Colts have Clear-Top Choice on PFF's Mock Draft Simulator

The Indianapolis Colts have been linked with a new quarterback for 2023 since before Halloween of last season. Indianapolis signed Gardner Minshew in free agency, but it still looks like the quarterback of the future will be acquired in the NFL Draft.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) runs a very popular Mock Draft Simulator, and they keep track of the thousands and thousands of simulations run by fans. It's no surprise that a quarterback is overwhelmingly chosen for the Colts at No. 4.

What might be a bit more surprising is which one.

According to PFF, fans have chosen Florida's Anthony Richardson 42.6% of the time, a 45.6% increase over the second-most player, Kentucky's Will Levis at 29.2%.

The Colts are in desperate need of a quarterback, and it seems they will miss out on both Stroud and Young, leaving them to choose between Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. Fans are betting on Richardson’s high upside, but they also likely wouldn’t mind bringing in a certain NFL MVP to cure their quarterback woes. -- Zach Tantillo, PFF

There are four quarterbacks that could go in the top-10 picks later this month, and C.J. Stroud is picked more than twice as much as Bryce Young to go No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers.

The Houston Texans select Young No. 2 the majority of time, and the drafts that didn't select Stroud for the Panthers, take him next with the Texans.

Stroud goes in the top-two picks 99% of the time, and Bryce Young in 66.9% of PFF's mock drafts.

Once the Panthers made the trade with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick, it was likely the Colts were going to get the third pick of quarterbacks, at best, on draft night.

One of the reasons head coach Shane Steichen was hired by the Colts was his track record of working with various types of quarterbacks.

His most recent project was Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles. While Hurts was a more polished passer coming out of Oklahoma than Richardson, there's no question who is the better athlete.

Frankly from a size, speed, and explosiveness standpoint, Richardson might be the most athletic quarterback prospect... ever.

At 6'4 and 244 pounds with a 4.43 forty, 40.5" vertical jump, and a rocket for an arm, Richardson has vaulted into top-five conversation.

And this is how Anthony Richardson closed his pro day throwing session. He’ll join us shortly on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/DVQVFzYQkg
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 30, 2023

He could be the ideal quarterback to learn for a year, knowing Steichen will have time to build the Colts unlike a coach on the hot seat.

Richardson's ceiling may be too tempting for the Colts to pass up on draft night.

Most fans running PFF's Mock Draft Simulator haven't been able to resist that temptation.