The 2023 NFL Draft is less than two months away and the Chicago Bears hold the #1 draft pick. There has been much speculation about whether they will trade the pick, or trade Justin Fields and draft a new quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts hold the fourth overall pick and desperately need a quarterback to stop the carousel of one-year rental veteran’s to play the role. With the right quarterback, the Colts can put themselves in position to compete for years to come with the core that they already have in place.
How the Colts Can Land a Franchise Quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft
Colts-Bears Draft Trade
The smartest move for the Colts is to go all-in on doing what is necessary to trade the Bears for that number one pick and take the quarterback of their choosing, likely Bryce Young, to build towards competing once again. The Colts have a solid team as it stands and adding the right quarterback could really unlock the team’s contention window. As projected on The 33rd team’s site, their mock draft agrees and has the Colts trading up with the Bears to select Alabama’s Young as their new franchise quarterback.
The big knock on Young has always been his size, as he is not your prototypical size for an NFL quarterback. Most evaluators are looking to see a quarterback who is at least 6’4”. I think people are quick to forget that Drew Brees, one of the greatest players to ever play Quarterback was 6’0” at best. The intangibles and attitude that Young brings to the table should far outweigh his size. He played college at Alabama with NFL sized linemen and put up great numbers throughout his career. This is the right play for the Colts and will help put them back on the map in the AFC.
Bryce Young
Young has shown to be a phenomenal pocket passer with great arm strength and while he may not be as mobile as a quarterback such as Fields he is a better passer. This is the main reason that the rumor mill keeps swirling about the Bears trading Fields and selecting Young. This would be a mistake on the Bears part as Fields really started to blossom this past season and the passing ability is there; it just may require some additional coaching (and of course more consistent weapons around him), in order to unlock that ability we saw in his college days. What he can do on the ground is unmatched by almost every quarterback in the NFL today.
For the Colts, however, they have an elite talent at running back in Jonathan Taylor, who, when healthy is one of the best running backs in the league if not the best. If they can get their pocket passer to go along with that talent not to mention the blossoming young core of receivers they have the sky will be the limit for them and this is the effect drafting a guy like Young will have for their team both now and in the future.
Main Photo: Kelly Wilkinson-IndyStar – USA TODAY NETWORK
