What to Make of Colts Owner Jim Irsay's Comments on Bryce Young

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay did not hide his affinity for Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who is a top prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Every press conference that involves Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay tends to turn into must-see TV.

Tuesday was no different.

As the Colts introduced their new head coach, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, many questions revolved around the topic of quarterback. It is no secret that the Colts will select a quarterback within the top four of the 2023 NFL Draft. Steichen is known for his work with developing quarterbacks, most recently with the Eagles and Jalen Hurts.

Irsay loves to talk about the quarterback position as well. With guys like Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck donning the Horseshoe, Irsay just cannot help himself but have an opinion on the most important position in football. He may have given a glimpse into who he prefers at quarterback in this upcoming draft class.

Looks like #Colts owner Jim Irsay let the cat out of the bag about the #Colts Draft plans.

"The Alabama guy doesn't look bad, I'll tell ya."

The Colts currently pick at number 4. May need to move up if they want Bryce Young. pic.twitter.com/hY93tvznKk

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 14, 2023

"We’re not hiding – no one can shy away from the fact (of) what a quarterback means in this league and how we have to look going forward where Shane and Chris (Ballard) really dig into this draft and really see where you’re at," Irsay explained. "Do you stay put? Do you trade up? There are many things you can do. (The Eagles) took Jalen (Hurts) in the second round...although the Alabama guy doesn’t look bad, I tell you. But it will be exciting."

Irsay is talking about Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young. Young is one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft and the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. In two seasons as the starter at Bama, Young went 611-of-927 (66%) for 8,200 yards, 79 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

After hearing Irsay's comments, did he just give away the Colts' draft plans? Do the Colts want to make Young their quarterback of the future?

Let's hold our horses for just a second.

Young very well could end up as QB1 for multiple teams across the league, even the Colts. However, there are multiple reasons to believe that this is not the case at this time.

Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts just hired Steichen as their next head coach. Coming from an offensive background and his work with quarterbacks, Steichen is sure to have a voice in the room for who the Colts take as their next quarterback. Steichen detailed what he looks for in a quarterback on Tuesday.

“I think accuracy, decision making and the ability to create are the three things that I look at in a quarterback," Steichen said. "I think those all three things are very important but obviously, above the neck, the players that I’ve been around – Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Philip Rivers, they all have one thing in common. They’re obsessed with their craft. If you can find that in a quarterback, you’ll probably have some success.”

Do those qualities describe Young? Absolutely. He is one of the most accurate passers in college football and is arguably the best improviser in the class.

However, Steichen has only been with the Colts for a couple of days. He is still trying to get settled and is currently working on building a coaching staff. His input on rookie quarterbacks will come down the line.

Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another reason to believe Young is not the top quarterback at this moment for the Colts is general manager Chris Ballard.

Since Ballard became the GM of the Colts back in 2017, he has certainly created a "type" when it comes to acquiring players in the draft. Ballard loves players with high-end physical traits. Height, weight, speed, and explosiveness mean a lot to Ballard when evaluating prospects.

Ballard has been known to stay away from players at certain positions if they do not reach his specific metrics when it comes to height and weight. Ballard has never drafted a wide receiver under 6'0" and 200 pounds. He had to be convinced to take a flier on Kenny Moore II because the cornerback was only 5'9".

Young is another outlier when it comes to size. While listed at 6'0" and 194 pounds at Alabama, many believe those numbers are larger than Young's actual size. There are serious concerns from NFL personnel that Young will measure in under both of those numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine in a couple of weeks.

We will see if Young's raw ability will be enough for Ballard to go against his requirements. But remember, the Colts under Irsay have never taken a quarterback under 6'3" in the first round of the NFL draft.

© Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The most important part of all of this is we are still very early in the draft cycle. The Combine has not even happened yet, which allows teams to meet with some of these players one-on-one for the first time. How a player performs in these interviews can be crucial for their draft stock.

After the Combine, players will then participate in Pro Days back at their schools. NFL personnel will get another opportunity to watch these players up close in a variety of drills and meet with them individually once again.

The top 30 visits follow the Pro Days, allowing teams to host up to 30 prospects at their facility. These visits include more interviews and meetings with the team, a tour of the facility, and workouts held by the Colts' coaching staff with the player.

While all this is happening, Ballard, Steichen, and the rest of the Colts' scouting department will spend days together in meetings as they finally sort out their draft board and determine which prospects they like the best.

So, are the Colts set on Young at this point as their next franchise quarterback? Not in the slightest. We still have a long way to go before the final draft board is set and a decision is made on who the Colts want to target.

We can chalk this up to Irsay being Irsay, living in the moment, and saying whatever is on his mind.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

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