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At the conclusion of every NFL draft, there’s always the fun and slightly irritating bit of doing a “way-too-early” mock draft for the next crop coming arriving the following year.
While it wasn’t immediately after the 2022 draft, there was one “way-too-early” mock draft from July that correctly predicted the Colts’ taking Anthony Richardson.
The Indianapolis Colts have essentially been a veteran quarterback carousel since Andrew Luck’s retirement in 2018. It’s about time they make an actual investment in finding a young quarterback.
The trade for Matt Ryan essentially guarantees he will be on the roster for the next two seasons. His $35.2 million cap hit in 2023 is fully guaranteed in what will be his age-38 season.
That essentially gives the Colts two years to find a young quarterback they believe in.
It also guarantees if they take a quarterback in the 2023 draft, they will have a year to allow him to learn the system and how to be a pro.
That’s the kind of scenario that could be perfect for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
At this point, there’s a lot of projection for Richardson. He’s 6’4″, 235 pounds and runs the ball with force on designed runs. Essentially, he’s a fullback with a cannon arm.
He’s going to have to learn how to hone those tools into being an efficient quarterback. Splitting time with Emory Jones, Richardson threw six touchdowns to five interceptions and completed just 59 percent of his passes.
Jones transferred to Arizona State, paving the way for Richardson to take over as the starter and prove he belongs in the Round 1 conversation.
Granted, there are a lot of stark differences from that mock draft to now. First and foremost, the Colts were predicted to pick 21st in this mock draft. That certainly didn’t pan out, but it may also be a blessing in disguise considering the Colts probably wouldn’t have landed Richardson if that were the case.
The other difference is that Matt Ryan is gone so Richardson won’t be sitting behind a well-established veteran.
It’s pretty cool to see the Colts current quarterback be predicted to the team so long ago, and that prediction became a reality as Indy ushers in a new era.
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