Report: Colts Believe Shane Steichen's Offense Gives IND More QB Options in NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly believe new head coach Shane Steichen's offense will give them the flexibility to consider different styles of quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft.

According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, people within the organization feel they can succeed "with any quarterback" they select because of the versatility of Steichen's offensive system.

The Colts hold the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and regardless of whether they stay put or trade up, they are almost certain to select a signal-caller in the first round.

Steichen first entered the NFL as a quality control coach in 2011, and he rose through the ranks to become the Los Angeles Chargers' interim offensive coordinator in 2019 and full-time OC in 2020.

With Steichen helping head coach Anthony Lynn call plays, Justin Herbert enjoyed one of the greatest rookie seasons by a quarterback in NFL history in 2020.

Herbert completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the game.

Steichen then became the Philadelphia Eagles' coordinator in 2021 and 2022, and he worked wonders with quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Last season, Hurts went 14-1 as a starter, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns with six picks, representing what was by far the best passing production of his three-year career.

Hurts also did a ton of damage with his legs, rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. He finished second in MVP voting and nearly led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for three scores in the game.

Steichen has excelled with a quarterback who does the bulk of his damage in the pocket in Herbert and one who is most dangerous because of his rushing ability in Hurts.

There is a diverse group of quarterbacks expected to be picked in the first round of the draft, and any of them could land in Indianapolis.

With two months until the event, it is widely expected that Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson will be first-round choices, and they could all go in the top 10.

Young and Stroud don't run much, but they possessed surgical accuracy in college and would benefit from a timing-based passing game at the NFL level.

Levis has a huge arm and displayed impressive mobility in 2021 when he rushed for 376 yards and nine touchdowns. He may be something of a project in terms of his accuracy, but he is the prototypical NFL quarterback at 6'3" and 232 pounds.

Richardson is perhaps the biggest wild card of the bunch after completing a minuscule 53.8 percent of his passes last season, but he too has tremendous arm strength and is the most like Hurts in terms of his rushing ability, posting 654 yards and nine scores last season.

He is also the biggest of the bunch at 6'4" and 232 pounds, which could make him a Josh Allen-esque player if he is able to refine his passing skills.

The Colts have been searching for answers at quarterback since Andrew Luck's sudden retirement in 2019, and Steichen's presence has instilled confidence they will be able to quickly mold their draft pick into a quality starter.