Grade Revealed for Colts 2023 NFL Draft Class
The Indianapolis Colts had a whopping 12 draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Their marquee selection was quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall. Richardson was lost to injury in Week 4, but he showed flashes of brilliance before his season ended prematurely.
However, they got solid contributions from several players not named Richardson. Including third-round pick Josh Downs who was sixth among rookie wide receivers with 771-receiving yards despite being the 12th receiver selected.
NFL.com recently graded the 2023 NFL Draft classes based on their contributions last season, and predictably, the Colts took a hit because of Richardson's injury. While the future is exciting for the Colts and Richardson, only playing four games in 2023 was enough to help drag the Colts grade to a "C" and rank 22nd overall.
"Richardson showed promise as a dual-threat quarterback," wrote Chad Reuter on NFL.com. "He was the opening-day starter but suffered multiple injuries, and his season was ended by shoulder surgery just on month in. I thought perhaps his thick build and athleticism would help him stay healthy, but if he's unable to avoid the trainer's table, it's going to be tough for him to become a franchise quarterback."
Richardson wasn't the only rookie who battled injury. Second-round pick Julius Brents also suffered from the injury bug during the 2023 season .
"The team's other Friday night selection, Brents, missed time due to injuries and experienced the typical ups and downs of a rookie cornerback learning on the job," wrote Reuter. "He'll need to have a healthy sophomore campaign if the Colts are to learn whether he'll be a lockdown corner or someone the team will try to replace in the starting lineup in a year."
Senior Bowl standouts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore and cornerback Darius Rush were considered great value in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively. However, Adebawore had just-four tackles on the season, and Rush was cut before the season even started.
Having a "C" after the first season when grading a draft class is like checking a college grade at Halloween. There is a lot of time left to bring this grade up to an "A", and a healthy Richardson can go a long way towards acing the class over the next several seasons.
