Earlier this month, Colts general manager Chris Ballard was asked if he’d be “surprised” if he and his scouting department didn’t land on taking a quarterback with the team’s No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“It’s the fourth pick of the draft. We earned that,” Ballard said. “I don’t like earning it, but we did. I’ve said this before and I think history proves me right, I can take one. We can take one as an organization and y’all are going to celebrate it and say , ‘We have got the savior for the Colts.’ And then if he doesn’t play well, ‘Why did you take that guy?’ You’ve got to be right. We’ve got to be right. We understand the magnitude of where we’re at in the draft and we understand the importance of the position. To get one that actually you can win with and to be right is the most important thing. Not, if we take one or not – being right.”
While the Colts’ focus right now remains on hiring a head coach, draft evaluation season is quickly approaching. Senior Bowl practices will get underway in Mobile, Ala. next week, and other showcase games for draft prospects will carry plenty of importance in building the Colts’ draft board. From there, the 2023 NFL Combine kicks off in Indianapolis on Feb. 28, and March and April will bring pro days and top 30 visits leading up to the Colts going on the clock the night of April 27 in Kansas City.
But we already have plenty of mock drafts to scroll through before that process begins in earnest. Here’s our first look at who various experts predict the Colts will take in the 2023 NFL Draft: