Riley Leonard Provides Perfect Fit for Colts Quarterback Room

The Indianapolis Colts selected Riley Leonard with the 189th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, solidifying the quarterback room.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) looks to pass the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts did a lot of homework on the quarterback class for the 2025 NFL Draft.

With questions about whether Anthony Richardson can become a franchise quarterback, and Sam Ehlinger moving on to the Denver Broncos in free agency, adding another quarterback in the draft seemed likely. When the time came, the Colts did not have to go far to add to the room.

The Colts selected Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard with the No.189 pick on Saturday. The 6-4, 216-pound signal caller for the Fighting Irish goes from leading Notre Dame to a National Championship game appearance to realizing his dream of playing in the NFL.

Leonard finished the 2024 season 269-of-403 (66.7%) for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also added 906 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. Leonard took home Sugar Bowl Offensive MVP and Orange Bowl Offensive MVP honors in Notre Dame's run through the College Football Playoff.

Leonard is the type of quarterback that Shane Steichen covets. He is a solid athlete at the position that can impact the game with his legs, as evidenced by his rushing totals at Notre Dame. Leonard will be a natural fit in the Colts offense with the ability to execute option plays and zone reads.

Leonard excels throwing in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. He diagnoses plays quickly and gets the ball out to his receivers accurately. While he has some work to do regarding his deep-ball accuracy, Leonard has a solid floor as a passer and can consistently move the chains.

But what stands out about Leonard are his intangibles. He is an intelligent player with a high football IQ. Leonard has also been praised by coaches and teammates alike for his humble nature and authentic leadership. Players naturally gravitate to him in the locker room, and that is likely to continue in the NFL.

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Here is an excerpt from The Athletic's Dane Brugler in The Beast on Leonard's skillset:

"With his instinctive athleticism, Leonard impacts the game in different ways, including as a ball carrier, scrambler and when using evasive maneuvers to stay alive in the pocket. As a passer, he has a quality arm but wasn’t able to let it loose on his 2024 tape and will need to prove that he has the anticipation and placement to consistently push the ball downfield. Overall, Leonard has an interesting upside because of his athletic passing tools and elite makeup, but it will take time for him to develop NFL-caliber field vision and pocket rhythm. He projects as a backup in a scheme that leverages his mobility."

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) looks to pass the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While Leonard is not expected to compete for the starting quarterback job with Richardson and Daniel Jones, he is a perfect complement to the quarterback room. His playing style is very similar to that of Jones, as he can make plays in the short-to-intermediate areas and be a threat with his legs.

Leonard seems fully entrenched as the Colts' QB3 for next season. If Leonard does have to play meaningful snaps this season, the Colts will not need to change the offense to tailor to his strengths as they match up well with the quarterbacks ahead of him.

Leonard's impact will be felt the most this season in the quarterback room. His high football character and football IQ will be a major asset, pushing Richardson and Jones while helping the team prepare for Sundays. Leonard will continue to work on his game with the hopes of being a legitimate option someday while contributing in meetings and on the practice field.

Leonard should be particularly helpful for Richardson throughout the season. Richardson and Ehlinger became quite close last year after the former was benched midseason. Ehlinger spent much of the remaining weeks working alongside Richardson, acting as a mentor for Richardson on how to prepare off the field.

Richardson and Leonard could have a similar relationship where Leonard pushes Richardson throughout the week and helps him prepare in any way he can for the upcoming opponent. Leonard revealed that Richardson reached out to him right after he was drafted to welcome him to the team and expressed how excited he is to work with the rookie.

Leonard may not possess as much upside as other quarterbacks in this class, but he is a perfect fit for the Colts quarterback room and provides a solid floor for the QB3 role. It is not a stretch to say Leonard could be the long-term backup quarterback for the Colts.

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