The Indianpolis Colts are leaving no stone upturned ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, as they will be welcoming in Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud for a top 30 visit Friday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It is a thorough, yet potentially futile decision given that the two-time Heisman finalist is expected to be out of Indy’s reach at No. 4. The team has continued to extensively evaluate both Bryce Young and Stroud during the entire NFL Draft process, working out each prospect earlier in the month. It is too late for Colts general manager Chris Ballard to trade up into the top two slots, so he is now at the mercy of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.
The latter is particularly interesting, given that Houston has multiple glaring holes to fill and could find it more practical for their current state of affairs to trade down for more assets and instead grab a more raw signal-caller like Anthony Richardson. It would be risky, but also an out-of-the-box type of move that a beleaguered franchise might be tempted to make.
The Arizona Cardinals are projected to take Alabama powerhouse Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 but could trade down with the Colts or another QB-desperate team. If Stroud falls past No. 2, then the Colts might need to take that avenue since other GMs will surely consider doing the same in order to snag who many scouts believe is the most pro-ready QB in the class.
With the NFL Draft now less than two weeks away, every action by a player or team will be newsworthy. Stroud to the Colts might end up just being a whole lot of hoopla, but if a monumental shakeup at top does occur, Indianapolis will be rocking all the way until kickoff in September.
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