With just under two weeks left until the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts are among the most talked-about teams considering their need at the quarterback position.
The consensus believes the Colts will use the No. 4 overall pick—or the No. 3 pick in a trade-up—to select a quarterback prospect, but it’s difficult to know exactly who that will be.
The current projections have the first two selections of the draft being C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young in some order. That’s why ESPN’s Jordan Reid listed Stroud as the best value pick for the Colts at No. 4 overall.
I think we’d all be shocked if Stroud is still here at No. 4, but based on how the value-only board is playing out, he’d more than qualify as the pick here. He’s an extremely accurate passer who would not only take care of a problem area for Indy but also be considered a straight-up steal inside the top five.
If Stroud is available with the No. 4 pick, it likely means some combination of Young, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis went ahead. Or maybe the Houston Texans made a shocking move and traded out of the No. 2 overall pick.
Regardless, Stroud would be a strong value for the Colts at No. 4 overall. Even if he’s available at No. 3, the Colts probably would have to trade up to get him, and there would be a lot of competition to do so.
Stroud may not have the improvisation skills that some of the other prospects like Young and Richardson have, but he has the best ball placement in the class and can make every throw in the book. He also has enough athleticism to make plays outside the pocket, it’s just a matter of trusting that part of his game more.
The draft is always full of shocking developments so we shouldn’t assume we know exactly what is going to happen.
But if the Colts left the draft with Stroud being their pick at No. 4 overall, it would be considered a massive win.
We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.
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