Colts GM & HC Offer Insight on Four Key Draft Questions

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen answer questions after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts have concluded the 2023 NFL draft with 12 new additions.

What did the Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen have to say in the wake of the draft? There’ll be four total questions (two from each) and a breakdown of the answers. 

They run the gamut of new QB Anthony Richardson to their three cornerback selections and more. Let’s get into it.

Note: It was unclear which journalists asked these questions, so please forgive our lack of citation. 

Question 1 (Ballard): You mentioned competition, and you selected three cornerbacks overall in the draft. How do you see that playing out?

Answer: “It kind of worked out, like Darius Rush, we really liked. I mean, he’s an athletic, long corner – kind of fits our profile. A converted wideout, so he’s got ball skills. He can play the deep ball. He’s kind of a guy that we had even talked about taking him in the fourth but then ended up taking the tackle and the d-tackle. Then adding (Jaylon) Jones and (JuJu) Brents – all three corners, we wanted to add competition to that position in, which I think we were able to do. The room is going to look a little different with these guys added.”

Analysis: Outside of quarterback, cornerback was the biggest need for the Colts. Adding the athletic Julius Brents and the big-bargain pick Darius Rush were massive additions for their defensive back group. Tacking on Jaylon Jones was a cherry on top, adding another physical corner for competition.

If you’re Kenny Moore II and Isaiah Rodgers Sr., you’ve got to be happy to get young, talented help.

Next, Ballard was asked about the AFC South’s new QBs.

Question 2 (Ballard): I know you pay attention to your division. There was a lot of quarterback movement.

Answer: “Oh yeah. It’s kind of cool, isn’t it? I think it’s really cool. We’re going to get to really watch all three of these guys. Look, we spent a lot of time with each one of them, and they’re all unique in their own ways, they all have strengths in their own ways, they’re all really good dudes. Liked visiting with them, liked really building relationships with them. That’s a cool thing. That’s going to be fun. That’s going to be fun for all of us to watch.”

Analysis: An unprecedented three quarterbacks were selected, all in the same division. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud went to the Houston Texans, giving them the most accurate passer in the draft. Then, the Colts took Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who is the most athletic prospect ever tested at quarterback. Finally, the Tennessee Titans took Kentucky’s Will Levis in the second round. Levis slipped in the draft but provided moxy, athleticism, toughness, and an excellent arm for the Titans.

The AFC South will be exciting to watch, especially as the three rookies try to battle the division’s king, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, to take over.

Now that Ballard answered, it was time to switch to the play-caller himself, Steichen.

Question 3 (Steichen): With Josh Downs and Will Mallory, they’re good players, but how much is it trying to get the quarterback going as well?

Answer: “No question. Any time you add talent around a quarterback, it makes them better, and (Josh) Downs is a crafty route runner in the slot. He had a lot of production at North Carolina. He just has a really good natural feel. I mean, this guy is a football player and can find the dead spots in zone coverage. He just has a knack for getting open, so really excited to about him. Then having (Will) Mallory in the fold, Chris (Ballard) just touched on it. The speed that he brings. He catches some shallow routes, underneath routes, seam balls. You can just see the explosiveness when he catches that ball and then takes off and runs. It will be good.”

There it was again, “explosiveness.” Steichen has repeated this a lot, showing how much it means to him to make this happen. With UNC’s Josh Downs, Steichen is getting a receiver who put together 195 catches, 2,364 receiving yards, and 19 receiving touchdowns in his last two years in college. He can also be a huge addition to the slot.

With Will Mallory, Steichen receives a 6’5” tight end who can also be placed in the slot for mismatches. He’s also experienced, playing five seasons at Miami.

It will be interesting to see how Steichen implements these two into his new offense.

The last question in this piece will regard Richardson and what’s most important in his early development with the Colts.

Question 4 (Steichen): What’s the most important thing these next three months for Anthony Richardson?

Answer: “I think the development of learning the offense, learning the system. We’ve got to get him in the playbook, learn the lingo, learn the terminology, and once you learn that, then you really hone in on the fundamentals and the details day in and day out. This is how we want to look; you’ve got to show him what it needs to look like and what it can’t look like. That’s going to be the biggest thing for us as coaches. This is what we want it to look like, this is how we want you to do it and then let his talent take over. This guy has rare traits that don’t come along very often. So, we’re excited to get him.”

Analysis: As far as the quarterbacks in the draft, Richardson had the most question marks. Well, Steichen doesn’t seem too deterred by those punctuations.

Steichen helped develop Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts.

With such a diverse group of passers, mixed with the success that came, it’s hard not to imagine Richardson isn’t in the best-case scenario for his career in Indianapolis.

It remains to be seen what Richardson will turn into. But watching the “explosiveness” that Steichen always brings up and how Richardson factors it in will be exciting.

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