The Indianapolis Colts are one of the teams squarely in the mix to select a quarterback during the 2023 NFL Draft. They own the No. 4 overall pick, which would usually put them in a great spot. Alas, with how the board could shake out this season, there is a chance that they will get the third, possibly even fourth, best quarterback in this year’s draft.
The Carolina Panthers trading up to the No. 1 spot with the Chicago Bears put Indianapolis in a tough spot. It is a near guarantee they will select a quarterback, followed by the Houston Texans, who will also select one. The Arizona Cardinals don’t need a quarterback at No. 3, but plenty of teams have shown an interest in trading up with them.
The Colts, if they are comfortable with taking the third quarterback off the board, could make the jump up one spot to improve their chances of landing a player they are comfortable with. But, why take a chance on a prospect when an established star is available?
While there hasn’t been much movement on the Lamar Jackson front, his market could really heat up after the draft. As explained by Albert Breer, teams selecting in the top 10 could fill another position of need this year and sign Jackson to an offer sheet after. At that point, their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks would be on the table, which hypothetically speaking, should be much lower with Jackson in the lineup.
Breer also shared an interesting update on the Jackson situation with the Colts via Zak Keefer of The Athletic. General manager Chris Ballard was very vague when asked about it, but didn’t shut the door on pursuing the former MVP.
“Anytime a special player is available–which he is—you gotta do the work. I’m not gonna get into deep discussions on where it’s at, what we’re doing or might do, but he’s a really special player.”
The Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which means they have the right to match any offer sheet he signs. Should they opt not to match, they would receive two first-round picks in exchange.
Waiting until after the 2023 NFL Draft to sign him to an offer sheet would be a shrewd move by the Colts. Whichever quarterback they select, Indianapolis would be hoping he can approach the level that Jackson has already reached.
The price to land Jackson on the non-exclusive tag is also a relative bargain when compared to other quarterback transactions in recent years. Two first-round picks isn’t a very steep price when looking at what the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos traded for Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson.
We will know what the Colts’ plans are once the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around. If they don’t select a quarterback in the first round, you can expect them to amp up their pursuit of Jackson in the following days and weeks with future draft picks being on the table.
