Bryce Young to Colts After Bears Trade in McShay's Post-Super Bowl NFL Mock Draft

After Jim Irsay teased liking Bryce Young on Tuesday, ESPN's Todd McShay is projecting the Indianapolis Colts to get the Alabama quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft.

In his latest mock draft released on Wednesday, McShay has the Colts trading up to the No. 1 pick to select Young:

"New Colts coach Shane Steichen got Justin Herbert up to speed when he was the Chargers' offensive coordinator during Herbert's rookie season, and then helped turn Jalen Hurts into one of the league's top quarterbacks over his two years with the Eagles. Indianapolis has plenty of playmakers already on the roster, but Steichen now needs a signal-caller to build around."

Speaking to reporters during Shane Steichen's introductory press conference on Tuesday, Irsay mentioned the Colts "have to find a young quarterback" and specifically cited Young as an option:

McShay noted the success Steichen has had developing young quarterbacks. Justin Herbert set rookie records in his only season with Steichen as offensive coordinator, making 396 completions and 31 passing touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.

The Eagles had the third-best scoring offense in the NFL this season. Jalen Hurts finished second in MVP voting, behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Colts have been going through a revolving door at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired before the start of the 2019 season. Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan have been their leading passers in each of the past four seasons.

It wasn't a bad formula for a period of time. The 2020 team with Rivers made the playoffs. The 2021 team was in playoff contention with Wentz until the final week of the regular season.

The bottom fell out for the Colts in 2022, with Ryan looking old and the rest of the roster struggling with injuries or performance. Their 4-12-1 record was their worst in a single season since 2017.

Whether it's in the draft or free agency, the Colts have to come out of this offseason with a long-term answer at quarterback. Young seems like he's caught their attention and could force them to make a move up if they don't think he will be there at No. 4 overall.