PFF Prediction: Indianapolis Colts Most Improved in 2023?

The Indianapolis Colts started the 2022 season full of hope after just missing the playoffs in 2021 and acquiring veteran-quarterback Matt Ryan in the offseason.

A draw in the season opener against a woeful Houston Texans team quickly brought the team back to reality. The Colts hung around .500 for much of the season before a 1-7 finish landed them in the top five of the NFL Draft.

Many of the core players that brought hope to the 2022 Colts are still in place, and the Colts brought in new head coach Shane Steichen to right the ship.

How much better can the Colts be in 2023? Pro Football Focus (PFF) listed the Colts as the fourth team on their list of teams who can improve the most this year.

Things unspooled in a hurry for the Colts last season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be put back together almost as quickly.

They now have a chance at drafting their next quarterback rather than taking endless gambles on worn-out veterans. The Colts need to nail the quarterback evaluation in this draft, with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson each ranking inside the top 11 on the PFF big board.

The odds are that one or more of those players won’t be a team's long-term answer in the NFL, so getting that pick right could be the difference between the Colts being back there again next year and jumping back into contention in the AFC. -- Sam Monson, PFF

Monson speaks plainly about rolling the dice on unproven talent in the draft. While hopes and dreams fill the first round, the reality is many of the players taken, especially quarterback, fail to live up to expectations.

Having Steichen, a proven developer of quarterbacks capable of molding his offense around a variety of skill sets, will increase the likelihood the Colts get good production from their next quarterback no matter who is eventually under center.

The Colts are also in decent position relative to the salary cap. They have roughly $12 million available according to Spotrac before any moves get made in the offseason to clear space.

$12 million may not sound like a lot, but it puts the Colts right in the middle at 15th in available space, and there are 14 teams currently over the cap.

The fall of the Colts in 2022 was one of the more surprising storylines last year. The rise of the Colts in 2023 won't be nearly as surprising.