GM Ballard: Colts would need no-doubt prospect to trade up to No. 1
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard downplayed the notion that his club will trade up for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"Everybody has just automatically stamped that you gotta move up to No. 1 to get it right. I don't know if I agree with that," he said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
However, Ballard did offer up a scenario when asked what it would take to motivate the Colts to move up in the draft.
"That we were just convicted that this is no freakin' doubt the guy," he said.
Indianapolis owns the fourth overall selection. The Chicago Bears currently hold the top pick but are reportedly leaning toward trading it to address multiple needs on the roster. Several teams have apparently approached Chicago with interest in the top pick.
The Colts would likely have to get ahead of their division rival Houston Texans, who hold the second pick, to acquire their top choice.
Quarterback prospects Bryce Young (Alabama) and C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) are expected to be taken early in the draft. Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson are other candidates that could go off the board in the first round.
Ballard isn't ready to anoint any signal-caller in the 2023 draft class as a no-doubt selection or worthy of moving up to acquire. He shared that improving the offensive line will also be a priority for the club this offseason.
New head coach Shane Steichen shared that along with traditional physical traits, the team will look for both accuracy and an "it" factor when evaluating QBs, per The Athletic's Zak Keefer.
The Colts have struggled to find consistency at the position since Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 season. Since then, the franchise has started seven different QBs. Indianapolis has opted to acquire veteran quarterbacks the past few offseasons, including Matt Ryan last year, with middling results.
The Colts finished with a 4-12-1 record last season.
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