Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said to hell with draft smokescreens in the Tuesday press conference introducing new Colts head coach Shane Steichen.
While Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard did their best to play their cards close to the vest, Irsay told the NFL world that the Colts will be drafting a quarterback in the first round of April's NFL draft.
"Knowing that we're going to have to find a young quarterback to develop is a key factor," Irsay said of a main reason why the Colts targeted Steichen.
The former Eagles offensive coordinator has worked with Jalen Hurts, and Justin Herbert before that, when he was the Chargers OC in 2020. Steichen has a proven track record of developing young quarterbacks, and that helped him stand out in the search process for Indy.
But Irsay didn't stop there! Without saying Bryce Young's name, he offered up just how much he likes the Alabama quarterback.
"The Alabama guy doesn't look bad, I'll tell ya," irsay said.
The Colts own the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they sit behind the Bears, Texans and Cardinals. Of those three teams, only the Texans would be drafting a quarterback at that spot. The Panthers, sitting at No. 9, is a team to watch as a potential trade-up.
Irsay mentioned the possibilities of trading up or staying put, which then forced Ballard -- who was seated at the table along with Irsay and Steichen -- to mention the possibility of moving back just to keep whatever remaining smoke alive in the Colts' draft room.
While Irsay's comments will no doubt bring a lot of attention to an Indianapolis marriage with Young, a league source warned against excluding Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud from the conversation.
Stroud fits the physical mold of a Ballard player more than Young. The Colts have had one of the biggest teams in all of football, and they've always had big quarterbacks in what is likely a leftover mentality instilled there by Bill Polian. From Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck and then just about every quarterback the Colts have wandered the wilderness with since Luck retired, the Colts like tall and/or big quarterbacks.
Young is not that. While scouts rave about his moxie and intelligence, he will be one of the shortest and slightest quarterbacks in the league next season. That doesn't mean he won't be the first overall pick, and it certainly doesn't mean he's not deserving of it, but it'll be interesting to see how Steichen and Ballard determine what fits the offensive system there better.
Young will check into the NFL Scouting Combine in two weeks at about 5-foot-11, and it'll be a surprise if he hits 190 pounds. Stroud could be a shade under 6-foot-3 and around 215 pounds.
There's more than simply size that goes into a franchise-altering decision like a top-five quarterback. But sources and history indicate the Colts will place a high value on that.
