The Indianapolis Colts have been officially eliminated from playoff contention so much of the discourse will surround the upcoming offseason, which includes the 2023 NFL draft.
It’s difficult to predict exactly what direction the Colts will go, especially since it isn’t fully clear who will be making decisions when the offseason arrives. We do know, though, that the quarterback position will be the biggest position of need.
In Draft Wire’s latest two-round mock draft, the Colts addressed that issue by taking Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 6 overall pick.
“Big changes are ahead for the Colts, who will need a new head coach and a new franchise quarterback next season. Stroud still has some rough edges to smooth out in his game, but he’s got all the tools to quickly develop into a quality starter, and Indy has plenty of explosive weapons to help him succeed.”
Stroud will be an interesting topic of conversation. He clearly has talent and some mark him as the most “pro-ready” prospect in the quarterback class. However, there are some question marks about his play outside of structure and whether he’ll be able to thrive in less-than-ideal situations.
In this mock draft, Stroud is the third quarterback off the board with Alabama’s Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans and Florida’s Anthony Richardson going No. 4 overall to the Detroit Lions.
In the second round of the mock, the Colts paired another Ohio State product with Stroud, taking offensive tackle Dawand Jones with the No. 37 overall pick.
We still have a long way to go before the draft arrives, but the Colts will be an interesting team to discuss.
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