Colts GM Chris Ballard Slams 'Bulls--t' Leaks About NFL Draft Prospects: 'It's Crap'

Leaks and negative stories about prospects ahead of the NFL draft have unfortunately become a reality, and Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is tired of it.

He told reporters as much Thursday:

"I get frustrated. All the crap that comes out about these kids. It's crap. Like, it's bulls--t. I'm sorry, but it's bulls--t. Like people that leak these stories, these negative stories on kids. I just don't—I don't agree with it. It's bulls--t..

"These guys work their ass off to get where they need to be, and then all week you've got to read . . . and then they've got to answer questions. So, anyway, not on Anthony it's on some other kids in the draft that are good kids, and I thought had to take a little bit of a beating that they shouldn't have had to take."

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted it was clear Ballard was talking about quarterback C.J. Stroud, who the Houston Texans ended up taking No. 2 overall.

While Stroud was a back-to-back Heisman Trophy finalist who could make every throw during his time at Ohio State, his draft stock was under the microscope leading up to Thursday's first round in part because of some of those negative stories.

Supposed quarterback scores on the S2 cognition test leaked that indicated he finished at just 18 percent out of 100. However, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted the test's co-founder said all the signal-callers "scored really, really well" amid misinformation that was spread.

Those comments brought Stroud's supposed score into doubt, but he was still asked about it leading into the draft.

"I'm not a test taker," he told reporters. "I play football. … The people who are making the picks know what I can do. So that's all that matters to me. ... I know what I can do."

Fortunately for Stroud, the Texans decided the two years of dominant tape he put on display as one of the nation's top quarterbacks outweighed any leaks. They selected him with the No. 2 overall pick with the hopes he will become the face of the franchise for years to come.

As for the Colts, they selected Florida's Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall.

There were more questions about Richardson than Stroud when it came to on-the-field performances during their college careers, and his accuracy will be something to watch as he plays in the NFL.

But at least those were legitimate football concerns, unlike some of the other stories that circulated in the days before the draft.