Will the Indianapolis Colts take a quarterback within the first three rounds of the draft? On the Bring the Juice podcast, Derek Larger said such a move would be the “dumbest thing you could do if you are Chris Ballard.”
“And now people are telling us, What if the Colts take a quarterback in the first round or even the second round, or the third round?… I’m sitting here and I’m saying to myself, that I think that is probably the dumbest thing you can do if you’re Chris Ballard…He has said specifically that Anthony Richardson is going to be a project. Anthony Richardson is going to take some time…If you go and get a quarterback this draft class that is going to try to take his job and you promote that guy from within over Anthony Richardson, I think it turns out to be a really bad look on Chris Ballard and the entire coaching staff for the Indianapolis Colts.”
Larger has a point. Drafting a quarterback early would make Colts general manager Chris Ballard look bad, seeing that he knew Anthony Richardson needed time to develop into a star.
Drafting a Quarterback Early is the “Dumbest Thing” Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts Can Do
Quarterbacks the Colts Could Likely Land During the First Three Rounds
Who could the Colts get if they drafted a quarterback within the first three rounds? Indianapolis currently holds the 14th overall pick. Unless they trade up, they won’t be able to land Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Both players are expected to be top-five picks. Ward could go No. 1 to the Tennesee Titans while Sanders might end up with the New York Giants at No.3.
Yet, during rounds 2 and 3, the Colts could get a quarterback like Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, or Texas’ Quinn Ewers. While Dart, Milroe, and Ewers aren’t projected to be first-round picks, they could each provide competition for Richardson in 2025. As every NFL fan knows, you don’t have to be a first-round pick to make a major impact.
Would It Be Dumb to Draft a Quarterback Early?
Ever since Anthony Richardson was drafted by the Colts in 2023, he has had a not-so-spectacular career in Indy. The former Florida Gator has battled injuries and has had accuracy issues. Richardson competed less than 48 percent of his passes last season. He still could develop into a superstar, though, in the future.
This offseason, the Colts will bring in somebody to compete with Richardson. That newcomer could give Richardson a much-needed push to become a better player.
If Anthony Richardson doesn’t make a giant leap in 2025, it makes sense to select a quarterback early next year. But the team needs to avoid doing that this year. The Colts need to be patient and give Richardson at least another year to prove that he can be the franchise quarterback in Indianapolis. So like Larger said, taking a quarterback early would be the dumbest thing Ballard and Co. could do.
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