It's no secret that the Indianapolis Colts are in desperate need of a quarterback. Many were surprised to see the Colts not trade up for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, General Manager Chris Ballard seems to have a plan in mind when it comes to Indianapolis' quarterback of the future.
The Colts watched as the Carolina Panthers landed the No. 1 overall pick in a trade with the Chicago Bears. Even though they dealt a boatload of capital to land the pick, Carolina is reportedly open to trading it. But even if the Panthers were to make No. 1 available, Ballard has other plans in mind, via Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
“History kind of tells you when you do that, you better know what you're getting,” Ballard said. “We weren't quite ready to do that. And we feel like there was enough depth in the draft that we were going to be OK.”
For Carolina to trade for the No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers had to give up their first-round pick next year, two second-round picks and their best wide receiver in DJ Moore. Ballard clearly felt that the price was way too high.
Sitting at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Indianapolis is just out of range to land either of the top two signal callers in Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. Perhaps Ballard has his eyes set on the next tier of QBs in Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. The Colts have also been rumored to be a potential trade landing spot for Lamar Jackson.
Heading into next season, the Colts will have hoped to find their quarterback of the future. Chris Ballard's frugal roster construction means Indy's QB search won't involve the No. 1 overall pick.
Follow Us
Subscribe