Colts Would Only Trade Up in Draft for 'a Guy Worthy of It', GM Chris Ballard Says

It is widely believed that the Indianapolis Colts will be looking to move up from the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft in order to select their quarterback of the future.

While speaking to reporters at the NFL combine on Wednesday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard explained the team's thinking process as they approach the draft.

"I know all the speculation out there," he said, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. "To move up, there's got to be a guy worthy of it. ... Everybody has just automatically stamped that you've got to move up to [No.] 1 to get it right. I don't know if I agree with that. But that's gonna be the narrative, and that's OK."

This year's draft class features multiple promising quarterback prospects, most notably Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson. Ballard said for the Colts to trade up, there would have to be a situation "that we were just convicted that this is no freaking doubt the guy."

Ballard also acknowledged the possibility that the team is able to land its top choice without trading up, saying, "If, when we meet as a staff and we say, 'OK, this is what we need to do. This is the guy for the next 10 to 15 years and we think he's the right guy,' we'll do it. But who's to say we won't get one at [No.] 4?"

Indianapolis has dealt with inconsistent quarterback play since Andrew Luck's retirement in 2019. This past season, veteran Matt Ryan was eventually benched in favor of Nick Foles and 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger. The turnover at the position resulted in a 4-12-1 campaign that saw Frank Reich get fired as head coach and replaced by the inexperienced Jeff Saturday.

The Colts hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their permanent head coach, so it's imperative that he's paired with the right signal-caller going forward to avoid another disappointing campaign.