Colts on the Move in ESPN's Latest Mock Draft
Who the Indianapolis Colts take in April's NFL Draft seems to still be a bit of a debate, but the consensus early in the process is that they won't stand pat at No. 4.
The Colts' 1-7 finish down the stretch left them with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and similar to the 2021 draft, there seem to be three-big quarterbacks.
In that draft, Trevor Lawrence went No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Zach Wilson went No. 2 to the New York Jets, and the San Francisco 49ers traded a haul to the Miami Dolphins to take Trey Lance No. 3.
Unlike the Jaguars in 2021, the Chicago Bears seem willing to move out of the No. 1 spot, and the Colts are being pegged as the most likely team strike a deal with the Bears.
The NFL mock draft released by ESPN on Monday morning is the latest of several mock drafts that predict the Colts make a trade and select Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick.
In this scenario, the Colts take the plunge, sending the Bears the Nos. 4 and 35 picks, a fourth-rounder and a 2024 third-rounder to jump to the top. I spoke to a few people in the league for context on what might seem like a fair deal, and this fits for both franchises. Indy can get its signal-caller, and Chicago should still have the chance to land a top defender while adding a haul of draft assets, including a valuable second-rounder. -- Matt Miller, ESPN
Picks No. 4 and 35 on top of two picks in the later rounds seems like a good deal for the Colts to guarantee they get the player they want. There's no guarantee Young is quarterback general manager Chris Ballard will focus on, but if the Colts stay at four, there's no guarantee they get a quarterback at all.
The Athletic's Dan Brugler suggested the Colts would need to give up No. 1, No. 35 and next year's first-round pick... a much steeper price.
Yes, Young will be one of the smallest quarterbacks (6-foot, 194 pounds) drafted in the first round in the modern era, but we can't ignore that he's also the best -- and most pro-ready -- passer in this class. He compiled 79 touchdown passes over the past two seasons to just 12 interceptions.
Young is a master in the pocket with poise, vision, agility and a sixth sense that reminds me of Joe Burrow. In fact, Burrow would be my comp for Young if the latter were a few inches taller. The Colts are in a true rebuild situation, and Young could be the first piece to the puzzle. -- Matt Miller, ESPN
Every quarterback in this class seems to have a "yeah, but..." attached to his name.
Yeah, but Young is small.
If Young's size proves too big an obstacle for Ballard and the Colts to overlook, they could swing wildly in the other direction for Kentucky's Will Levis who is the anti-Young.
Levis has all the size and arm strength without the intangibles and production attributed to Young. Intangibles are hard to measure, but they're obvious when seen.
Ohio State's C.J. Stroud could be the Goldilocks in this class. He doesn't seem to have that sixth sense in the pocket that Young does, but he's bigger and not as erratic a passer as Levis.
Young has been the popular pick for the Colts through January and February, but it will take a big trade and a leap of faith that his size won't be a detriment in the NFL.
