Though there is still roughly a month left of football, the 2023 NFL draft talk is heating up, and it has been a primary focus for the struggling Indianapolis Colts.
All but officially eliminated, the Colts have close to no chance of making the playoffs. They are headed for a top-10 pick after what has become nothing short of a disastrous campaign.
ESPN’s Todd McShay put together his first mock draft for the 2023 class, and it featured the Colts taking an offensive tackle with the No. 7 overall pick.
“Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Everyone knows Indy needs a quarterback, but it shouldn’t be reaching for the fourth-best passer in the class at No. 7. I’m sure the Colts will attempt to move up, but let’s not forget about the other problems with this roster. You can’t blame all 46 sacks allowed (tied for the NFL’s most) on Matt Ryan’s lack of mobility, especially considering the offensive line’s 46.8% pass block win rate is dead last in the NFL. Skoronski might not have ideal length at 6-foot-4, but his quickness and technique pop on tape. Plus, he is a stout run-blocker, which would open things up for Jonathan Taylor. Skoronski could slide into the left tackle role and help fix a unit that fell off quite a bit in 2022.”
It should be noted that the Colts currently hold the No. 9 overall pick in the draft entering Week 15. However, the order in this mock is based on ESPN’s FPI simulations of what the final records will be.
Skoronski has been getting plenty of hype as one of the top offensive linemen in this class even if it isn’t truly clear where he’ll play.
It’s difficult to narrow down a selection for the Colts considering the question marks that surround the front office. We’ll have a good idea of what the Colts will do if Chris Ballard remains the general manager, but with the chance that he’s gone, we don’t know what kind of strategy the new regime would implement.
Regardless, it’s likely that the offensive line will be a part of the needs this offseason with quarterback being at the top of that list.
Skoronski seems to be a safe bet as a first-round pick so this should be a player to keep an eye on.
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