Quarterback is the biggest need for the Indianapolis Colts as we head toward the 2023 NFL Draft. We are going to have a good idea of what their plans could be once draft day gets closer as they will make a move, one way or another, for a quarterback.
If the Colts stay pat at No. 4, it could mean they plan to make a run at Lamar Jackson following the draft. The former MVP had the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him by the Baltimore Ravens. That means the Ravens have the right to match any offer sheet that he may sign, but if they opt not to match, they will receive two first-round picks in exchange.
If Indianapolis waits until after the draft to pull that move their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks will be on the table, not the No. 4 overall pick. That would certainly be an easier pill to swallow, especially when taking into account what it has cost to land other top quarterbacks in recent years.
If the Colts want to select a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, they are going to have to be aggressive. The Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans are picking first and second and are both more than likely going to select quarterbacks. That puts Indianapolis in a bind, as the Arizona Cardinals will likely be open for business and talk trade with quarterback-needy teams.
To avoid getting jumped by another team, the Colts should be making that call to the Cardinals. That is one of the trades that Chad Reuter of NFL.com suggested that would make sense in this year’s draft.
Moving up a single spot will be costly, but ensuring they get one of the top three quarterback prospects is worth the price. Reuter suggests that the Colts trade the Nos. 4, 79 and 106 picks along with a 2024 third-round pick to acquire the No. 3 pick from the Cardinals.
With that pick, the Colts would end what has been a vicious cycle of acquiring stopgaps to no avail. The team has had a different quarterback under center in Week 1 of the season for what will be eight consecutive years once opening day rolls around this year. That is a streak that hopefully won’t go beyond nine if the Colts are able to snag one of the top signal callers in this year’s draft class.
As Reuter notes, this is the exact deal that the Chicago Bears made with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 when they made the ill-fated decision to move up and select Mitchell Trubisky. That was a decision that lives on in infamy not only because of Trubisky’s struggles but because Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were both selected later on.
