After ending the Frank Reich/Chris Ballard era that was defined by sustained mediocrity before it all fell apart, the Indianapolis Colts entered the 2023 NFL Draft with a top-five pick and an opportunity to start over.
While Ballard remains, new head coach Shane Steichen looks to bring some of the success he experienced in Philadelphia with him to Indy. Who did Ballard select for him to build it around?
Want to see how the Colts graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then come check out our full Indianapolis Colts draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
Indianapolis Colts Draft Picks by Round in 2023
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- Round 1, Pick 4
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida - Round 2, Pick 44 (From ATL)
Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State - Round 3, Pick 79 (From WAS)
Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina - Round 4, Pick 106
Blake Freeland, OT, BYU - Round 4, Pick 110 (From ATL via TEN)
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern - Round 5, Pick 138
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina - Round 5, Pick 158 (From MIN)
Daniel Scott, S, California - Round 5, Pick 162 (From BUF)
Will Mallory, TE, Miami (FL) - Round 5, Pick 176* (From DAL)
Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern - Round 7, Pick 211* (From MIN)
Titus Leo, LB, Wagner - Round 7, Pick 221
Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M - Round 7, Pick 236 (From TB)
Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan
- Round 1, Pick 4
*Compensatory selection
Who Did the Colts Draft in 2023?
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts made a total of 12 selections. They had one pick in each of the first three rounds, followed by two picks in the fourth round and four in the fifth round.
To acquire linebacker Grant Stuard, Indianapolis sent their original sixth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but received a second seventh-round pick in return. This left them with no picks in the sixth round but three in the seventh.
With a total of 12 picks, the Colts had a great opportunity to rebuild their team. They used half of their picks on offense and the other half on defense.
One area of major concern for the Colts was their offensive line, which has been a problem since Andrew Luck retired. Quenton Nelson, who is usually dominant, also had a rough season last year, and the rest of the line was a disaster.
Ballard had his work cut out this offseason to win back the hearts of the Colts faithful. He’s undoubtedly on a short leash after surviving while Reich was let go amid last year’s disaster. He started it off with a bang, selecting who he hopes will be the next face of the franchise.
Indianapolis used their first-round pick to select Florida QB Anthony Richardson, one of the 2023 NFL Draft’s top quarterbacks. Richardson has already been named the team’s regular-season starter. He’s as gifted as any athlete in the NFL, so his development under Steichen will be fascinating to watch.
On Day 2, Indianapolis traded back, sending pick No. 35 to Las Vegas for pick Nos. 38 and 141. They traded back again, landing 6’3″ cornerback Julius Brents. Brents is another great, freakish athlete who will hopefully provide an impact like Tariq Woolen did for the Seahawks as a rookie in 2022.
During Day 3, the Colts had the opportunity to make nine more selections, with four of them in Round 5. Indianapolis obtained their original fifth-round pick and three more through trades.
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One of the picks was acquired by trading running back Nyheim Hines to Buffalo, while another was received during the offseason as a compensatory pick from Dallas in exchange for veteran CB Stephon Gilmore.
Although the Colts waited until Round 4 to address the offensive line, their pick of Blake Freeland showed promise. Despite being inexperienced, he has impressive physical qualities and the potential for growth into a starter early in his career.