2023 NFL Draft Recap: Indianapolis Colts

The 2023 NFL Draft has concluded after months of scrutiny about these prospects, potential landing spots, team and scheme fits, and so on. Now we get to start the entire process all over again now that we have team landing spots for these college prospects with their new NFL teams.

Today, we tackle the Indianapolis Colts and how they fared in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Indianapolis' 2023 NFL Draft Selections:

  • Round 1, Pick 4 - Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
  • Round 2, Pick 44 - Julius Brents, DB, Kansas State
  • Round 3, Pick 79 - Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
  • Round 4, Pick 106 - Blake Freeland, OL, BYU
  • Round 4, Pick 110 - Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
  • Round 5, Pick 138 - Darius Rush, DB, South Carolina
  • Round 5, Pick 158 - Daniel Scott, S, California
  • Round 5, Pick 162 - Will Mallory, TE, Miami
  • Round 5, Pick 176 - Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
  • Round 6, Pick 211 - Titus Leo, LB, Wagner
  • Round 7, Pick 221 - Jaylon Jones, DB, Texas A&M
  • Round 7, Pick 236 - Jake Witt, OL, Northern Michigan

The 2023 Fantasy Football Impact:

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida: As the fourth pick in the draft, Anthony Richardson has high expectations both in real football and fantasy football. Given Richardson's elite athleticism, he has a high rushing upside, giving high potential in fantasy. While he's a bit raw from a passing standpoint, Richardson could have a similar fantasy impact as Justin Fields did last year, where his team doesn't necessarily play well offensively, but he still provides enough rushing to be a viable starting option in fantasy. Even with his raw passing ability, Richardson could succeed both on the ground and in the air due to his good young weapons in Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce. Among the top three QB drafted (Young, Stroud, Richardson) I'd say Richardson ranks first in both redraft and dynasty given his upside. In redraft, he's worth a late-round pick as a flyer, and in dynasty, he's well worth a high-round pick (1st round in rookie drafts, 2nd or 3rd round in startups).

Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina: Listed at 5'10", 175 pounds, Downs is likely a long-term option at slot receiver for the Colts. As a third-round pick, he will at least be behind Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce, two solid outside receivers, and will likely compete with former Buffalo Bill Isaiah McKenzie for the WR3 spot in the 2023 season. From a redraft perspective, unless he beats the veteran McKenzie for the starting job and the Colts play a lot of three-WR sets, I don't see him having much value. In dynasty, his value will likely be well aligned with Anthony Richardson's development as QB, making him more of a developmental pick than an immediate impact pick.

Follow Seth Quinn on Twitter @SethFQuinn!

Have Your Say