, there’s no consensus from mock drafts on how the Colts might use the No. 15 pick.
Miller has them addressing their pass rush with Florida State’s Jared Verse.
“He’s a plug-and-play 4-3 defensive end,’’ he said. “He can do it all.’’
Other mock draft projections: cornerbacks Terrion Arnold of Alabama and Nate Wiggins of Clemson, Florida State wideout Keon Coleman, Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
Miller considers Bowers one of the draft wild cards.
The 6-4, 240-pounder is widely considered among the top-8 prospects regardless of position, but his draft projection ranges from No. 5 to the Chargers to Cincinnati at No. 18. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has the Colts taking Bowers at No. 15.
“A player like Bowers, despite the fact he might be one of the top five most talented players in the draft, because he’s a tight end he tends to slip a little bit in mock drafts,’’ said Miller, who has aligned Bowers to the Saints at No. 14. “Honestly, it’s like Bijan Robinson last year where we knew how talented he was as a player (but) he was really hard to find a natural fit for him.’’
Atlanta selected Robinson, a playmaking running back out of Texas, No. 8 overall.
“Bowers might be a similar type player where you’ve got a team that’s just going to look at the best player available regardless of position,’’ Miller said. “‘That’s Brock Bowers so we’re going to go ahead and draft him and know we’ve got a chance to get a Pro Bowl player.’
“I have him coming off the board at 13, 14, 15 because those teams in the top 10 have so many needs and they’re going to go most likely big-position value . . . quarterback, left tackle, wide receiver, corner.’’
Tight ends haven’t been ignored in the draft, but they’ve seldom made early noise.
In the past 25 drafts (since 1999), only seven tight ends have been selected with a top-15 pick. The most recent: Kyle Pitts (No. 4 to Atlanta in 2021), J.J. Hockenson (No. 8 to Detroit in 2019) and Eric Ebron (No. 10 to Detroit in 2014).
One of the Colts’ major additions during their prolific 2000s: Iowa tight end Dallas Clark (No. 24 in 2003).
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.